Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 18,100
Bikes: Stewart S&S coupled sport tourer, Stewart Sunday light, Stewart Commuting, Stewart Touring, Co Motion Tandem, Stewart 3-Spd, Stewart Track, Fuji Finest, Mongoose Tomac ATB, GT Bravado ATB, JCP Folder, Stewart 650B ATB
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Airlines really dislike handling bikes in any configuration for a number of reasons. My first plane/bike tour in 1987 showed this and every one since has only confirmed this. The written rules are not followed by the ticket counter in every case and these are not always what one is told over the phone. If airlines really wanted bike box business they'd streamline their processes, be far more consistent in their policies and follow actual air plane size guide lines.
This is why I have been shipping my bike (and gear) via Bike Flights or UPS whenever possible and have built my wife and me a pair of coupled bikes for our overseas credit card tours.
As an aside it is sad that our current leaders want to reduce train travel. One of the best tours I did solo was one where I rode out of my driveway one morning, down to the train station, out of another station a few hours later and days later rode back up my driveway. Andy