Freight options to Canada

[Bippers]

Were planning on a cycle tour next year in Quebec. Does anyone have advice on getting our bikes and camping kit out there. I really don't fancy taking as excess luggage, so is freight forwarding a good idea.

[StuntPilot]

I recently flew back from Istanbul after a long tour through Europe. I spoke to other cycle tourists on the road about flying with a bike, and one guy from the Basque Region advised me to first carefully check all the airlines baggage policies that fly to your destination.

Choose the airline on how bike friendly they are. He had flown several times to and from Central America and said he had good experiences with British Airways.

I booked my return flight with British Airways as he recommended. I had my 20kg-ish Raven Tour, four full panniers (including all camping gear), handlebar bag and Ortlieb rack pack. British Airways treats a bike in a box as a normal piece of luggage (as long as it is within bike box dimensions and the 23kg weight limitation). Also the ticket price included one piece of hold baggage! So that was the bike sorted.

I pre-booked an additional 23kg for £40 on-line prior to the flights for my panniers. The rack pack and handlebar bag were taken on as cabin baggage. My route was Istanbul to London Heathrow and then a second flight to Edinburgh. British Airways charged only one £40 fee for both flights. Interestingly they also allow 2 cabin bags each with a maximum weight of 23kg! Size restrictions obviously apply.

Other airlines charged for each piece of baggage (no free 23kg), charged more for a bicycle, and charged for each segment of the flight.

I was very happy with the flights, and there were no signs of any rough handling of the bike box. Everything arrived safely and intact.

In conclusion:

- Check all airlines that fly from your origin to destination and sift through their baggage rules in detail, including the number, size and weight of permitted cabin bags.
- Pre-book and pay for any excess bags after booking the flight but before checking in. Don't pay at the airport - much more expensive. - Be careful not to put too much apart from a bike in the bike box or all airlines will get stroppy!
- Don't go over the 23kg for any piece of luggage as excess baggage fees at the airport are horrendous!
- Some airlines have a fixed or small additional price for a bag between 23kg and 32kg which can be cheaper than an additional bag.
- Airlines will automatically freight forward any item over 32kg and that can be more expensive than a piece pre-paid hold luggage.
- Freight forwarded items may arrive at a very different time to you!
- If you take a camping stove, print out the TSA regulations and clean and air the stove and bottle many days in advance.
- Tell the airline before hand that you are travelling with a clean odour free camp stove and bottle. Required under dangerous goods regs.
- Gas cartridges not allowed on any flight.

I also hear that Virgin Atlantic are bike friendly too if they fly your intended route. You may find that baggage allowances to North America are much more generous than in other parts of the world.

Some general tips here ...

http://www.cycletourer.co.uk/cycletouring/planes.shtml

Hope that gets you started and have a great tour!

[Bippers]

Hi Stunt Pilot.
Thank you for your info. I was checking out BA this morning and they do look very promising as an option as long as we take all the information they give and the advice you have forwarded and act on it. I hope to visit a local travel agent tomorrow and see if they are willing to do some searching and quoting for us.
Thank you again
Bippers

[John Saxby]

Bippers,

I think that Stunt's touched most of the bases in his very full reply.

I'm taking my bike with me to Australia with Air Canada in Feb., and have attached AC's policy, with the relevant bits highlighted. I have no particular interest in or attachment to AC, but I did like the fact that (i) my bike (in a box) is well within AC's allowable dimensions, and well under the 70lb (31.8 kg) weight allowance; and (ii) my ticket gives me two pieces of hold luggage.

You might consider a lightweight duffel bag to hold panniers going into the hold, so long as the entire assembly is within the usual 23kg limit.

Hope that's helpful.  If all the various ducks line up, and your QC trek takes you to West Québec, send me a PM, and if I'm in town we can do a coffee or meal together, or maybe a short ride. (I live in Ottawa; the Ottawa R is the border between Ontario & Qué.)

Cheers, John

[Bippers]

I have visited a local travel agent who has been very helpful.
There is just one thing putting us off, that being, no guarantee the bikes will go on the flight even if pre registered.

[StuntPilot]

Agents always say that to cover themselves ...

If the airline treats the bike as a normal bag then it should be no problem as I mentioned before with British Airways and some other airlines. The bike will go on the same flight.

If the airline requires to be notified of a bike to be transported, notify them before hand.

Pay for all bags and the bike before on-line check-in. You are now in the system before dealing with the whims of the jobs-worth/stickler-for-the-rules/bad-hair-day-types/phase-of-the-moon/etc of the check-in staff. You are now armed with the authority to transport your bags and bike so it must be done! (all being well in relation to the rules, dimensions and weight).

Print out a copy of the airlines baggage rules and flash that at check-in staff if you get any strife. Be polite and smile a lot no matter what they say!

I have found that if you turn up at the check-in counter they will do their utmost to get the bike on the same flight ... they don't want the additional paperwork of storing the bike and organising freight forwarding!

[Bippers]

Thank you Sunpilot. Going to get back to agents and push em a little on it. We have not done this before so a little apprehensive.