BobG

For years Air Canada and SwissAir allowed the use of plastic bags for bikes. They even encouraged bag use by selling them at the ticket counters. They actually made a bike easier to carry. The handler would just lift it by the top tube through the bag and carry it with ease. Like Saddlesores, I'd watch mine being loaded from the terminal window. Conspicuously a bicycle, it may have been less likely to have been abused than a large box. Several round trips to Europe and one to Calgary with no problems.

Perhaps problems arose (?) as those two airlines now require boxes. SwissAir says they'll give you a free box at Geneva or Zurich! Icelandair still allows bags.