Airport and Bike Cases

Phil01

Whats the craic with bringing your bike with an airline. I've a flight booked with airlingus. But i didnt specify that im bringing a bike with me when booking the flight. So do i just show up pay for the bike bag and check it in as normal?

tunney

Phil if this is for lisbon then you're fooked.

Aer Lignus only carries 6 bikes (cases or not) per plane. All the flights to lisbon were booked up months ago. You're not alone. There are about 10 others who can't geet their bikes to Lisbon.

Some are renting them there, the only other option is air freight with Fedex or DHL. But its 200 euro each way.

hunnymonster

For IMF, book it on straight away. You can do this by calling customer services. There is a charge for bringing bikes. I think I paid €50 with Delta last time I flew.

Aer Lingus used to carry sporting equipment if you were part of a national squad. Given that almost everyone can make the irish team for the AG's this was a real bonus. Unfortunately they don't appear to be doing this any more.

Phil01

tunney wrote: »

Phil if this is for lisbon then you're fooked.

Aer Lignus only carries 6 bikes (cases or not) per plane. All the flights to lisbon were booked up months ago. You're not alone. There are about 10 others who can't geet their bikes to Lisbon.

Some are renting them there, the only other option is air freight with Fedex or DHL. But its 200 euro each way.

I'm flying out to Lisbon this tuesday!!
Should be room on the plane.

For IMF, book it on straight away. You can do this by calling customer services. There is a charge for bringing bikes. I think I paid €50 with Delta last time I flew.

Thanks honeymonster, i will do this asap.

Do i have to book for flight to lisbon? Or just show up at airlingus sales and tell them i want to pay for bike bag and then check it in?

tunney

Seriously it has to be booked. I know all the thursday and friday flights are full but tuesday is probably okay.

If you're coming back sunday or monday though you'll be in trouble

Phil01

tunney wrote: »

Seriously it has to be booked. I know all the thursday and friday flights are full but tuesday is probably okay.

If you're coming back sunday or monday though you'll be in trouble

Sh*t yeah forgot about monday!!!

Anyone got a number for customer support?

tunney

0818 365 000

Phil01

tunney wrote: »

0818 365 000

Thanks tunney, i've called that number about 10 times now, pi**ing me off, keep getting machine... on every option.

tunney

Emmmm it is a machine, just select the right options......and you get through to a person.

hunnymonster

re coming home, I know they used to be happy to send them back on later flights (even if you had gone home as scheduled) but with ever increasing "security" restrictions, who knows.

Phil01

tunney wrote: »

Emmmm it is a machine, just select the right options......and you get through to a person.

lol yeah i know, but its like 100's of options.
Anyways i got through, seems like its no problem with the bike going to Lisbon, but coming back there is a problem. I didnt ask to see if they could deliver after i arrived. So i might try to ship it back with DHL or something.
Have it booked for IMF too.

Luckly i asked about this otherwise i would of just showed up at the airport!!
Thanks guys.

Getting it shipped back to Ireland by DHL now. Everything sorted, Thank God.

Phil01

OK now i'm serious trouble.... After lots of phone calls and after speaking with DHL Portugal they quote me 700 euros and 60 cent to send my bike back to Ireland. F*ck that!! So rang airline again and asked for earlier flights with no bikes.... Seems like im going to be staying in Portugal abit longer than expected. Also the airline wont ship my bike back on its own.
Anyone know any cheap way of getting my bike back to ireland?



OK all sorted now.... Got a later flight home.... you can lock this thread now
I'm glad its all sorted now.

tunney

Triathlon Ireland used to have a deal with DHL to land freight them over. DHL pulled out of this two or three weeks ago. Air freight is the all that they would do, and as you found out that is expensive.

Given that there were only 10 (now 11) bikes to ship over smaller operators weren't interested in taking the job on as it would be impossible to make a profit at a reasonable price.

All I can think of is try to get a flight, or series of flights, home that you can take you bike on.

Genghis

You can also invest in a suitcase bikebox and check it in as nornal baggage.

They are a little larger than normal suitcases, but otherwise look the same. The only restriction to watch is the weight - 20kg max (no size restrictions). The box weighs circa 12kg, so you will only be able to pack the bike in (no wetsuits, no shoes, etc). A couple of 'Fragile' stickers might also be advisable.

Also note that 20kg is your max allowance for all bags (even if you pay for extra bags, you do not get extra weight allowance, just the right to spread the weight over more bags) - so prepare to carry on anything else in hand luggage (restriciton here is 6kg, and unlike checked baggage there are also the usual size restrictions). If you go over 20kg, the charge is something like €9 a kilo.

tunney

I've a bike box, nice and small, smallest I've seen and smallest that you can fit a bike in, but no way would it pass off as a suitcase. always has to go on as a bike.

Genghis

There is a seperate check-in area for "Over-sized" luggage, where you are asked to go if your baggage is out-sized. For practical purposes, a larger suitcase may be directed there but, as far as I can see, will not be treated otherwise differently.

I suppose it comes down to the answer to the question "When is a suitcase not a suitcase"? When it looks like your bike box??

Unfortunately there is nothing more definitive on this on Aer Lingus website, and a call placed to Aer Lingus could also provide no clarity.

Thinking more about it, I cannot see why there is an arbitrary limit on bikes anyway - why so special? This only makes sense if you are talking about bikes sent unboxed - hence they require special handling and storage. The website does say that bikes must be boxed or bagged - but only if flying to/from Amsterdam. No other point is made.

hunnymonster

I asked the same question and was told that if the sum of the length + Width + depth of the bike box is greater than 60 inches (and it will be unless it's a toddlers trike!) then it has to go as a bike.

tunney

Interestingly 20+ people are planning on turning up and trying the oversized luggage trick. I'm going to get there nice and early as I don't want to get stuck behind a group of 20 people whose "coach" told them it would be okay.

hunnymonster

Oh and another thing, Aer Lingus tend not to check if you actually have booked your bike in. I can't remember the exact flight but going out to Lausanne in 2006 (?) they simply took the first 6 people who turned up at the airport with bikes.

tunney

I will go mental if I don't get mine on, booked and confirmed in December. And double confirmed a month ago!

hunnymonster

by phone?

I've tried (and failed) in the past to get them to send me anything on a bit of paper saying I had booked it.


Having said that, I think Lausanne was the last time we flew Aer Lingus with bikes. Delta were fine, if expensive. Lufthansa and BA also good.

tunney

Of course by phone, they won't send something in writing. B*stards

Genghis

Good plan to get there early, Tunney, there could be some fun. I would love to know what happens - would be grateful if you could stick up a quick report when you get back - and good luck in the race next Saturday.

tunney

Turns out that they took anyone that showed up. A good 16 bikes on the plan coming home I reckon.

hunnymonster

That's great to hear. Did you enjoy it? (the race not the airport!)

tunney

Yeah was fun, horrible drafting, packs of 10-30 crusing around. I stayed out of packs for the bike and lost about 10-15 places because of it. Still was a great day out, had fun and would go back.

Genghis

Thanks for the update tunney. Good to hear you enjoyed the race - its one I am considering for next year or 2010.

25 degrees or so, temperature wise?

hunnymonster

tunney wrote: »

Yeah was fun, horrible drafting, packs of 10-30 crusing around. I stayed out of packs for the bike and lost about 10-15 places because of it. Still was a great day out, had fun and would go back.

Ironman Florida is like that, whole packs in team gear cycling together. To my knowledge noone was penalised for it either.

tunney

Temperature wise..........
For the swim it was pleasant.
For the bike it was grand, warmer than usual but could be offset by increased water.
Run was very very warm. First 3 laps were hot, by the last lap, just after 12, the heat was really kicking in and it was very hot. Anyone out there longer much past 12 would have been in a world of pain.