Author Topic: Flights and bikes!  (Read 5157 times)

in4

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Flights and bikes!
« on: July 31, 2012, 02:28:25 pm »
From the UK Guardian newspaper. Which airlines take bikes and what hoops you have to jump through et. al.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2012/jul/31/airline-bike-friendly

Danneaux

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Re: Flights and bikes!
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2012, 04:25:25 pm »
Very handy information indeed, Ian; thanks! I wish I could offer something similarly solid for the US side.

Last flight to Europe, it cost me USD$150 for the boxed bike to get it there. In Amsterdam, it was USD$300 to get it home again, but this included the surcharge for the US' TSA to do their best to demolish it.  >:( Gotta pay extra for that!  ::)

Truly it seems much here depends on the kindness of the gate agent. I called ahead for rates, but could get nothing that held firm on arrival at the airport, and carefully documenting who said what didn't help a whit when I got there.

Airlines are interesting, especially when it comes to bikes and flying with them!

Best,

Dan.

il padrone

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Re: Flights and bikes!
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2012, 02:20:51 am »
From what friends tell me, from Australia it seems Emirates is the only one to choose. Don't know about their boxes but they give a 30kg baggage limit, in contrast to 23kg for all the rest.


I personally advocate a 'total package' weight charge. My extra 15kg for the bike is trifling when compared to the many passengers who tip the scales at 30-60kg heavier than me  ::)

antonio75

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Re: Flights and bikes!
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2012, 09:32:40 pm »
It's a long time since I took my bike on a plane, but on long haul flights to Hong Kong, Australia, N.Z. Fiji, The Cook Islands, several to the USA and Spain (from UK), I was never charged for taking my bike on the plane. Never once boxed it up or put it in a bag either - just removed the pedals. The bike always came off the plane undamaged, thankfully. At Hong Kong it was delivered to me very carefully by a very nice man with a trolley. Maybe with low-cost airlines things are very different but the "proper" airlines have always been great.

This may amuse some people.....On a flight into LAX I decided not to remove the pedals, but simply to take them out and screw them back into the cranks from the inside - to reduce the bike's width and avoid catching on other luggage. On collecting my bike at LAX, one pedal was conspicuous by its absence. I joined a queue of people whose luggage had also been "misdirected". There was a young female airline official at the front of the queue trying to locate the passengers' missing luggage by speaking to the baggage handlers on the tarmac via a walkie talkie. By the time I got near the front of the queue she was getting a bit frazzled. Then over the walkie talkie I heard someone say "Juliet - have you found that boomerang yet?"

I couldn't resist it. I leaned forward and said "Excuse me, Juliet: but just how do you lose a boomerang?" I'm afraid my British sense of humour was somewhat lost on this young American girl.

They never did find my missing pedal, but fair play, they paid for a new pair for me. Though cycling away from the airport to the nearest cycle store on a bike laden with front & rear panniers and my camping kit was a bit awkward!


AndrewC

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Re: Flights and bikes!
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2012, 10:05:03 pm »
That was the approach I used for my first flying/biking holiday.  Sadly since then I think most of the airlines insist on some sort of cover.  It's not unreasonable I suppose, your dirty, oily bike is going in the hold with other peoples luggage.

I've had excellent bike service from BA & Easyjet, though the latter managed to lose my bike on a return flight.

This year BA have started charging for flights so I'm flying Virgin into Las Vegas as they still take bikes for no extra charge.

I'm uncertain whether to use the CTC plastic bag or the S&S backpack case for this trip.  I'm unlikely to be riding away from the airport after a 10 hour flight so the case might win out.

Danneaux

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Re: Flights and bikes!
« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2012, 02:26:03 am »
Quote
I've had excellent bike service from BA & Easyjet, though the latter managed to lose my bike on a return flight.
Andrew!

What in the world happened?!? How did they manage to lose your bike?!?

I can't imagine anything more horrifying. Bikes don't just...vanish. D'you think someone managed to steal it from the luggage cart or something? Did you ever get it back? Did the airline compensate you in some way? Man, that is simply horrible. Condolences!

Best,

Dan.


antonio75

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Re: Flights and bikes!
« Reply #6 on: August 02, 2012, 07:38:29 am »
The airline managed to lose my bike on a return flight from L.A. to Manchester. It was found the next day and the airline paid for it to be shipped to my home a day later. It worked out fine for me as on the outward journey I'd taken the train to the airport, so they saved me the hassle of bringing it back on the train. Fortunately, I lived close to the railway station so I didn't have far to walk.

AndrewC

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Re: Flights and bikes!
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2012, 04:39:47 pm »
Andrew!

What in the world happened?!? How did they manage to lose your bike?!?

I can't imagine anything more horrifying. Bikes don't just...vanish. D'you think someone managed to steal it from the luggage cart or something? Did you ever get it back? Did the airline compensate you in some way? Man, that is simply horrible. Condolences!

Best,

Dan.



Oh not that drastic, baggage handlers got the planes mixed up!   I flew back from Nice after a trip around Corsica,   I arrived in Liverpool, the bike & my luggage didn't.  A lot of luggage turned up on the carousel marked "Bristol" !   The bike and kit was delivered to my office by a courier a few days later.

I'm just glad it wasn't at the start of my holiday!

Danneaux

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Re: Flights and bikes!
« Reply #8 on: August 02, 2012, 04:41:51 pm »
Quote
Oh not that drastic, baggage handlers got the planes mixed up!

Whew! Thanks for the "rest of the story", Andrew! So glad it came out alright for you! For Antonio, too!

Man, I just can't imagine a worse scenario than arriving only to find the bike...had not!

Wow!

Relieved for you both,

Dan.

StuntPilot

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Re: Flights and bikes!
« Reply #9 on: November 26, 2017, 11:04:11 am »
Just stumbled across this very useful web site for airline baggage/oversized fees, including bikes ...

http://www.airline-baggage-fees.com/sports/bikes/
« Last Edit: November 26, 2017, 11:09:46 am by StuntPilot »