Bike box on planes (again!!)

at1withmyself

Hey,

I'm going travelling with my bike and was concerned with the 20 kg luggage allowance so I looked for the best price lightish bike box and found this one:

http://www.slanecycles.co.uk/productdetail.aspx?id=1639&subid=322&catid=68

I figure along with my bike it'll tip the scales at @ 15kg and leave me 5 kg for clothes.

Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions on this box or any other boxes. Also if I use this as my 'suitcase' can they still charge extra for the bike?

Cheers,

stuf

at1withmyself wrote: »

Hey,

I'm going travelling with my bike and was concerned with the 20 kg luggage allowance so I looked for the best price lightish bike box and found this one:

http://www.slanecycles.co.uk/productdetail.aspx?id=1639&subid=322&catid=68

I figure along with my bike it'll tip the scales at @ 15kg and leave me 5 kg for clothes.

Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions on this box or any other boxes. Also if I use this as my 'suitcase' can they still charge extra for the bike?

Cheers,

Bottom line is that they can do whatever they like because it's their plane and they call the shots.

A bike wouldn't count as normal luggage and you would have to pay the sporting equipment surcharge however you package it.

This isn't subject to your baggage allowance so you can bulk up there if your normal bag is on the limit but you wouldn't be able to claim it as a normal suitcase

EDIT: you'll presumably have to pay someone to store that box on the other side too.

hunnymonster

If it's a once off you should consider hiring/borrowing a bike case.

Caroline_ie

hunnymonster wrote: »

If it's a once off you should consider hiring/borrowing a bike case.

That doesn't work!!! hehe I tried...

The cycle superstore used to hire them as well ... they don't anynore. I am taking mine on the plane on Tuesday in a Carboard box wrapped around about a 100's blankets

toombah

I thought cycle superstore still rented them out... If not wheelworx in Clondalkin do for around 50 euro a week I think. Definitely better to rent unless you plan a lot of traveling with the bike. The boxes are huge, so storing them at home would be a pain. Plus with the battering they get in airports I don't know how many trips they'd last either.....

The box will have to go on as separate sports luggage, at a cost of around €30 or €35 each way on Airlingus. Sometimes you get charged coming back, sometimes you don't. Make sure to tell them it's a bike. I've packed mine with cycle and running gear, food etc and had it up to around 25Kg. They had no problem with that. Think they'll allow to around 30Kg.

blorg

at1withmyself- you will not get away with avoiding the sporting goods charge unless you are packing a folder. Otherwise the bike box will be oversize and your options will be (a) pay the €30 bike fee or (b) pay for it as generic excess luggage at €250+

Quigs Snr

Agree, box needs to go as seperate luggage, between 25-50 euro each way depending on who you travel with, and indeed where you travel to.. They allow up to 32kg or thereabouts.

Caroline, if that Specialized of yours is Carbon I reckon you're mad to travel with it in a cardboard box. Most likely it will be fine (of the 15 or so bikes in Cardboard boxes on the plane when I flew to the Etape only one was broken), if you are unlucky however I hope that bike is insured !

Storage of the boxes is a pain. Mine is huge but I have a garage for it. Only been used 3 times, but I reckon its already paid for itself in terms of the peace of mind I have had on those trips.

Its there for you if you want to collect in Waterford, Caroline, bit of a trot I know but the offer is still there. Not too many would be as protective of their gear as me ! I took the day off work to drive to Dublin and pick mine up the time I bought it. I know that a place in Lucan, Staggs I think had some to rent when I was looking for one last as well....

at1withmyself

Cheers for the replies and suggestions. I have also contacted the airliner (sinaporeair) and they have told me that they will take the bike as part of my normal luggage so if i can keep the wieght down it will reduce the price.

The box in the link also complies with the airliners (and most others) maximum baggage allowance so it can be taken on as baggage luggage.

Anyone have any comments about the box itself, i intend on using it a few times so the price seems reasonable enough, by the way its a carbon frame on the bike.

blorg

at1withmyself wrote: »

Cheers for the replies and suggestions. I have also contacted the airliner (sinaporeair) and they have told me that they will take the bike as part of my normal luggage so if i can keep the wieght down it will reduce the price.

The box in the link also complies with the airliners (and most others) maximum baggage allowance so it can be taken on as baggage luggage.

Anyone have any comments about the box itself, i intend on using it a few times so the price seems reasonable enough, by the way its a carbon frame on the bike.

Ah OK- yes, long-haul this is generally the rule, it is accepted as part of your baggage allowance.

Short-haul that box would not be accepted as a normal suitcase AFAIK.

I think that box looks like a decent one, seem to recall people saying good things about it. Looking for similar myself as heading off to France to do some climbing.

With a carbon frame I would take no risks whatsoever; a hard shell case would be a must for me.

penexpers

at1withmyself wrote: »

Cheers for the replies and suggestions. I have also contacted the airliner (sinaporeair) and they have told me that they will take the bike as part of my normal luggage so if i can keep the wieght down it will reduce the price.

Do Singapore air have flights out of Dublin? If it's codeshared with a different airline, they may not accept the bike box as normal checkin luggage.

Fion_McCool

RyanAir and AerLingus say that "The bike should be contained in a protective box or bag".

I have heard the theory advanced that the airport handlers tend to throw boxes around, no matter how many 'fragile' signs or wineglass graphics are visible. Large boxes are difficult for them to get a handle on.

The theory also states that they may treat a bike more gently when they can see what it is... and get a handle around the crossbar when moving it.

Therefore wrapping the bike in a few square meters of transparent polythene (like the type farmers use) using ducktape, may be a better option.

You can make your own 'housse' for a few Euro using this design http://www.mayq.com/Best_european_trips/Housse.htm , and at a fraction of the cost to what is available in the shops. You can throw it away when you arrive and construct another when it is time to return using your newly acquired duct tape skills.
.

blorg

For a aluminum-framed bike I have always just given them the bike as is. Neither Ryanair nor Aer Lingus require it to be boxed or bagged (excepting Amsterdam airport.)

For a carbon-framed bike it would be going in a hard case (most definately not any sort of bag) for my peace of mind.

It's my view that anything short of a solid hard case is worse than nothing at all (for the reasons you mentioned.)

Fion_McCool

blorg wrote: »

For a aluminum-framed bike I have always just given them the bike as is. Neither Ryanair nor Aer Lingus require it to be boxed or bagged (excepting Amsterdam airport.)

For a carbon-framed bike it would be going in a hard case (most definately not any sort of bag) for my peace of mind.

It's my view that anything short of a solid hard case is worse than nothing at all (for the reasons you mentioned.)

The info you quote is relevant to AerLingus.

However RyanAir now say

"Special advice for the carriage of bicycles
The pedals must be removed (or fixed inwards) and the handlebars must be fixed sideways. The bike should be contained in a protective box or bag. It is not necessary from a safety perspective to deflate typical tyres found on bikes and wheelchairs for carriage in the hold. However, to eliminate the small risk of them being damaged by bursting, you may wish to deflate the tyres. Understandably this decision may be influenced by how easily the tyres could be inflated upon arrival.

http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/faqs.php?sect=bag&quest=sportsequipment

blorg

The operative word may be should, as I have flown with Ryanair in the last 12 months and they took the bike as is. It is very possible the regulations have changed but in my experience the bagging/boxing/pedals off/twist handlebars regulations are more down to the airport (who tends to provide the baggage handlers, and certainly the security screening) than the airline in any case. Once it gets to the plane the airline doesn't really care.

hunnymonster

bike shops are always throwing out the boxes bikes come in, one of thoses with a couple of rolls of duct tape, masking tape (pn painted bits!) and bubble wrap would also be an alternative.

For future reference I have a bike bag in Cork (below) and anyone is welcome to borrow it as I only use it 2-3 times a year and the rest of the time it's sitting in the attic. The only condition is if you damage it you replace it.

sportbilly2008

just back from mallorca with my bike in a bike box, used my bike box as my luggage, was 25 kg on the way out and 27 kg on the way back , flew with budget travel and spanair, no one even blinked an eye, justed showed me where the oversize luggage belt was and that was it!by the way would highly recommend the extra bit of effort to bring bike with you on hols.

Fion_McCool

sportbilly2008 wrote: »

just back from mallorca with my bike in a bike box, used my bike box as my luggage, was 25 kg on the way out and 27 kg on the way back....

That is fine as long as you are flying back from the same airport.

However if you are planning a trip along one of the EuroVelo routes, the bikebox can be (quite literally) a millstone around your neck.

at1withmyself

Well after 11 flights (mostly long haul) I'm glad to say my bike did very well in the Polaris bike pod with no issue's or damage to the bicycle. However it is not very user friendly and is not easy to lug around the airport, this is mainly due to only have wheels at one end so you have to support the other end and over long walks it is not easy on the arms! I'm going to replace the fixed studs with castors before I use it again.

Due to its low weight, price and strenght I would definitely recommend this one, I can't imagine any alternatives being much easier to manouver around an airport.

One other thing though was no one ever weighted it and in Dublin its too big to fit on the scales so when I was asked the weight I just told them whatever the max flight allowance was and that I weighted it at home!

Although don't sit at the window next to the plane when waiting to board as I got to see one baggage handler throw the box from a height onto the ground before loading onto the plane!

http://www.polaris-apparel.co.uk//category-7269/product-3452//EVA-BIKE-POD.html