JimBeans83

I don't think the airport has anything to do with it - it's any or all of the airlines wanting to make more money now. Some airlines are more friendly than others, there are still large differences between 1st/2nd/overweight bags from one company to the next. Delta seem(ed/s) to be the worst.

bjorke

"plan bike" is not my blog -- just one that's run by someone who lives about 30 miles away.

The way to keep your cameras safe inside luggage is to also pack an unloaded pistol in the same bag. A race starting pistol will do the trick. Declare it. They WILL watch your bag like it had their own baby inside. Seriously! Even on international flights.

I have both the Dahon bag (not super fond) and a Bike Friday bag. Neither have ever elicited complaints from any of many carriers. The TSA (or equivalent) always open them, I've noticed. So far, no serious damage.

rjdennis

not to jinx self, but i have traveled with folding bike checked in suitcase dozens of times with no upcharge

feijai

Well, you must understand that Reagan National is not like most other airports. First off, it's got an unusually high security level, which ironically takes a lot of the process out of the hands of the airlines. And the procedure is different. You take your bags to the desk, have them weighed and check in, and then take the bags *yourself* to the TSA. Because of this it is my experience that National causes fewer headaches of these kinds than other airports.

rodar y rodar

Slick!

hopperja

While I don't know for sure, I have tried to stuff my Tern Link P9 into a standard 29" Samsonite. I had to substantially disassemble it. It was frustrating, and I will be looking to get a better suitcase solution at some point.

Tern's website indicates using their Tern Airporter is over-sized but doesn't require any disassembly. From the pictures, it looks to me like there was no disassembly, so he probably used the (over-sized) Tern Airporter or something very similar.

JimBeans83

Yes, I've flown thru several times, but this has nothing to do with this. You arrive, take bags to desk. Employee may ask you what's inside, especially if it looks like a large case or something out of the ordinary, which it was. Person said bicycle. They should have been upcharged regardless given the size of the case, which was clearly in the ~70" area. TSA still isn't in the chain before the fee is paid. This has everything to do with a specific airline, perhaps something to do with the specific employee, and nothing to do with the airport and/or their security friendliness. If anything, a more security conscious airport is going to ask more questions about luggage. But if the opportunity exists to make more money, the "good" employee is going to spot it.

feijai

It sounds like there's a misunderstanding here. The place where the person got charged was a *different* airport than National.

I still maintain that because National has unusual baggage handling and security procedures, I've had fewer issues there than anywhere else.

Sangetsu

I sometimes fly internationally with a road bike, and I carry the road bike in a hard case. The first time I flew with my bike to Canada I was double-dinged with a oversize bag fee, and a bicycle surcharge on American Airlines. The total cost was $300. I have found the staff at other airlines to be helpful sometimes, they simply don't charge me the bicycle fee. Nowadays I tell them that the bag contains photographic equipment, and they have gone along with it.

bjorke

as jur has pointed out, United's own published policy reads:
And happily, blog owner Jody Brooks reports that United has given him the $100 back. Good for them!

jobtraklite

From Amtrak's website:

maunakea

Asian airlines flying in Asia only care about weight and number of pieces. A Dahon Airporter's size is no problem in Asia, only weight. In the States, both weight and size ... and airline policy... matter.

jur

Hey long time no see! Still have the Mauna Kea bike?

maunakea

Jur, yes... the reworked Downtube 9FS is my main ride on the Neighbor Islands. I have my eyes on a Tern Eclipse S11i as a replacement though. Mounting and dismounting the RD cage, and straightening the cage after using a bus bike rack, on the Maunka Kea bike has gotten old. I'll miss having 27 speeds, though. I never could talk Yan into DT version with FD.

invisiblehand

I believe that they have front derailer mounts now.

pacificcyclist

Asian airlines flying in the USA practice roughly the same policies too! Which is why I sometimes fly to Las Vegas via Philippine Airlines (PAL) where Filipinos love to bring boxes full of goodies from Manila stopover in Vancouver, BC to Vegas and a Dahon Airporter case is nothing to frown upon when others have boxes as large as flat panel TVs. Only grind with them; PAL usually stands for Plane Always Late!

Scooper

I've never been charged for checking my Brommie M6L as regular luggage on Southwest. I tell them it's a folding bike and the external dimensions of the case are under 62 inches. The total weight is ~45 pounds. Southwest doesn't charge for the first two checked bags.

Southwest does charge me $50 each way to check my full sized road bike in a Thule hard case, but that's still a bargain as far as I'm concerned. Unless the trip is going to be more than a couple of weeks, I just take the Brompton.

The Brompton:



My 61cm road bike:

mtalinm

so my 30" samsonite hardshell has just about reached the end of its useful life. I might replace it, but folding the Swift in it is just ever-so-tight. I am eyeing a 31" Oyster suitcase, which might make the job a bit easier. thing is, the Oyster is 64 linear inches whereas most airlines appear to have a 62" cutoff.

I'm wondering, would an extra two inches be noticeable by anyone? do these folks actually get out the measuring tape? I'm always under 50#, that's no problem.

Ozonation

Scooper, what make and model case are you using to pack your Brompton in the first picture shown? Thanks.

Scooper

It's the B&W International case Channell Wasson sells. Dimensions are 25" x 25" x 12". I have the older version with the combination lock I bought from Channell about five years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh2GDokqlx4

pacificcyclist

Not really unless they claim your case is oversize and you need to contest it. There are exceptions ofcourse like Southwest which is friendly to cyclist. Our WestJet airlines is actually modeled after Southwest. But dealing with United or US Airways is something else. I say, don't worry on a few inches. But 13 inches larger than 62 will be the exception. Btw, my Delsey 31" is oversized a bit and had not gotten charged thus far.

invisiblehand

This comes up regularly here and on the Bike Friday Yak. Off the top of my head, I've heard of no example where someone was charged an oversize fee with the 31' F'Light. Last I checked, that is the suitcase that both Bike FRiday and Xootr recommend.

Ozonation

Thanks. From the looks of it, there doesn't seem to be enough room to pack anything else (e.g., helmet). Is there only enough room for the bike and some small odds and ends?

Scooper

The bike just about fills it up. I carry a small tool kit that fits, but a helmet wouldn't.

Ozonation

Sorry to keep bothering you Scooper, but I was considering getting a B&W case, but I read on NYCE and Calhoun Cycle's websites that it weighs 22 to 23 lbs. A third website lists it 12 lbs. Obviously, there's a difference. Given that most airlines only allow up to 50 lbs, wouldn't a Brompton at about 28 to 30 lbs, plus the case at 22 to 23 lbs, push the overall weightage clearly over the 50 lbs limit?