Sending winter sports luggage ahead: a strategic choice
When you organise an event in the snow for a large group of employees or customers, you don't want them waiting at the oversized baggage belt at the airport. By shipping luggage and sending the equipment straight to the hotel or event site, you streamline the whole travel experience.
According to the worldwide guidelines of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), skis and snowboards count as 'Out-of-Gauge' (OOG) or oversized baggage, which means commercial flights often charge extra handling fees and give no guarantee that it arrives at the same time as you. By sending the gear with an express courier, you get end-to-end tracking and the certainty that the equipment is ready when your team or customer arrives.
Destination in focus: shipping skis to Austria for business
Austria is the undisputed hub for European winter sports events. When you ship skis to Austria, you benefit from the free movement of goods within the EU. That means you don't have to worry about complex customs clearance or extra import duties.
You simply book the shipment on a shipping platform, print the label, and the courier collects the equipment the next working day. Within a few days the skis are safely at the resort in Tyrol or Salzburg. Want to see the transit times for this destination straight away? Then check the current options for sending a parcel to Austria (in Dutch).
How do you keep the cost of sending a snowboard down?
Budgeting B2B transport for winter sports equipment comes down to one crucial factor: volumetric weight. Courier services such as DHL, FedEx and TNT don't only base their rates on the actual weight in kilos; they look at the space a shipment takes up in the aircraft or truck.
Because skis and snowboards are long and relatively light, you almost always pay for the volumetric weight. On top of that, 'over length' surcharges can be charged if a parcel is longer than 120 cm (this differs per carrier). To keep the cost of sending a snowboard as low as possible:
Pack several boards or pairs of skis tightly together in one box to avoid empty space.
Remove the bindings if you can; this makes the parcel a lot flatter.
Use our tool to calculate the shipping rate and compare straight away which carrier offers the best terms for long parcels.
Crucial for B2B: packing skis for shipping
A snowboard that arrives damaged means an unhappy customer or a frustrated colleague. Good packaging is essential, especially if you choose to send a large parcel. A soft travel bag (snowboard bag) isn't enough for shipping through a regular courier network, because shipments go over automated conveyor belts.
For safe transport, follow this standard:
Use double-wall cardboard: put the skis or snowboard in a sturdy, rectangular cardboard box made specifically for long goods.
Protect the ends: the nose and tail of skis and snowboards are the most vulnerable. Wrap them generously in bubble wrap.
Secure the contents: fill all empty space in the box with packing chips or filling material, so the equipment can't move during the flight or journey.
By choosing smart logistics as a business and shipping your skis and snowboards abroad with a reliable partner such as ParcelParcel, you lower your overheads, prevent damage and guarantee a smooth start to every winter sports season.
