Rules on shipping bikes

Qualitymark

Mooching around looking for the measurements of a bike box, I found this site

http://www.jimforeman.com/Stories/boxbike/shipbike.htm

which says (among other things):

You shouldn't have to pay ANY oversize luggage fee for single-seat bikes if you check them straight through from Atlanta to Ireland. IATA passenger air tariff regulation 3.3.2.1(a) requires a bike to be accepted as a standard large piece of luggage on international flights. You should only have to pay excess baggage charges if you check more than two pieces of luggage each, or if the second piece of luggage exceeds 42 inches length+width+height. To do this for a long bike tour, you usually have to carry a large pannier as carry-on luggage.

Is that correct? So does that mean that the various European airlines that ask for €60 or €70 for carrying a bike (which includes making you buy their €20 bike boxes at the airport) are breaking the IATA rules?

Raam

I might look em up in work, but AFAIK airline can charge whatever the hell they like. Expect to pay for carry on bags with some carriers soon.

Qualitymark

stetyrrell wrote: »

Only when flying international.

Other than flying to Galway or Cork, when else do people fly?

Squidgy Black

Qualitymark wrote: »

Other than flying to Galway or Cork, when else do people fly?

Sorry I meant to say transatlantic.

Also, the website you posted is dated as 28/01/2002, a lot's changed in the airline industry since then.

Qualitymark

stetyrrell wrote: »

Sorry I meant to say transatlantic.

Also, the website you posted is dated as 28/01/2002, a lot's changed in the airline industry since then.

If you can point me to the current IATA rule on this, it would be fantastic.

C3PO

Qualitymark wrote: »

If you can point me to the current IATA rule on this, it would be fantastic.

The opening paragraph here makes it fairly clear that airlines can charge whatever they like for "baggage"! I think the article you have linked to suggests that if you have a "free" baggage allowance, such as on some Transatlantic flights then you are entitled to bring a bike as part of that allowance. I know a couple of my friends brought bikes to the States this year and were not charged additionally for them!

http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/passenger/baggage/Pages/check-bag.aspx

Lumen

The way I see it, you might have a case if you flew with ONLY a suitably packed bike and hand luggage, AND the packed bike was within the weight limits.

That is quite difficult to do, since not only would you have to fit clothing, helmet etc for the trip in hand luggage, but also your tools - possible problems through security, and all in a small sub-10kg bag.

As soon as you load up your bike box with crap, it fails the "packed bicycle" test and probably the normal weight limits (e.g. 15-20kg) if it didn't already.

Also, now that Aer Lingus etc have removed the free checked luggage, there's less of a difference in paying for a 20kg bag and paying for a bike box.

From what I understand, the 62 inches thing seems more enforced in the US. When I fly with my 26*26*10" bike box in Europe, which I pay for as a standard piece of 15-20kg luggage, they almost always get me to put it through oversize baggage on the basis that it's less likely to get stuck on a conveyor and less likely to get mishandled (I don't believe the second bit), but I never get charged more.

Squidgy Black

Lumen wrote: »

From what I understand, the 62 inches thing seems more enforced in the US. When I fly with my 26*26*10" bike box in Europe, which I pay for as a standard piece of 15-20kg luggage, they almost always get me to put it through oversize baggage on the basis that it's less likely to get stuck on a conveyor and less likely to get mishandled (I don't believe the second bit), but I never get charged more.

It's true in the way that they put them into a seperate container in the hold, so they're not squashed in with your normal suitcases. Oversized containers are larger and they're only allowed fill them to a certain point to avoid damage.

Qualitymark

Thought I'd found a workaround with a company called sendmybag.com, but it turns out that bike boxes are bigger than their limit.

spyderski

Try www.parcelzone.net. They specialise in shipping bikes & supply bike boxes too.

Qualitymark

Thanks, spyderski, I've sent an autoform to them and will follow up when they answer.

It would be great if some company specialised in bike shipping; perhaps with more people cycle touring this will happen.

Qualitymark

spyderski wrote: »

Try www.parcelzone.net. They specialise in shipping bikes & supply bike boxes too.

Dear-o: €100 + VAT; on the plane it's €70 altogether.

spyderski

Qualitymark wrote: »

Dear-o: €100 + VAT; on the plane it's €70 altogether.

Didn't realise you had the option of bringing it with you on the plane, I'd always expect that to be cheaper than getting someone to collect it abroad and drop it to your house in Ireland. In fact, €70 seems a bit dear - it's only €40 each way to bring a bike with Aer Lingus.

yer man!

I'm bringing my bike home from BOS-SNN in 3 weeks and I'm limited to 23kgs. Aer Lingus said I can bring the bike as is but they advise you to put it in a bike box which I acquired at my local bikeshop here in Mass. The box is the length of the nbike without it's front wheel. Aer Lingus also said that I can put whatever I want in the box with my bike as long as it's under the 23kgs. It was $60 total to add the bike to the booking one way

spyderski

Don't know about the US, but within Europe the weight limit of 23kg isn't too strict in my experience. I've travelled with boxes over 30kg and not had a problem.

Qualitymark

spyderski wrote: »

Didn't realise you had the option of bringing it with you on the plane, I'd always expect that to be cheaper than getting someone to collect it abroad and drop it to your house in Ireland. In fact, €70 seems a bit dear - it's only €40 each way to bring a bike with Aer Lingus.

Well, actually the €70 price is going on the prices on Aer Lingus's website. It's €50, plus the use of a €20 bike box that Aer Lingus sells at the airport, which is mandatory.

The reason I'd sooner ship it is for the convenience of the friend who's to bring it over (if he finds the right bike secondhand at a good price). He's coming over on a business trip; to bring the bike on the plane he'll have to get it to the airport, get there early, ring Aer Lingus in advance to book it, and then box it at the airport in the mandatory box (on top of the box it'll already be in). Aer Lingus also warn that only a limited number of bikes will be brought on any flight, raising the spectre that he might arrive at the airport and be told "Go away with yer bike, you." He'll already be under stress because he's going to be making presentations here during his visit, and I'd like to spare him extra stress if possible by shipping it over, so he doesn't have to do all this, but financially it's looking a little unfeasible.

yer man!

Qualitymark wrote: »

Well, actually the €70 price is going on the prices on Aer Lingus's website. It's €50, plus the use of a €20 bike box that Aer Lingus sells at the airport, which is mandatory.

The reason I'd sooner ship it is for the convenience of the friend who's to bring it over (if he finds the right bike secondhand at a good price). He's coming over on a business trip; to bring the bike on the plane he'll have to get it to the airport, get there early, ring Aer Lingus in advance to book it, and then box it at the airport in the mandatory box (on top of the box it'll already be in). Aer Lingus also warn that only a limited number of bikes will be brought on any flight, raising the spectre that he might arrive at the airport and be told "Go away with yer bike, you." He'll already be under stress because he's going to be making presentations here during his visit, and I'd like to spare him extra stress if possible by shipping it over, so he doesn't have to do all this, but financially it's looking a little unfeasible.

Business class carry bikes for free and box is only mandatory from Amsterdam.

Qualitymark

yer man! wrote: »

Business class carry bikes for free and box is only mandatory from Amsterdam.

He's flying from Amsterdam, cattle class. But thanks, that's interesting information to have.

bridnileidhin

Any ideas on the best way to ship a bike from London to Dublin? Want to take part in a charity event but getting my bike across is proving expensive!

Raam

bridnileidhin wrote: »

Any ideas on the best way to ship a bike from London to Dublin? Want to take part in a charity event but getting my bike across is proving expensive!

If you are flying, pay the airline to do it. Less logistics that way.