Cycling UK Forum

Taking my bike on planes about 6 times a year with Ryanair, easyjet and bmibaby, I'm sick and tired of being at the mercy of check-in staff in many different airports who don't know what the website says. (Always print it out in English and your destination language.) It makes the days leading up to departure very stressful, wondering whether you'll be allowed to fly or not.

And I'm fed up of the bike arriving the wrong way up ie the sticky-out delicate bits like handlebars and derailleur face down, when it makes more sense to have the "flat" side downwards.

I'd like the CTC to campaign for:

1) A short basic course for baggage handlers pointing out how much we are paying for the privilege of taking our bikes on planes and to please treat correctly-bagged bikes with respect.

2) Check-in staff and baggage handlers to please adhere to the guidelines we follow after reading the website re packaging and non-mandatory full deflation of tyres.

However, I do sympathise with staff when they are faced with bikes unbagged and/or adorned with banned accessories. But if I stick to the rules, I expect good, hassle-free service.

I support the idea, although I wonder if this is a realistic expectation of CTC, given the proliferation of airlines, service companies etc. Perhaps it would at least be possible to do something with the major UK airlines and airports. My recent post on my experience with Ryanair prompted a number of responses illustrating the scale of the problem - particularly the uncertainty and inconsistency.

Good Luck!

I have not (yet) flown with my bike; I am both inspired to do so reading about peoples adventures on this forum, whilst equally discouraged by the tales of woe and hassle that seems to exist. Such a campaign is a excellent idea. However, I have to warn - my 'other hobby' for the past 30-years is scuba diving, both in the UK and all over the world. For many years the diving community and the British Sub Aqua Club have campaigned for clarification on the gear / extra weight that can be taken and equality amongst airlines, without success. You have to look very carefully at the small print and / or phone up to see if it is possible to get an allowance to take your gear (not bottles), much of which needs to be considered as safety equipment essential for safe diving. Even then there is often hassle at the check-in + different attitudes (a) between different staff or (b) at different airports, particularly on the return legs. By comparison, many (if not most?) airlines will allow you to take a full set of golf clubs for free! I wish you luck but beware it's not a level playing field + success will be difficult.

Helen wrote:Taking my bike on planes about 6 times a year with Ryanair, easyjet and bmibaby, I'm sick and tired of being at the mercy of check-in staff in many different airports who don't know what the website says. (Always print it out in English and your destination language.) It makes the days leading up to departure very stressful, wondering whether you'll be allowed to fly or not.

totally agree - I have flown many times with the bike - and on too many occasions I have been presented by the check in staff at the return airport with erroneous reasons why my bike cannot go - I now print everything and laminate it so that it survives that far

Helen - I sympathise. By all means take it up with the Airlines but I suggest that it is taken up with airports as well so that they can put pressure on the airlines.
Airport companies are different companies from the airlines. They operate the runways, aprons, car parks, lease out retail units etc and they attract airlines to operate from their facilities.
Two of the main UK airport owners are baa (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stanstead, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen) and the Manchester Airports Group (Manchester, East Midlands, Bournemouth and Humberside).
Both these groups should have a common policy.
It might be useful to try and establish if any UK airports are particularly good with bicycles.
Running an airport and an airline is a competitive business these days and I feel sure that if these concerns get to the right people then things should improve.
jonty

I just don't agree that bikes should be bagged. They suffer more damage when they are, and boxing is the same.

I've taken bikes on more than 100 flights as have my wife and several friends.

A naked bike is treated with more respect. The only time we've had broken frames was in 1996 seven of us were made put our bikes in boxes returning from Milan. Three, yes THREE broken frames. Not mine, fortunately

The first time I put my bike on a plane was in Esbjerg in Denmark, flying back to Stansted with Ryan air in 2004. I didn't have to do anything to the bike (ah those Danes love their bikes) - but they didn't love my bike. I saw it shortly before it was loaded onto the plane - lying under a very large pile of suitcases. Luckily it was a Koga Miyata and survived the ordeal.

I just don't agree that bikes should be bagged.

But what about all the mucky wheels and chain, and sticky-out bits that poke holes in people's suitcases? When you've ridden to the airport in the rain, it's quite nice just wheeling it into a plazzy bag and not having to clean it to make it presentable.

OK, so CTC make available half a dozen hard bike cases in conjunction with the local luggage shop (or the car hire) at the airport (say 2 or 3 airports). We hire them (booked in advance) for one way and hand them in at the luggage shop at a few selected (foreign) airports. Then other people use them on the way back. Then the scheme grows and the airlines start to recognise them and get used to them. Then all the airports have a few available, enough to meet demand. And they fly backwards and forwards around the world. And someone makes a bit of profit out of hiring them out.

Simples.

Hmmm, hiring out hard shell cases. Good idea, but they are very heavy (10 kg plus). If they charge you by weight they could be prohibitive. I am flying AirAsia today and tomorrow ex Bangkok and KL and they charge about 10 pounds sterling for a bike - but a 15kg limit. The cardboard box that they insist I use when flying from Bangkok weighs 3kgs. No way my bike and box will come in under 15 so its excess baggage for me if they weigh it.

Helen, re getting a policy agreed - I tend to like to keep under the radar when it comes to bikes on planes. Yes, airports do like to make a profit - but they do this by having policies that cut costs and save money. Handling odd shape objects like bikes costs money, creates problems in automated systems, etc. Airports and airlines are more likely to ban bikes rather than implement bike friendly policies if they start thinking too hard about it.

Up up and away!!

Groundeffect Body Bag - at least for 26 inch wheeled flat handlebar type tourers. It is great to arrive at check in with a piece of luggage that does not look out of the ordinary other than a bit oversize.

It ticks all the boxes, it has carry handles for the baggage handlers, protects other baggage, not to big and no sticking out bits (handlebars & pedals removed). It can be opened with a full length zip and all the contents seen by customs or security and then just zipped up again. It can be carried with you on your tour and ready again to use when its time to fly home, weighs 1 kilo.

So you can approach check in with confidence - it is like you are not asking for favours or special treatment - it is a bag - put it on the plane !

Maybe 700c and drop handlebars are more difficult to deal with.

Hi Helen,

I wont comment on the yes/no black/white discussion on boxes/bags and naked......

But as far as check in staff goes the only way to deal with them is to print out the airline policy just before you go and stuff it under their nose when checking in. The policy changes every few months, and they dont often see bikes so its almost logical that they don't know the rules, but they don't often care. Black and white on paper always wins.

As far as baggage handers is concerned, your buggered, these are generally underpaid, unmotivated people who get paid to be quick, more than careful. And nowadays most companies do this kind of thing by a third party, the the argument of airline x is better than y doesn't work because the airplane from airline x + y getting loaded by company z .

Shane

shane wrote:But as far as check in staff goes the only way to deal with them is to print out the airline policy just before you go ...

Too late! It might have altered in the meantime!

The baggage rules are part of your legally binding contract with the airline and the date on that contract is the day you buy the ticket. So you want to print all that guff right there and then!

Airport staff are extremely busy people handling thousands of of passengers so make their job easier. My wife and I frequently fly with our bikes and have never encountered a problem. We always pack our bikes in boxes and always print out the bike reservation + the airlines terms and conditions, this solves any problems at check in.

With regards minimising the risk of damage to the frame etc we always pack our bikes in bike boxes to protect them prior to the trip (get them from your local cycle shop). I have a huge Koga Randoneur which will not fit into a standard box so I normally tape two bike boxes together with Duck tape for strength. Regarding dismantling the machine, I will turn the handelbars round and remove the pedals however I leave the wheels on as these are protected by the front and rear racks. Seeing as we normally fly in and out of separate airports getting hold of bike boxes for the return journey can be a problem so we always check into a hotel, hostel, or B&b the night before our departure. I then go to the nearest industrial estate and forage through the skips. I have never had a problem finding huge amounts of cardboard (upright freezer boxes are best), which can easily be fashioned into very strong bike boxes (I always bring a spare roll of Duck tape). On the morning of departure we simply get a mini-bus stile taxi to the airport and plaster the boxes with 'fragile' tape provided by the airline. Job done, relax..

earlgrey wrote: I then go to the nearest industrial estate and forage through the skips.

earlgrey: this is a great tip but I really wonder whether either the airline or the other passengers know that to fly with Easyjet or whatever, you have to go to the nearest industrial estate and forage through the skips. Are we really in the twenty first century? Do the airlines have any awareness whatsoever? Do people actually know what cyclists have to go through? It beggars belief.