Bikes on planes - question

In article said:

Sorry if anyone already has asked this.

I have a folding MTB that I want to take on business travel with me. I figured out a way to break
it down into 2 boxes (one for the bike, one for the wheels) that just make the posted size limit
for checked luggage (at least for USAir): 62 inches (L+W+H). Specifically, it looks like I can go
with 2 boxes each at 29x26x7.

Before I pat myself on the back and invest in buying or building the 2 boxes, I want to resolve a
concern. When I check the luggage, if they ask what's inside and I tell them it's a bike, will they
charge me a bike fee anyway? Or is that fee just if the bike needs to be an an oversize box?

Anyone had experience (post-911) in checking a bike as standard luggage?

I took a 62cm road bike in a Serfas travel case (one box) and was not charged a month or so ago. I
think this was because the airline didn't take the package from me, I had to hand it to the TSA
guys, and the TSA guys apparently do not give a [censored] whether the airline gets their fee.

If you put your bike in two boxes and they are within the limit I would argue with them rather than
pay - if you come in under the size limit they shouldn't care (no guarantee of meeting a reasonable
person however). Plus you don't have a bicycle in either box, you have two boxes of bike parts.

--Paul

For some time I've been collecting information on user experiences taking bikes on planes, trains,
buses, boats, etc. There's lots of stuff on rentals, folding bikes, boxing, airlines, and railroads
around the world and how to ride in/out of about 120 airports.

See it at bikeaccess.netbikeaccess.netOpen ↗

I take my folding BikeFriday and they've never tried to charge me for it. But it's in a suitcase,
not a box.

George

cheezyrider said:

Sorry if anyone already has asked this.

I have a folding MTB that I want to take on business travel with me. I figured out a way to break
it down into 2 boxes (one for the bike, one for the wheels) that just make the posted size limit
for checked luggage (at least for USAir): 62 inches (L+W+H). Specifically, it looks like I can go
with 2 boxes each at 29x26x7.

Before I pat myself on the back and invest in buying or building the 2 boxes, I want to resolve a
concern. When I check the luggage, if they ask what's inside and I tell them it's a bike, will
they charge me a bike fee anyway? Or is that fee just if the bike needs to be an an oversize box?

Anyone had experience (post-911) in checking a bike as standard luggage?

Thanks.

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Sorry if anyone already has asked this.

I have a folding MTB that I want to take on business travel with me. I figured out a way to break
it down into 2 boxes (one for the bike, one for the wheels) that just make the posted size limit
for checked luggage (at least for USAir): 62 inches (L+W+H). Specifically, it looks like I can go
with 2 boxes each at 29x26x7.

Before I pat myself on the back and invest in buying or building the 2 boxes, I want to resolve a
concern. When I check the luggage, if they ask what's inside and I tell them it's a bike, will
they charge me a bike fee anyway? Or is that fee just if the bike needs to be an an oversize box?

I'll bet it varies with the airline. They each have their own rules on luggage...

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

In article said:

Sorry if anyone already has asked this.

I have a folding MTB that I want to take on business travel with me. I figured out a way to break
it down into 2 boxes (one for the bike, one for the wheels) that just make the posted size limit
for checked luggage (at least for USAir): 62 inches (L+W+H). Specifically, it looks like I can go
with 2 boxes each at 29x26x7.

Before I pat myself on the back and invest in buying or building the 2 boxes, I want to resolve a
concern. When I check the luggage, if they ask what's inside and I tell them it's a bike, will they
charge me a bike fee anyway? Or is that fee just if the bike needs to be an an oversize box?

I recently took an S&S coupled bike on American. The case is exactly 62 inches. No problem. I think
someone in Philly (TSA, I hope) took a peek inside the case but didn't take everything out.

Tom Gibb <[email hidden]

Shouldn"t be a problem if you put in 2 boxes. My wife and I recently went to Venice Italy with
American Airlines thru Paris and Air France. We returned from Florence, Italy. We used the bike
boxes that new bikes come in. Bike store gave them to us. Each box counted as 1 checked bag. No
charge to us. I guess you can fly international with a bike but not Chicago to Indianapolis or any
other US location.

Gary

(GLH1013) said:

I guess you can fly international with a bike but not Chicago to Indianapolis or any other US
location.

you "guess" wrong. most airlines require bike boxes but charge a ridiculous amount for bikes because
they can get away with it. on most international flights, bikes are free but count as one of your
two pieces of luggage.

Check out "Travel With Bicycles" at bikeaccess.netDefault.cfmOpen ↗ for lots of
actual cyclist reports of travel on airplanes with bicycles.

"Dennis P. Harris" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

(GLH1013) said:

I guess you can fly international with a bike but not Chicago to

Indianapolis or

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

any other US location.

you "guess" wrong. most airlines require bike boxes but charge a ridiculous amount for bikes
because they can get away with it. on most international flights, bikes are free but count as one
of your two pieces of luggage.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have a folding MTB that I want to take on business travel with me. I figured out a way to break
it down into 2 boxes (one for the bike, one

for

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the wheels) that just make the posted size limit for checked luggage (at least for USAir): 62
inches (L+W+H). Specifically, it looks like I can

go

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

with 2 boxes each at 29x26x7.

Before I pat myself on the back and invest in buying or building the 2 boxes, I want to resolve a
concern. When I check the luggage, if they

ask

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

what's inside and I tell them it's a bike, will they charge me a bike fee anyway? Or is that fee
just if the bike needs to be an an oversize box?

Seems to be an utterly complicated way to fly your bike. There are essentially two ways to do it:

i) either you get a hard shell case, like suit case, they cost several hundred dollars, but protect
the bike well, only drawback is really, if you are on a tour, that you have to store it
somewhere.

ii) go to any bike shop and ask for a cardboard box that they get their bikes in. Those boxes are
made to fit, you take off pedals, steering bar, and the front wheel, the front wheel you place
next to the frame, with some cardboard between. Takes between 5 and 15 minutes.

Pic us boxing up our bikes in Geneva to fly to Stocholm.
lowdin.nuFrance20030.jpgOpen ↗ We just went to a bikeshop, boxed
the bikes in the street, and then hopped into a taxi to the airport.

Such boxes are available anywhere where you have bikeshops, they are just glad to get rid off them.

We have flown with our bikes this way three times from the US to Europe, once to India, twice to
South East Asia, twice to Mallorca, once to Teneriffe and once to Geneva, and have never had the
slightest problem. Some airlines will charge you, other don´t.

Per lowdin.nuMTB.htmlOpen ↗

David Kerber ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net said:

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Before I pat myself on the back and invest in buying or building the 2 boxes, I want to resolve
a concern. When I check the luggage, if they ask what's inside and I tell them it's a bike,
will they charge me a bike fee anyway? Or is that fee just if the bike needs to be an an
oversize box?

I'll bet it varies with the airline. They each have their own rules on luggage...

Even more variable- it depends on ticket counter person. If they don't feel like it, they won't
charge you. Nobody checks up on them. Any flier should check the official policy of the airline in
advance, maybe even print out a copy of it. Usually the issue is that bikes are (1) oversize and (2)
fragile. If you've gotten the bike into a sturdy container that is not oversize, IMHO you should not
be charged for it.