Shipping a bike abroad

Bryan said:

Anyone done this? Which is the cheapest way to do it?

When we emigrated to Japan, we only realised the day before our flights
that the baggage allowance was 20kg rather thann 2x32kg (which all our
previous long-haul had been, didn't occur to us that it might be
different accordig to destination). So we carrried our ~30kg S&S cases
round to the post office and airmailed them for about 150 quid each.

James
--
If I have seen further than others, it is
by treading on the toes of giants.
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/julesandjames/home/

"Bryan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Anyone done this? Which is the cheapest way to do it? Taking it on
the plane with me isn't an option, as I'm off for 3 months (work
unfortunately) I will be taking nearly my limit in normal baggage.
The airline want to charge £23 per kg for excess baggage, so I would
land myself with about £250 in excess baggage charges if I just
turned up.

Check if your airline will consider a bike as 'sporting goods' in which case
it might go cheaper. Perhaps ask what their policy is on golf clubs if they
don't play ball!

Since you are only away three months any cheap solution is likely to take
too long -- so its probably going to have to be UPS/FedEx etc. but that
could cost you 150 to 200 GBP. If you go that route make sure you declare
it as a temporary export so you can get it home without being charged duty &
VAT (especially if its fairly new).

But, if it is 200 notes it might be cheaper to buy something awful while
your there and either sell it on or donate it to some charity.

T

Bryan vaguely muttered something like ...

Quoted message said:

Anyone done this? Which is the cheapest way to do it? Taking it on
the plane with me isn't an option, as I'm off for 3 months (work
unfortunately) I will be taking nearly my limit in normal baggage.
The airline want to charge £23 per kg for excess baggage, so I would
land myself with about £250 in excess baggage charges if I just
turned up.

Thanks

Bryan

oh I'm off to South Africa, which is why all the hassle, if I was
going to the US, it would be no problem.

For a short time, which is what I'd count three months, I'd probably buy or
hire one whilst out there, and flog it when done. Yes, it'd probably lose
money, but I'd guess it wouldn't be as much as it costs to ship a bike out
and back again .. 😉

--
Paul ...

(8(|) ... Homer Rocks

"A [censored] is a [censored], no matter what mode of transport they're using."

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Bryan) said:

Anyone done this? Which is the cheapest way to do it? Taking it on

When I went out to Italy, I flew out with over 50Kg, including bike
(having consigned other stuff to Pickfords for delivery once I found
a flat). My then-employer paid for business-class travel. That made
me a VIP (well, at least Reasonably-IP), and they just waved the
extra weight through.

Quoted message said:

oh I'm off to South Africa, which is why all the hassle, if I was
going to the US, it would be no problem.

Hmmm. Guess that's a bit further than Italy.
Not sure how that affects it.

--
Nick Kew

Nick Kew said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Bryan) said:

Anyone done this? Which is the cheapest way to do it? Taking it on

When I went out to Italy, I flew out with over 50Kg, including bike
(having consigned other stuff to Pickfords for delivery once I found
a flat). My then-employer paid for business-class travel. That made
me a VIP (well, at least Reasonably-IP), and they just waved the
extra weight through.

Quoted message said:

oh I'm off to South Africa, which is why all the hassle, if I was
going to the US, it would be no problem.

Hmmm. Guess that's a bit further than Italy.
Not sure how that affects it.

--
Nick Kew

Thanks all, the buying one option has been considered, but I'm trying to get work to pay for the trasportation, and doubt they buy quite the same level of bike that I have :-)

The airline (Emirates) treat bike the same as every other airline I have been on (OK I haven't done much flying round Europe, but done quite a lot to/from the far east), which is, they are taken to be part of your luggage allowance. So MTB + packing + baggage = >30 kg :-( (I could always take less stuff, but don't want to be called 'smelly Englishman' at work :-)

Following up on what James suggested, it seems as though Parcel force are about the chepest option (surprised me too)

Thansk all

Bryan

(Bryan) said:

Anyone done this? Which is the cheapest way to do it? Taking it on
the plane with me isn't an option, as I'm off for 3 months (work
unfortunately) I will be taking nearly my limit in normal baggage.
The airline want to charge £23 per kg for excess baggage, so I would
land myself with about £250 in excess baggage charges if I just
turned up.

I fly abroad quite often with work and I'm *always* way over the
baggage limit because of the tools I need to take. I also often take a
bike with me too. I regularly get asked to pay a fee for the bike, of
about £25, but it's quite rare they sting me for excess baggage fee's
on the tools.

My experience is they're a bit more lenient if they see you are
travelling for work, rather than a holiday maker taking the [censored].
*shrug*

If your own baggage is going to be within the regular allowance and
it's just the bike that will take you over then I'd say you should
have no problem. At worst the airline will have some "sporting goods"
fee that they'll ask you for but this shouldn't be much.

Best tactic I think is check on their policy beforehand with the
airline's website, then just turn up on the day and say nothing.
Check the bike in as normal and don't offer the sporting goods fee
unless they ask.

The only exception to this is if you are flying a route that might
mean you are on a particularly small plane. I'm often on Embraers
which only carry about 50 passengers and they can be a bit fussy
squeezing bikes on planes that have such small hold space.
--

"Bob"

'The people have spoken, the [censored]'

Email address is spam trapped.
To reply directly remove the beverage.

Bryan said:

Thanks all, the buying one option has been considered, but I'm trying
to get work to pay for the trasportation, and doubt they buy quite the
same level of bike that I have :-)

The airline (Emirates) treat bike the same as every other airline I
have been on (OK I haven't done much flying round Europe, but done
quite a lot to/from the far east), which is, they are taken to be part
of your luggage allowance. So MTB + packing + baggage = >30 kg :-( (I
could always take less stuff, but don't want to be called 'smelly
Englishman' at work :-)

Following up on what James suggested, it seems as though Parcel force
are about the chepest option (surprised me too)

Worth trying the following before you go. First phone up Emirates
Customer Relations, explain the problem and ask whether you could take
the bike FOC. If they agree ask them to confirm in writing to assist
when you check in. If approached I have often found airlines can be
helpful.

If that doesn't work and you have the option to use other airlines try
phoning a few and tell them you want to fly with them but its important
that the bike goes with you. The offer of "I'll book with you if..." is
something they will often negotiate on where ticket price etc is not.

If it draws a blank you have lost nothing and quite often I have found
it works.

Tony

Bryan said:

Anyone done this? Which is the cheapest way to do it? Taking it on
the plane with me isn't an option, as I'm off for 3 months (work
unfortunately) I will be taking nearly my limit in normal baggage.
The airline want to charge £23 per kg for excess baggage, so I would
land myself with about £250 in excess baggage charges if I just
turned up.

Thanks

Bryan

oh I'm off to South Africa, which is why all the hassle, if I was
going to the US, it would be no problem.

I'm fairly sure shipping mine to Japan in a bike box from a local shop only
cost about £50. That may have been via sea though. I sent it a month or so
before I left IIRC as I wasn't doing that many miles on it at the time.
Ended up flogging it 3 years later to a Japanese lad for £50 :-(

"Bryan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

of your luggage allowance. So MTB + packing + baggage = >30 kg :-( (I
could always take less stuff, but don't want to be called 'smelly
Englishman' at work :-)

Take the bike & buy new clothes when you get there?

T

On 7 Sep 2004 04:59:08 -0700, [email hidden] (Bryan) ()

Quoted message said:

Anyone done this? Which is the cheapest way to do it? Taking it on
the plane with me isn't an option, as I'm off for 3 months (work
unfortunately) I will be taking nearly my limit in normal baggage.
The airline want to charge £23 per kg for excess baggage, so I would
land myself with about £250 in excess baggage charges if I just
turned up.

I shipped two bikes (1 recumbent, 1 upright) to NZ from the UK when I
moved out here. It cost me £350 for both boxes, total weight about
65kg (includes tools and other heavy items.) via DHL. For 3 months, it
might well be easier to buy a bike there, then flog/donate it later.

--
Matt K.
Change your mind, it's starting to smell.