Flying with a Bike

[pete75]

Just looked into flying with bike and found BA take them free as part of your inclusive luggage allowance. Business class allows two 32kg items in Europe which is enough for bike and luggage. However they do say " Thin polythene covers aren't recommended by us because they offer very little protection - which means that if you arrive with your bike in one, our airport team might ask you to sign a damage disclaimer."

[simonhill]

Having to sign a waiver is common, however your bike is packed. I normally sign one on Emirates even though my bike is in a cardboard bike box.

Do you want to fly Business Class? You can go Easyjet, etc for cheap fare plus about £40 for a bike. One other piece of luggage is about £15, which is much less than BA Business class and often cheaper than BA Economy.

[durhambiker]

Business class to go biking! Bizarre

[pete75]

Business class to go biking! Bizarre

Why? With offers I have access to can get London - Warsaw return for 50 quid business class. Economy £35 but would have to pay that much again to take bike so business is best value. Flight has to be with BA though.

[ubert767]

I've just flown back by British Airways from Frankfurt to Heathrow with my bike in a CTC type polythene bag (no damage waiver required). Although all went well and the bike was accepted as part of my allowance, in comparison to Easyjet I found the BA booking procedure annoying, to say the least.
On the BA website their additional checked-in baggage costs ( £60 for a bag into Heathrow, £35 into Gatwick) are somewhat hidden and also there is a requirement to give notice via a premium rate phone call of your intention to fly with your bike. This was to a call centre operative whose first language was not English and with whom it was difficult to communicate with any confidence. (Call cost £6)
I think that BA now has a wiff of Ryanair about it, I much prefer Easyjet any day.

[pete75]

I've just flown back by British Airways from Frankfurt to Heathrow with my bike in a CTC type polythene bag (no damage waiver required). Although all went well and the bike was accepted as part of my allowance, in comparison to Easyjet I found the BA booking procedure annoying, to say the least.
On the BA website their additional checked-in baggage costs ( £60 for a bag into Heathrow, £35 into Gatwick) are somewhat hidden and also there is a requirement to give notice via a premium rate phone call of your intention to fly with your bike. This was to a call centre operative whose first language was not English and with whom it was difficult to communicate with any confidence. (Call cost £6)
I think that BA now has a wiff of Ryanair about it, I much prefer Easyjet any day.

On the BA website it says "When you have booked your ticket, remember to call and let us know the size and weight of the bike you are bringing, so we can be ready to accept it." Clicking on the call and let us know link took me to these contact details:-
"Telephone: 0344 493 0787 option 3
(calls charged at local rate)
Daily
06:00-20:00"

Two items of baggage of 32kg each are included with the flight so I don't think I'd need to buy any extra.

[MrsHJ]

In terms of weight I think I had 16.6k of bag (camping tour) and 14.4k of bike. Just to help with the maths.

[pete75]

In terms of weight I think I had 16.6k of bag (camping tour) and 14.4k of bike. Just to help with the maths.

Have never weighed my touring bike - must do. WIll be flying after Brexit day so wonder if they'll have changed weights back to imperial by then.

[delilah]

Ryan Air have almost signalled the death knell for me touring with my bike by air!
Flew out to Charleroi in June with bike in cardboard box.
On returning dismantelled, packed and taped bike up in plastic CTC bag only to be told Ryan Air would not accept it!
They took me round the counter and showed me picture sent from Ryan Air Air showing plastic see-through bags would not be accepted. Only Boxes and Bags.
I complained that it was news to me and that I had flown Ryan Air several times before and they always accepted plastic /nylon bags.
They wouldn't budge. Made me unpack my bike. Purchase a cardboard box from them for E30 which I had to assemble myself!
So Ryan Air are definately off my radar?
ps I had considered flying to Luxembourg next year with Flye Be but they have a policy of only accepting bikes if there's room on the plane at the time so I'm not sure if I turned up whether I get out or back with my bike!!!

[MrsHJ]

Ryan Air have almost signalled the death knell for me touring with my bike by air!
Flew out to Charleroi in June with bike in cardboard box.
On returning dismantelled, packed and taped bike up in plastic CTC bag only to be told Ryan Air would not accept it!
They took me round the counter and showed me picture sent from Ryan Air Air showing plastic see-through bags would not be accepted. Only Boxes and Bags.
I complained that it was news to me and that I had flown Ryan Air several times before and they always accepted plastic /nylon bags.
They wouldn't budge. Made me unpack my bike. Purchase a cardboard box from them for E30 which I had to assemble myself!
So Ryan Air are definately off my radar?
ps I had considered flying to Luxembourg next year with Flye Be but they have a policy of only accepting bikes if there's room on the plane at the time so I'm not sure if I turned up whether I get out or back with my bike!!!

Blimey, I flew with them on Monday and no mention of that but I was at tiny Beziers airport. This is one of the reasons I try to avoid Ryanair though-I don't trust them not to move the goal posts. Some numpty at Bristol put the bike on the regular luggage belt though and I was very unimpressed. Have flown fine with Flybe a couple of times before. We were first at check in but I haven't heard of bikes actually being refused. The problem would be if a stag weekend of golfers with their golf bags was going somewhere they'd get first preference.

Get CTC in the case?

[simonhill]

Ryan Air have almost signalled the death knell for me touring with my bike by air!
Flew out to Charleroi in June with bike in cardboard box.
On returning dismantelled, packed and taped bike up in plastic CTC bag only to be told Ryan Air would not accept it!
They took me round the counter and showed me picture sent from Ryan Air Air showing plastic see-through bags would not be accepted. Only Boxes and Bags.
I complained that it was news to me and that I had flown Ryan Air several times before and they always accepted plastic /nylon bags.
They wouldn't budge. Made me unpack my bike. Purchase a cardboard box from them for E30 which I had to assemble myself!
So Ryan Air are definately off my radar?
ps I had considered flying to Luxembourg next year with Flye Be but they have a policy of only accepting bikes if there's room on the plane at the time so I'm not sure if I turned up whether I get out or back with my bike!!!

Seeing as this was 3 months ago and there have been no other reports, I wonder if it really is a Ryan-wide thing, or just Charleroi getting bolshy. Plus, of course, taking the opportunity to sell a very expensive cardboard box. Its not difficult to create a Company letter to show what you want is official policy. The fact they had it and showed it rather smacks of them being prepared to have their (own) rules challenged.

I fly a lot and find that rules are rules, but each airport may find a reason to vary them to their whim or advantage. Some airports will not accept bikes unless boxed - regardless of what the airline require.

Anyone else been subject to this new Ryanair rule?

[bigjim]

Probably the check-in desk on commission. I was refused at Beziers for an Easyjet flight because the bike was in a plastic bag. Check-in wanted us to purchase cardboard boxes. We stood our ground and got the airport manager to come down and made them access EJs website. They had to relent and let us board. Not a pleasant experience and totally unnecessary. I hire a bike these days if it is at all possible.

[pete75]

Ryan Air have almost signalled the death knell for me touring with my bike by air!
Flew out to Charleroi in June with bike in cardboard box.
On returning dismantelled, packed and taped bike up in plastic CTC bag only to be told Ryan Air would not accept it!
They took me round the counter and showed me picture sent from Ryan Air Air showing plastic see-through bags would not be accepted. Only Boxes and Bags.
I complained that it was news to me and that I had flown Ryan Air several times before and they always accepted plastic /nylon bags.
They wouldn't budge. Made me unpack my bike. Purchase a cardboard box from them for E30 which I had to assemble myself!
So Ryan Air are definately off my radar?
ps I had considered flying to Luxembourg next year with Flye Be but they have a policy of only accepting bikes if there's room on the plane at the time so I'm not sure if I turned up whether I get out or back with my bike!!!

Seeing as this was 3 months ago and there have been no other reports, I wonder if it really is a Ryan-wide thing, or just Charleroi getting bolshy. Plus, of course, taking the opportunity to sell a very expensive cardboard box. Its not difficult to create a Company letter to show what you want is official policy. The fact they had it and showed it rather smacks of them being prepared to have their (own) rules challenged.

I fly a lot and find that rules are rules, but each airport may find a reason to vary them to their whim or advantage. Some airports will not accept bikes unless boxed - regardless of what the airline require.

Anyone else been subject to this new Ryanair rule?

Their website currently says "Bicycles - MUST be contained in a protective box or protective bike bag in order to be accepted for travel." https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en/useful-in ... _368204930

Presumably a clear plastic bag is not regarded as a "protective bike bag". This is correct in that it provides no physical protection.

In my opinion, for what it's worth, such a bag may give psychological protection in that handlers can see what it is and hopefully handle accordingly.

[simonhill]

Fair enough. If it is on their website then no real argument. Thanks for that. It just goes to show that plenty of airports don't
apply the rule.

I haven't flown with Ryanair for 15 years or so. For Europe, I am happy with easyjet (plus I get get free flights via my Emirates' air-miles).

I now have mixed views about naked (or poly bag) bikes. In Asia, I have certainly had my bike treated with respect, but not sure about your average UK baghandler. I was once told at Gatwick that the 'guys downstairs' hated unboxed bikes as they were difficult to handle. There was an implication that because of this they were more likely to be mistreated than handled with care.

[bigjim]

I always box my bike on the way out. More likely to have an undamaged bike for my tour. On the return leg I use one of those £5 bike covers from Ebay. It has pictures of bikes plastered all over it. Useless protection as it's usually torn somewhere on arrival. However it has never been refused by Check-in as they can't argue that it is not a bike bag. Unlike the CTC bag, as they can say, it's just a plastic bag.