bunch of dumb crap in this thread...
What airline are you flying? If it's not southwest, you may have to pay for your ski bag. Regardless of the airline, a ski bag + boot bag counts as regular checked luggage, and should not have an overage fee or anything like that. Golf clubs fall under this as well. Bikes and surfboards do not. That said, don't put your boots in a bag and check them. Assuming you have boots that you like, and fit you well, you don't want to risk the airline losing them. Skis are easily replaceable and having to demo for a day or two if yours get lost isn't a huge deal. Having to ski in rental boots, however, sucks balls.
Pack your skis in a ski bag. Pack as much other clothing as you can around the skis, which will pad them, and save you a lot of space in your overhead bag. I usually put my boots in a small overhead suitcase with goggles and whatever else i can cram in there. Other than that, laptop if I need it for work, and other small stuff in my dakine pack, with my helmet strapped to it, which goes under the seat. That setup should cost you no more than $25 each way on any airline in the US, and all your most important stuff is with you on the plane, not in the cargo bay, so you've got the essentials with you as soon as you land.
The above assumes that you have suitable all mountain skis. If you've just got some shitty park skis, screw it and demo stuff.