cyclezealot

2020 is my year to travel overseas. First, I was going to Australia; but it caught on fire. Now, my plan is to fly into Paris and transport my bike to Vienna and ride the Danube.
Delta, KLM, Air France, and Lufthansa serve Paris and Budapest. ( Had I gone to Adelaide, Qantas bike policy is free.)
I bought a Ti Lynskey with couplings so I could put it into a suitcase. Delta says you declare it as a bike its 150 dollars one way because they have a partnership with KLM.
I said, my bike will be in a case. You will not know it to be a bike. Should I not declare it a bike and it is lost, they then have no responsibility.
Any suggestions as to trans Atlantic travel and your bike and which airline would you choose.

https://www.bicycling.com/skills-tip...-for-cyclists/

ridelikeaturtle

Have a look at AerLingus, I think their bike cost was really inexpensive, same as any oversize luggage, like 75euro. It just means you'll have to do your trip via Dublin (through Boston, Chicago, SFO, etc), but you'll have no issues going from Dublin to other EU cities.

You can then see about AerLingus to Paris.

I wouldn't recommend Ryanair, it's more like a glorified bus service, and they just want to take your money at every turn.

Sy Reene

Delta is supposedly free (or at least the same for a bike as a regular bag), ie. per the below excerpt.. Some news articles indicate this applies to int'l as well.
Just curious.. why aren't you just going direct to Vienna? I'm guessing you have a train ride planned or somesuch.

Bicycles

Bicycles, non-motorized touring or single seat racing, are allowed as checked baggage on most flights, with the exception of certain Delta Connection® carriers.

Standard baggage allowance and fees based on cabin and travel region apply
Bicycles weighing over 50 lbs. will be charged the applicable excess weight fee
If the outside linear dimensions (length + width + height) exceed 115 linear inches (292 cm) or exceeds 100 lbs, the item will not be accepted
Items in excess of baggage allowance will be subject to additional or overweight baggage fees
A limited liability release form must be signed by the passenger in the case that the bike is not properly packed
If the bicycle is packaged in a hard shell case specifically designed for transporting bicycles, then a limited release form is not required
If the bicycle is packaged in a soft sided travel bag or anything other than a hard shell case, a limited release form will need to be signed

indyfabz

Outdated info. Best to check the carrier's website.

cyclezealot

Delta I talked to their reservations staff, as to that one. He sort of hedged in that policy is also set by their partner airlines.
Bicycling's reporting was dated 2019.

"Fred"

I would declare it as a bike and pay what is needed. as stated above rates have come down for sporting equipment so shouldn't be to bad depending on airlines.

You might want to check in to renting a bike often it is cheaper and then you dont have to deal with transportation.

PDXCarless

I flew Virgin Atlantic from London to Portland, OR and my Brompton flew for free. It didn't take up a slot in my baggage allowance either. As well, I was able to ship more stuff as I padded out the Brompton on all sides (it was in a bag) with extra clothes, bike gear, etc.

guachi

As stated above, Delta won't charge you more for a bike if it meets their requirements - not over 50 lbs. and the packaging doesn't exceed 115 linear inches.

Don't even need a release form if the case is hard-sided.

JackieYan

Thanks for this thread, pretty interesting. The link in the first post is US airlines.

I had a couple of cyclists staying with me who were cycling selected areas around the world, so needed to fly and take their bikes with them.
They flew Europe>Japan, Japan>Korea, Korea>Vietnam, Thailand>Australia, Australia>Europe. I never did ask about the cost for the bicycles though.

bwilli88 

I recently had my wife take a bike from Cambodia to USA via Korean Air but ticketed as Delta, no charge.

honcho

If your bike case is at or less than the maximum allowable dimensions and weight for a suitcase, it's a suitcase. Only if it exceeds those dimensions should you concern yourself with bike rules.

As for packing, your case will likely be opened and inspected by TSA without you nearby so you may want to have some sort of explicit instructions on how to fit it into the case that the inspectors may or may not use.

General flying with your bike information from Santana.
https://santanaadventures.com/bills-tips/

Have a wonderful journey!

Jbo26

You are more courageous and trusting with the airline than I am. My bike means the World to me. I would never trust the airlines. I am heading to Rio in 9 days and hope I can rent a decent road bike there.

Morg33

Me too, I also have seen how people there treat the packages, they litterally throw them inside the plane, I don't want people to act like that with my bike!

Atlas Shrugged

I have travelled extensively with my bike. I would say I have taken my bike on over 30 flights many internationally and have yet to regret it. I have also tried renting and if it's for putzing around a town for the day sure but otherwise it's just not for me. I normally use a BIKND Helium bike bag and only once had an issue when a carbon rim was damaged as a result of how I packaged the bike in conjunction with luggage being stacked on top of the bike. That said Roval (Specialized) covered the wheel under their damage policy and the cost was reasonable.

On a couple of occasions on the conclusion of a long-distance point to point ride, I have removed the pedals, turned the handlebars, slammed the Seatpost and placed in an Airline provided clear plastic bag and the bike arrived fine. This was a Carbon Diverge with Ultegra group so not some beater.

If you upgrade to premium economy or pack well with judicious use of your carryon there is no additional charge from the airline. Travelling with my bike has changed the way I see the world and I can't say enough great things about it. I want to add how Garmin has helped facilitate this but that will become another extended rant.

expatbrit

What bike box are folks using? I've looked at the Orucase (not to smuggle on, but for handling the bike at the other end!) and some of the large hardsides as well (and looking at the Helium now that @velopig refers too). I was about to start searching, but this appears to tie it together.

Machka 

Um ... all the fires are out. The fire issue has been over for a couple weeks now. Floods are a bigger concern. And Tasmania hasn't really had an issue with fires this year.

Machka 

As for flying with bicycles, you could check this list and then check the actual websites for the airlines. But as a general rule, don't fly with US airlines. There are many better airlines out there.
https://www.ibike.org/encouragement/...regs-chart.htm

laxpatrick

I take my Ritchey Breakaway in a hard case for many of my work trips. Almost all airlines honor the equivalent 26x26x10 standard.

I never tell them that it’s a bike. I did get the case smushed a bit on my last trip to France. AA bought me a new case.

cyclezealot

I gave up this long for desired bike vacation with a great bit of regret. I have a chore to do in France that can't be passed up any longer and the call of the Danube is equal to that of the Adelaide Hills. Next year.
My trip to Adelaide. Would you agree? Generally, the perfect time to visit South Australia would be Mid-April. ?
From what I have discovered as to Airline pricing and bikes.
Can I convince Qantas to fly from North America to Vienna? They are the best.

Machka 

Personally, I would travel from about mid-March to early April. You'd want to check when the school holidays are. This year they start April 10 and go to the end of April, so I wouldn't be inclined to travel then. Also DST ends in early April. ... So you'd want to travel before DST ends if possible to make the most of the day.

downhillmaster

This.
My daughter is currently in Canberra and also traveling a lot to Sydney.
All good 👍