Cycling UK Forum

what have you used and with what airline?,i used a bike box four weeks ago to portugal.

but going off again soon and need something that packs up small? (nz body bag?)

im going to be riding from the airport in this instance.

or do airports/airlines all supply clear poly bags etc?

got me thinking what i can do/use here?

How long is a piece of string? More info needed unless you want every airline and airport listed till you get lucky.

Where are you going; what airline are you thinking of; why do you need to carry the bag instead of a box; why is a New Zealand body bag different from any other one?

To answer a bit:

A few airlines supply boxes eg Quantas at selected airports, but most don't. I have seen big plastic bags eg Air New Zealand in Auckland, but they weren't big enough for a bike - I used to combine panniers into one package. In my experience you cannot rely on getting packaging from airline check in desks. Sometimes baggage service companies have bike boxes - there is one at Gatwick, but they don't guarantee having boxes.

I have flown in all packaging modes except bespoke hard case - ie unpacked; cling filmed; bubblewrapped; and boxed. It depends on airline and airport.

Some airlines have deatailed description for packing on their websites, others don't mention at all.

back over to portugal,will have my bike and a bob trailer,the bobs not the issue,so was thinking of a bag i can fold up small?
or just take a box again,dump it then worry about getting something else for when i fly back,but i will be cycling back to the airport so a box is out of question on my return.can carry that!!

flying with easy jet.

Sometimes there are minibus services to the airport; these may be able to take a boxed bike. If so then you can get a box off a shop in town, pack the bike, minibus to airport, baggage trolley around airport.

Suggest you telephone Easyjet and ask them.
When a friend wanted some guidance on luggage they sent him an e-mail which he could show the airport staff in case of "confusion".
I am under the impression that Easyjet allow CTC plastic bike-bags but there is always the risk of damage?
There is also the option of a cardboard box and may be available from a local bike shop in Portugal.

You can fold up a bike box.

Get one at your last town. Undo the bottom (usually stapled), then fold in 3 (folds running top to bottom (edited)). This makes it quite a small package that you should be able to strap to your Bob for the final ride to airport. To re-assemble the box, just use tape to stick up the bottom, as you do the top to close. I have done this, tied the box with string (washing line) and then could carry it on my shoulder while pushing bike with panniers attached (to get bus, etc).

If Easyjet allow poly bags, buy one before you go from CTC shop and carry with you. Don't rely on airport.

Two rolls of clingfilm also do the job!

Just flown from Southampton to Frankfurt with flybe using CTC poly bag.Only slight concern was that they wouldn'T accept prior booking,so had to accept 'stand by',but no problem as not a busy flight.
Returning with easyjet from Munich,which is booked & hopefully not a problem as have flown with them on numerous occasions.

there is supposed to be a picture on the easyjet website of a bike in a CTC polybag. I can't find it. Anyone got the pic and could download it?

just flown Easyjet back from Istanbul. Used CTC polybag with no problems. Also easy to carry. Put all my luggage in a large (very light) laundry bag and gaffer taped it up. Hey presto one luggage bag!

I used all sorts but now just arrange to collect a cardboard box for my return, the last one from http://www.recyclobikeshop.es/in Malaga. Nobody has ever been anything other than helpful.

Simonhill is right, I just fold it 3x, the front resting on my bars, my arm hooked under, then I rode the 30 minutes back to my hotel to pack. Never thought to ride the whole way to the airport and save he taxi fare.

We have just flown from Leeds Bradford to Pisa with our bikes packed in polythene bags that wrapped mattresses just go to your local bed shop. Took off pedals, strapped from wheel to frame using toe straps stuffed a toilet roll between the forks, jobs a good on. Came out in Pisa no problem and both polythene bags light and easy to strap on bike with bungis and carry around. Have always carried bikes like this on planes, a tip I learned on here.

Forgot to mention flew out with Ryanair and will be returning with easy jet Im still in Italy, also used the cheap Landry bag package taped up for panniers for both my and my partner . I think the fact that the handlers can see it, makes them more careful, most of them are human after all

My brain-dump is here.

Unless obviously outwith the carrier's conditions, the CTC Poly bag sorts it, provided you follow ALL my instructions, including printing and taking with you the page that says it is a 'proper' bike bag (whatever that means).

Last time I flew, with my CTC tour group back from Malaga, there was this numpty in the queue for EasyJet Belfast with some nasty Bicycle-Shaped-Object that presumably seemed even cheaper in Spain than the identical piece of imported junk he might have got at home. This bike was just as nature and man intended, just like as if he'd ridden up to the airport on it (which looked unlikely given the other items of luggage this guy was toting). Handlebar un-turned and not even the pedals removed.

Having each spent an hour or more the previous evening, dutifully compacting and wrapping our bikes as per instructions, we hung about to see what would happen when this innocent abroad reached the check-in desk.

NOTHING!

He was directed to the out-of-gauge X-ray scanner as usual, for which (no surprise) his totally un-compacted bike was too big. The operative suggested removing the front wheel and seatpost. The bike was scanned in three parts, re-assembled the other side of the machine and wheeled away, no problems.

In fact, this guy had less hassle than the two members of our party with the most 'proper' packaging of all: totally crush-proof Sci-Con bike boxes (nice for racers but entailing major dismantling of a bike with such touring essentials as mudguards and carriers) that were just 14mm too big to go through this not-so-far out-of-gauge scanner. (A second-longest dimension of 0.8m seems to be the vital statistic to aim under.) So this couple had to wait for a chap to come and take their boxes for manual scanning somewhere in the basement, with a chance they might be delayed to a later flight. They weren't but you can imagine how it feels.

So that's how it is folks. Totally random. When they're feeling happy, anything goes. But if the check-in clerk got delayed 5 seconds behind a pesky cyclist on her way driving in to the airport that morning, you'd better have followed all the rules, know them better than he does and be carrying all the printouts you need to back that up.

I've used a CTC polythene bag, following Chris's instructions, and the ones on the BA site, and had no problems whatsoever. I have, however, avoided the budget airlines, when traveling with my bike. I can't quite bring myself to trust them with it.