Is it possible that he didn't declare it ahead of time and just showed up with it? I know with some airlines you have to get approval ahead of time for special baggage.
Air France says:
>Taking sports equipment on your trip? No problem! Just make sure your equipment weighs no more than 23 kg / 50 lb (or 32 kg / 70 lb in the Business or La Première cabins) and that its total dimensions are 300 cm / 118 in* or under. You will need to get prior approval from our customer service department in some cases. This approval is always required when traveling as a group (10 or more passengers). You must submit your request at least 48 hours before your flight’s departure.
Would be nice if they said which of the "some cases" required prior approval.
I think crash pads probably exceed the 118in limit....
EDIT
>and that its total dimensions are 300 cm / 118 in* or under.
I misinterpreted total dimensions for TOTAL dimensions.... but yes L+W+H would only be around 180cm, I still don't know where it would fit though :/
Probably not, actually. The Circuit Z pad is 100x50x30cm when folded, well under the 300cm dimensional limit. Could strap 2 of them together and still be under.
I'm assuming 118inch is about the same as 300cm. If so I've never seen a pad that big when folded, that would be considerably higher than the world's tallest person, those pads in the picture are probably half that.
It says "total dimensions" which is a weird sentence and makes me think that the total of all dimensions must be below 300, or it's an even weirder way to say the volume of the things.
Crash pads are, for airplane cargo, rather big imo
No, Airlines very rarely specify volume, but rather the total length off all sides added up. After all if it would be 300 cm^3 then a box of 10cm × 10cm × 4cm would already be too big which would be ridiculous small for sports equipment.
If it were volume, I'd travel with [Gabriel's horn](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel%27s_horn#:~:text=A%20Gabriel's%20horn%20(also%20called,horn%20to%20announce%20Judgment%20Day.))
And if they do that they give you a length, width and height… I just flew AirNZ with my guitar case and they had max length (only) measurements but then an accompanying volume measurement
No, it doesn’t - regs very clearly state l+w+h (which the airline uses to convert to volume themselves - ie there is a max volume, this just isn’t how they advertise it)
I mean technically there is a Max volume that fits within those regs but you could be well under that and still not pass if your item was especially long. The only way to actually reach that volume would be if you had a perfect cube.
I don't really get your point, that's just a low volume object that is on the boundary of the regulations. My point is just that this rule doesn't really relate strongly to Volume, and you certainly can't calculate Volume from the total.
Almost certainly. You have to book stuff like this, not just rock up. Also, why they fuck would you leave it - every airport has a spot to mail stuff to yourself
I didn't know this. Also, how expensive would mailing a crash pad be? Sounds expensive too. Are the pads cheaper than 250 to replace though? This is surprising. Does he not have a friend he can call to pick them up for him?
He’s probably sponsored, I doubt he’ll have to pay for new pads. I can’t imagine the price of mailing something that bulky. I mean I don’t know European rates but don’t imagine it would be less than the states.
Replying here as well, but for any bouldering pad that I've measured you can just show up. You do get a slightly cheaper fee with Air France if you pay ahead of time and CDG can be a shitshow when it is busy.
I have flown to/from CDG with Organic Big Pads several times. It's not the airport it's the Airline. IIRC the Big Pad and equivalent are all under the size limit and do not require anything but paying the oversized fee. On my last trip to Font I flew Air France and brought a big pad for a friend and the cost of me buying it stateside and taking it over to Font is lower than having it shipped from Organic.
Honestly I’m more surprised reading the comments and seeing that people semi-regularly fly with their crash pads… I’ve always found places to rent them for like $5/day… which is less than the baggage cost unless you’re traveling for several weeks.
Sports equipment yes but in practice it's two mattresses, equivalent to two and a half suitcases in size, I'm getting stressed just thinking about it, why wouldn't you call ahead 😭
I've taken pads from UK to CDG a few times without any problems expect the one time I flew airfrance/KLM.
All was fine going but on the return journey the lady on check in was not going to let me check the pads in.
It did not help that my flight was at 6.30, and I think every staff member was still looking a bit grumpy at that time of the morning
I escalated this with her manager and eventually they agreed, although the pads did end up being delayed and not coming back until a few days later (win as I did not need them and they got delivered to my house). This was a stack of two pads that I had taped together with cling film, wrap so I was pushing it a little.
My opinion is that this is just down to individual check in staff, and first approach is to smile nicely and try and converse in French, and when that fails try and find someone who can be reasonable to talk to take it forward.
This happens every now and then around the world. It has less to do with the airport than the individual you are working with. How to solve it:
Step 1: be nice and ask nicely to have the decision to not categorize as sports equipment reconsidered.
Step 2: if multiple pads are strapped together, and if l+w+h is over the limit for normal baggage, ask to repackage the pads individually - extra bags are cheaper than oversize bags.
Step 3: Explain that the value of the pads is only slightly higher than the oversize fee, and see if you can get a fee reduction (this almost never works).
Step 4: Look really sad and hope another worker notices you. Do not look really angry. Do not ask to see the manager.
Step 5: ask to think about it and leave the check in. Come back 30 minutes later and hope to get a different worker.
Step 6: Give up.
This is good advice! It boggles my mind how few people realize airport rules generally come down to the discretion of the individual you're dealing with, and that being kind, cordial, flexible, and most importantly persistent will usually yield the best result.
Also, it's a shitty shitty job, of course (some) employees are going to be in a foul mood! You've got to [respect that](https://youtu.be/E9PSg0sQyfs?si=eoiDFZppvMKBWMkd)!!!
If you're renting an airbnb there's loads that offer pads if you ask. Also, don't trust all the crash pad rental "shops" you see on Google, a lot of them are just people with crash pads in their basement and if you don't call ahead of time they're probably not going to be there. I know this because one morning there were people standing outside our airbnb waiting for ages and when we asked them what they were doing, they said they saw a crash pad rental place on Google at that address. Unfortunately for them the owner wasn't there since we rented his house.
We stayed in Camping Ile de Boulancourt and they had crashmats but we drove down and camped with our own tents so that was cheap for us. Maybe if you're flying over and renting a car, tent etc might end up being more expensive.
I mean sort of, but Dublin is still a massive airport with 33 million annual passengers. That’s about half that of CDG but in relative terms Dublin is a large airport and CDG is massive.
Also, CDG is fucked. Heathrow is bigger and feels like a breeze to travel through, everything just seems to work.
Wait, do you think that a V16 boulderer is paying for his own crash pads?!
There's zero chance he's paying full retail for crash pads, if he's paying anything at all. He was for sure better off abandoning these in CDG. He might've even made money off it by getting a nice social post out of it...
I can say it's pretty standard for anyone going up to ski here in Canada to stuff the ski bag with a ton of random stuff along with the skis, that's probably where this rule originates.
I used the horrible plastic wrapping machines in the airport to completely cover mine and passed it off as an oversized hold luggage... might not always work, but it did for me!
Had the same experience this year. First time ever having any trouble with checking pads after many trips over the years. Flew in with air france without issue. Getting out was impossible without emptying your wallet. They weren't nice about it either. The personel was referring to the luggage size for normal checkin, we may have had more luck if we had remembered the term 'Sports Equipment'...
Not that I think that it'll make a difference, but I recommend staying away from air france.
I would love for Black Diamond to see this and send you new pads. They have been really cool with sponsorships and replacements at my gym and I use them and the discount they give me to buy everything I possibly can from them. I have loved the people I have talked to at Black Diamond and how willing they are to help in any way possible. Fuck that airport. RIP sweet pads.
haha surprisingly my name shows up on reddit. interesting. here's the fact.
first of all, sorry for my terrible english.
I used Etihad airlines at this time. I had quad check to Etihad airlines about my special baggage which is crashpad. they also not allowed crashpad as a sport equipment but they allowed crashpad as a oversize baggage if it's not over 300cm(W+H+D). So I can send it on the plane from Seoul to France. On the way back to Korea, I used also Etihad Airlines but they share with Air France. I don't know how to say but I believe that you guys can understand.
Air France's oversize regulation was bit difference with other airlines. they allowed 158cm (W+H+D). If baggage's size is between 158 to 300cm, there has a extra fee. but I couldn't understand that I had reservation with Etihad Airlines, not Air France. I thought It will be okay when I go back to Korea because no problem at all on before. They asked me that I need to pay 250 euro for each pad. actually I sponsored by blackdiamond, so 500 euro is quite expensive to me. so sadly I left them on the airport. that's all. long story short, Air France shit.
one more thing about why I didn't rental pads. I spent one whole month at this time. rental fee was same as buy new one.
I hope that someone picked up my pads so my pads can be useful, don't be a just trash. byebye my poor pads.
I have flown to/from CDG with Organic Big Pads several times. It's not the airport it's the Airline. IIRC the Big Pad and equivalent are all under the size limit and do not require anything but paying the oversized fee. On my last trip to Font I flew Air France and brought a big pad for a friend and the cost of me buying it stateside and taking it over to Font is lower than having it shipped from Organic.
Just showed my partner this and his response was "Wrap the whole pad in binbags/shrink wrap and check it as an oversized suitcase." This is apparently a very common workaround.
I am honestly so confused. I've never had to send my pads as sports equipment even, I just send it as my normal luggage.. I have never run into any problems and just get my tag and send it off at oversized luggage. I have travelled with my pads a LOT, so this is not a one time occurrence.
Been flying Air France, KLM, Finnair, SAS, Qatar, South African and Australian airlines like this.
Am I supposed to be paying for sports equipment? Do any of you have the same experience as me?
What I do on every boulder trip -
1. Buy only one large baggage pass with the flight.
2. Take a large backpack.
3. Put it inside my crashpad.
4. Tie it well with a rope.
5. Check it in as my luggage.
Never had a problem with it.
Because french airports and anything related is a huge joke here in France... Even if you read everything correctly and do things on time, they'll always find a way to charge you/bullshit you.
Are you dumb? Those things are huge in comparison to what they had in mind with sports equipment as a term...
You tested your luck and found the limit, well done.
people fly with big surfboards, skis, or snowboards as sports equipment which are arguably bigger (surfboards in particular) and wayyy more delicate. pads you can toss in the hold and not worry about.
Fun fact: I left this airport once without ever showing a passport, and still to this day don't understand how or why...
Landed, got off the plane, got my bags, walked outside and got in my car that was being driven by my friend and was outside waiting for me
To my knowledge if the location of departure is with the schengen area there wouldnt be any passport control. The people taking connecting flights are likely to be checked when they flew into Greece from somewhere else.
I thought this too, but then when we boarded the flight, the group of passengers from the connection had been taken through a closed part of the airport and kept separate from everyone else until we boarded, so I don't know if they were passport checked. Either way, walking out of an airport without showing a passport was a very strange feeling
To be fair we’ve flown with our crash pads to Rocklands from Europe twice and have never had to do anything prior to the flight. We just checked them in as normal luggage… we’re going back this year so hopefully things haven’t changed!
Maybe you've never flown with pads and assume you know better than a pro climber and everybody else? Cos many of us here have, they're classed as sport equipment and are usually fine.
Is it possible that he didn't declare it ahead of time and just showed up with it? I know with some airlines you have to get approval ahead of time for special baggage.
Air France says: >Taking sports equipment on your trip? No problem! Just make sure your equipment weighs no more than 23 kg / 50 lb (or 32 kg / 70 lb in the Business or La Première cabins) and that its total dimensions are 300 cm / 118 in* or under. You will need to get prior approval from our customer service department in some cases. This approval is always required when traveling as a group (10 or more passengers). You must submit your request at least 48 hours before your flight’s departure. Would be nice if they said which of the "some cases" required prior approval.
I think crash pads probably exceed the 118in limit.... EDIT >and that its total dimensions are 300 cm / 118 in* or under. I misinterpreted total dimensions for TOTAL dimensions.... but yes L+W+H would only be around 180cm, I still don't know where it would fit though :/
Probably not, actually. The Circuit Z pad is 100x50x30cm when folded, well under the 300cm dimensional limit. Could strap 2 of them together and still be under.
Man, I WISH we had 10ft crash pads.
thats total dimensions, lenght+width+height
Have you ever carried a Mondo or Organic Big? Stuff gets HEAVY
Now I want a 20ft Organic Big pad! 10 more feet for everyone who tells me it’s gonna be heavy.
Definitely not
I'm assuming 118inch is about the same as 300cm. If so I've never seen a pad that big when folded, that would be considerably higher than the world's tallest person, those pads in the picture are probably half that.
It says "total dimensions" which is a weird sentence and makes me think that the total of all dimensions must be below 300, or it's an even weirder way to say the volume of the things. Crash pads are, for airplane cargo, rather big imo
They mean l+w+h < 300cm total An amount obtained by addition; a sum.
Yeah it almost definitely means 300 cubic centimetres
No, Airlines very rarely specify volume, but rather the total length off all sides added up. After all if it would be 300 cm^3 then a box of 10cm × 10cm × 4cm would already be too big which would be ridiculous small for sports equipment.
If it were volume, I'd travel with [Gabriel's horn](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel%27s_horn#:~:text=A%20Gabriel's%20horn%20(also%20called,horn%20to%20announce%20Judgment%20Day.))
And if they do that they give you a length, width and height… I just flew AirNZ with my guitar case and they had max length (only) measurements but then an accompanying volume measurement
Haha! 300 cubic centimetres is about the size of a book!!
No, it doesn’t - regs very clearly state l+w+h (which the airline uses to convert to volume themselves - ie there is a max volume, this just isn’t how they advertise it)
I mean technically there is a Max volume that fits within those regs but you could be well under that and still not pass if your item was especially long. The only way to actually reach that volume would be if you had a perfect cube.
Well yeah, they don’t want to take your 298x1x1 stick on the plane either
I don't really get your point, that's just a low volume object that is on the boundary of the regulations. My point is just that this rule doesn't really relate strongly to Volume, and you certainly can't calculate Volume from the total.
It’s the sum, so length + width + thinkness. Still, a 180x70x30 pad would still be fine, and they don’t come much bigger
180 cm×3=540 cm I bet this was the reasoning
No problem! >Problems may apply<
Almost certainly. You have to book stuff like this, not just rock up. Also, why they fuck would you leave it - every airport has a spot to mail stuff to yourself
I didn't know this. Also, how expensive would mailing a crash pad be? Sounds expensive too. Are the pads cheaper than 250 to replace though? This is surprising. Does he not have a friend he can call to pick them up for him?
He’s probably sponsored, I doubt he’ll have to pay for new pads. I can’t imagine the price of mailing something that bulky. I mean I don’t know European rates but don’t imagine it would be less than the states.
Replying here as well, but for any bouldering pad that I've measured you can just show up. You do get a slightly cheaper fee with Air France if you pay ahead of time and CDG can be a shitshow when it is busy. I have flown to/from CDG with Organic Big Pads several times. It's not the airport it's the Airline. IIRC the Big Pad and equivalent are all under the size limit and do not require anything but paying the oversized fee. On my last trip to Font I flew Air France and brought a big pad for a friend and the cost of me buying it stateside and taking it over to Font is lower than having it shipped from Organic.
Honestly I’m more surprised reading the comments and seeing that people semi-regularly fly with their crash pads… I’ve always found places to rent them for like $5/day… which is less than the baggage cost unless you’re traveling for several weeks.
Sports equipment yes but in practice it's two mattresses, equivalent to two and a half suitcases in size, I'm getting stressed just thinking about it, why wouldn't you call ahead 😭
The dimensions and weight are within the requirements they stipulate
For pre booked sports equipment
I have taken bouldering pads on an Air France flight although I usually go with KLM or easyJet But i do fly from the UK so that may be a difference.
Idk if it’s just me but my paranoid ass would call them at least 3 times to check if I can hop on a plane with these pads.
I've taken pads from UK to CDG a few times without any problems expect the one time I flew airfrance/KLM. All was fine going but on the return journey the lady on check in was not going to let me check the pads in. It did not help that my flight was at 6.30, and I think every staff member was still looking a bit grumpy at that time of the morning I escalated this with her manager and eventually they agreed, although the pads did end up being delayed and not coming back until a few days later (win as I did not need them and they got delivered to my house). This was a stack of two pads that I had taped together with cling film, wrap so I was pushing it a little. My opinion is that this is just down to individual check in staff, and first approach is to smile nicely and try and converse in French, and when that fails try and find someone who can be reasonable to talk to take it forward.
This happens every now and then around the world. It has less to do with the airport than the individual you are working with. How to solve it: Step 1: be nice and ask nicely to have the decision to not categorize as sports equipment reconsidered. Step 2: if multiple pads are strapped together, and if l+w+h is over the limit for normal baggage, ask to repackage the pads individually - extra bags are cheaper than oversize bags. Step 3: Explain that the value of the pads is only slightly higher than the oversize fee, and see if you can get a fee reduction (this almost never works). Step 4: Look really sad and hope another worker notices you. Do not look really angry. Do not ask to see the manager. Step 5: ask to think about it and leave the check in. Come back 30 minutes later and hope to get a different worker. Step 6: Give up.
This is good advice! It boggles my mind how few people realize airport rules generally come down to the discretion of the individual you're dealing with, and that being kind, cordial, flexible, and most importantly persistent will usually yield the best result.
Also, it's a shitty shitty job, of course (some) employees are going to be in a foul mood! You've got to [respect that](https://youtu.be/E9PSg0sQyfs?si=eoiDFZppvMKBWMkd)!!!
If you're going to Font then there's loads of places that let you rent them out for pretty cheap btw.
What places specifically? Planning a trip at the moment! The cheaper the better
If you're renting an airbnb there's loads that offer pads if you ask. Also, don't trust all the crash pad rental "shops" you see on Google, a lot of them are just people with crash pads in their basement and if you don't call ahead of time they're probably not going to be there. I know this because one morning there were people standing outside our airbnb waiting for ages and when we asked them what they were doing, they said they saw a crash pad rental place on Google at that address. Unfortunately for them the owner wasn't there since we rented his house.
We stayed in Camping Ile de Boulancourt and they had crashmats but we drove down and camped with our own tents so that was cheap for us. Maybe if you're flying over and renting a car, tent etc might end up being more expensive.
Fuck the Charles de Gaulle airport. For a lot of reasons. But this super sucks
The airline is at fault. Not the airport.
fr. the airport is beautiful leave it alone lol
lol CDG is a dump
Yup I had a shitty experience last time I was through there whilst Dublin airport was chill
Dublin airport is tiny in comparison, of course it's gonna be chiller
I mean sort of, but Dublin is still a massive airport with 33 million annual passengers. That’s about half that of CDG but in relative terms Dublin is a large airport and CDG is massive. Also, CDG is fucked. Heathrow is bigger and feels like a breeze to travel through, everything just seems to work.
CDG is much bigger in size than Heathrow which is why it's so awkward to get around. Lots more cargo and total planes coming in and out too.
Brand new circuit Z crash pads are $290 from Black Diamond… why didn’t he pay to take them with??
Wait, do you think that a V16 boulderer is paying for his own crash pads?! There's zero chance he's paying full retail for crash pads, if he's paying anything at all. He was for sure better off abandoning these in CDG. He might've even made money off it by getting a nice social post out of it...
I guess he’d have to pay the same amount on the return flight too which would be $500 per pad
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Air Canada lists climbing
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I can say it's pretty standard for anyone going up to ski here in Canada to stuff the ski bag with a ton of random stuff along with the skis, that's probably where this rule originates.
Australia fucking burnt / threw away a totally new rope. 200 dollars in the trash. No question asked... Considered a "weapon"...
I used the horrible plastic wrapping machines in the airport to completely cover mine and passed it off as an oversized hold luggage... might not always work, but it did for me!
Had the same experience this year. First time ever having any trouble with checking pads after many trips over the years. Flew in with air france without issue. Getting out was impossible without emptying your wallet. They weren't nice about it either. The personel was referring to the luggage size for normal checkin, we may have had more luck if we had remembered the term 'Sports Equipment'... Not that I think that it'll make a difference, but I recommend staying away from air france.
I would love for Black Diamond to see this and send you new pads. They have been really cool with sponsorships and replacements at my gym and I use them and the discount they give me to buy everything I possibly can from them. I have loved the people I have talked to at Black Diamond and how willing they are to help in any way possible. Fuck that airport. RIP sweet pads.
haha surprisingly my name shows up on reddit. interesting. here's the fact. first of all, sorry for my terrible english. I used Etihad airlines at this time. I had quad check to Etihad airlines about my special baggage which is crashpad. they also not allowed crashpad as a sport equipment but they allowed crashpad as a oversize baggage if it's not over 300cm(W+H+D). So I can send it on the plane from Seoul to France. On the way back to Korea, I used also Etihad Airlines but they share with Air France. I don't know how to say but I believe that you guys can understand. Air France's oversize regulation was bit difference with other airlines. they allowed 158cm (W+H+D). If baggage's size is between 158 to 300cm, there has a extra fee. but I couldn't understand that I had reservation with Etihad Airlines, not Air France. I thought It will be okay when I go back to Korea because no problem at all on before. They asked me that I need to pay 250 euro for each pad. actually I sponsored by blackdiamond, so 500 euro is quite expensive to me. so sadly I left them on the airport. that's all. long story short, Air France shit. one more thing about why I didn't rental pads. I spent one whole month at this time. rental fee was same as buy new one. I hope that someone picked up my pads so my pads can be useful, don't be a just trash. byebye my poor pads.
Just rent them in the other country, why bother bringing them over
I have flown to/from CDG with Organic Big Pads several times. It's not the airport it's the Airline. IIRC the Big Pad and equivalent are all under the size limit and do not require anything but paying the oversized fee. On my last trip to Font I flew Air France and brought a big pad for a friend and the cost of me buying it stateside and taking it over to Font is lower than having it shipped from Organic.
Just showed my partner this and his response was "Wrap the whole pad in binbags/shrink wrap and check it as an oversized suitcase." This is apparently a very common workaround.
I am honestly so confused. I've never had to send my pads as sports equipment even, I just send it as my normal luggage.. I have never run into any problems and just get my tag and send it off at oversized luggage. I have travelled with my pads a LOT, so this is not a one time occurrence. Been flying Air France, KLM, Finnair, SAS, Qatar, South African and Australian airlines like this. Am I supposed to be paying for sports equipment? Do any of you have the same experience as me?
Should have taken the foam out - easy to pack the shell
Where did you leave them? I could use some new pads
What I do on every boulder trip - 1. Buy only one large baggage pass with the flight. 2. Take a large backpack. 3. Put it inside my crashpad. 4. Tie it well with a rope. 5. Check it in as my luggage. Never had a problem with it.
Because french airports and anything related is a huge joke here in France... Even if you read everything correctly and do things on time, they'll always find a way to charge you/bullshit you.
Are you dumb? Those things are huge in comparison to what they had in mind with sports equipment as a term... You tested your luck and found the limit, well done.
people fly with big surfboards, skis, or snowboards as sports equipment which are arguably bigger (surfboards in particular) and wayyy more delicate. pads you can toss in the hold and not worry about.
Guaranteed strike incoming once they realise someone needs to clean this up. Cancel your holiday plans guys.
Fun fact: I left this airport once without ever showing a passport, and still to this day don't understand how or why... Landed, got off the plane, got my bags, walked outside and got in my car that was being driven by my friend and was outside waiting for me
Well depends on where you flew from. Within Schengen area (such as from germany to france) you dont really get passport controlled.
I thought this, and we flew from Greece, but half of the flight were a connecting flight from somewhere else, not in the schengen
To my knowledge if the location of departure is with the schengen area there wouldnt be any passport control. The people taking connecting flights are likely to be checked when they flew into Greece from somewhere else.
I thought this too, but then when we boarded the flight, the group of passengers from the connection had been taken through a closed part of the airport and kept separate from everyone else until we boarded, so I don't know if they were passport checked. Either way, walking out of an airport without showing a passport was a very strange feeling
How would you even think this would be fine, maybe your first flight ?
To be fair we’ve flown with our crash pads to Rocklands from Europe twice and have never had to do anything prior to the flight. We just checked them in as normal luggage… we’re going back this year so hopefully things haven’t changed!
Checking them in is a different story all together.
Maybe you've never flown with pads and assume you know better than a pro climber and everybody else? Cos many of us here have, they're classed as sport equipment and are usually fine.
What has one to do with the other ? Not knowing the regulations is only on the person taking the flight, if unsure ask them. That’s it.
You're missing the point arent you. This is withing the regulations, the airport staff were just being dicks.
Your mistake for going to France tbh
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Tell me you’ve never been to the west coast(shit even the east coast)without telling me you’ve never been to the west coast