Has anyone taken their bike with Ryan air from Stansted? How strict are they with regard to bike boxes/bags? I've taken my bike with Jet2 and BMIBaby with no box or bag required.
It always seems to me that baggage handlers prefer to push bikes rather than carry them anyway.
RyanAir - Bike box?
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CJ
Re:RyanAir - Bike box?
You can get a big poly bag for £7.50 inc postage from CTC Office. Wheel your bike into that, fold over the end and secure it up with parcel tape, and the baggage handlers will be happy.
Most airlines now require bikes to be enclosed because they were getting too much grief from other passengers over chain-oil on their Louis Vouittons! Fair enough when you think about it.
This bag weighs under 1kg and can be used as a camping groundsheet etc, or carried and left at your first night's hotel, so it's not too much hassle - unlike a box, which generally has to be abandoned at the destination airport, leaving you no means of enclosing the bike upon return.
Most airlines now require bikes to be enclosed because they were getting too much grief from other passengers over chain-oil on their Louis Vouittons! Fair enough when you think about it.
This bag weighs under 1kg and can be used as a camping groundsheet etc, or carried and left at your first night's hotel, so it's not too much hassle - unlike a box, which generally has to be abandoned at the destination airport, leaving you no means of enclosing the bike upon return.
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Russ1
Re:RyanAir - Bike box?
I will do that actually (I did read it on another thread), as I've heard RyanAir can be unpredictable to say the least!
Cheers
Cheers
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hop
Re:RyanAir - Bike box?
I have flown with Ryanair from Stansted many times, and they have never complained about the lack of bike bag. Although the site says 'the bike should be bagged' I emailed them to ask whether they meant 'should' or 'must' and the reply was that they don't care, but recommend a bag to protect the bike.
I think bagged bikes are the worst of both worlds. A rigid box is best, but if a bike is naked but for pipe-lagging it's less likely to get treated as luggage and more likely to be handled separately. Watching the baggage handlers at Stansted and the tiny airports (St Etienne, Rodez for example) I fly to I've always been pleased to see how gentle they are with my bike compared to how suitcases get thrown around.
Lettin all the air out of tyres though, when are they going to realise how pointless and inconvenient that is!
I think bagged bikes are the worst of both worlds. A rigid box is best, but if a bike is naked but for pipe-lagging it's less likely to get treated as luggage and more likely to be handled separately. Watching the baggage handlers at Stansted and the tiny airports (St Etienne, Rodez for example) I fly to I've always been pleased to see how gentle they are with my bike compared to how suitcases get thrown around.
Lettin all the air out of tyres though, when are they going to realise how pointless and inconvenient that is!
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Russ1
Re:RyanAir - Bike box?
Well, didn't need the bikebox or bag in the end, they accepted just some cardboard to cover up the chain+rear mech.