bikes on a plane!

http://tinyurl.com/2gly3j

you can search the group for similar results.

synopsis: shipping it ahead of time is probably best

Box it up and check it. However, you cannot lock it shut. When I flew with my bike last year, they just swabbed it for explosive residue on the way out, but coming back they unpacked it and searched it. Of course they repacked it like crap and I had a lot of stuff crammed in the case. So, I would try and borrow a case and make sure it can be easily searched. If you use a box and tape it up, it may not arrive in one piece. Also tag or tape a business card to each piece, the frame and each wheel. In case something bad happens, you stand a better chance of getting the pieces back.

I flew Northwest which is just $50 each way for a bike. They are one of the better airlines regarding fees. Other airlines will try to charge you and arm and a leg. You need to check out the website of your airline for amounts and case sizes. I have some friends who sometimes end up flying their bike for free, but that usually involves making the airline think you are flying a convention display or something business oriented. Or make your bike look like golf clubs, because golf clubs usually get to fly free for some reason.

I have also used UPS before to ship my bike to SF. I just had it shipped to the hotel, and that way I did not have to lug the thing through an airport. UPS picked it up from the bell hop when I left. Back then it used to cost the same as flying it, but UPS has gone up in price on oversized boxes since then. Plus you have to ship it at least a week ahead of time.

Neither UPS or the airlines give a crap about your bike. It will get banged around, so pack it well.

If you are just going to use a bike around town, it may be cheaper to buy a used bike from a thrift shop, tune it up, ride it while you are out there and then donate it back.

apparently delta (which is what i'm flying) will accept bikes in boxes, provided that the L+W+H of the box does not exceed 62". i'm not so sure that my 54cm bike will cram into those dimensions...

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/forum/board/message/?o=rzyi&thread_id=353...

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/forum/board/message/?o=rzyi&thread_id=354...

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/forum/board/message/?o=rzyi&thread_id=252...

it works a lot worse than taking your pedals (if needed) and renting a bike for a week when you get there, but costs about the same

* zip-tie together everything. if your box comes apart, at least you don't lose your stuff. bag up loose bolts, bearings and string them on the zip tie too. i've had my bike come off the plane wearing a cardboard bikini and fortunately all i lost was the seatpost bolt.

* consider ziptieing your chainrings to your wheels. they are much less likely to get bent this way. i started a 3 month bike tour in spain by myself with a bent big chainring. it sucked.

* get an old axle from a wheel and bolt it in to your fork and dropouts if you're taking both wheels out. those fork legs and dropouts are big lever arms and get bent very easily. this will do a lot to stop that from happening.

* bike boxes often have little plastic pieces in them that stick in to your axle to prevent the axle from poking holes in the box. use these.

* show up to the airport not looking like a biker. put your helmet in your bag or bike box. tell them that you are carrying bike parts. i have avoided the fee this way.

* in the future, american and i believe at least one other airline do not charge for carrying a single bike. i've had problems only once, out of several times flying american, and it was resolved with no charge (as it should have been) after being patient and nice. they were in the wrong, but good manners still go a long way.

is the way to go. and they are considered "sports equiptment." the box can be huge as shit, as long as they know it's a bike, and they will charge you some $$ (airtran is 60 bucks each way, not sure about delta).

i just flew to cleveland on delta.

packed my bike into the smallest possible cardboard box (removed everything but the cranks, essentially)

they didn't charge me extra, the bike arrived unscathed, and i got to go for a ride this afternoon.

Anybody flown more recently with a full size bike? I'm doing British Airways to London and they'll let us bring ours for free. I'm considering returning my folding bike since it looks like it doesn't meet the current "62 linear inches" rule for baggage anyway. Heck, most of the S&S suitcases I've seen are bigger than that.

Anybody had any good luck with getting a full size bike past stupid fees recently? Most of the info I've found is out of date.

I looked into this recently, and it was going to be far cheaper to UPS my bike to my hotel and then UPS it home again. Might not work for international flights.

Bicycle South in Decatur has a hard shell case for rent if you choose to go that way.