ship bike by air in bike bag?

[Ned Mantei]

I will fly from Switzerland to Sardinia and want to bike there during my
visit. Packing a bike into a box seems like too much trouble (I don't
have a car to get the box to the airport), but I was told that the
airline will also take a bike in a bike bag. Does anyone have
data/anecdata on how often this leads to damage to the bike? I would
take an old mountain bike, so a scratch or two wouldn't be a problem. I
would also fit a protective device for the derailleur like this one:
https://www.veloplus.ch/AlleProdukte/Schaltung/GUARDWechselschutz.aspx

The alternative would be to rent a bike.

Thanks for any info or opinions.

Ned

[cycl...@gmail.com]

If I were you I would check on the cost of checked baggage of that size. It might very well be cheaper to rent a bike in Sardinia.

[Andre Jute]

People I know went to Sardinia for a holiday and were able to rent good mountain bikes. I don't know about road bikes, though.

Andre Jute

[Doug Landau]

On Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 10:20:33 AM UTC-7, Andre Jute wrote:
> On Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 2:19:26 PM UTC, Ned Mantei wrote:
> > I will fly from Switzerland to Sardinia and want to bike there during my
> > visit. Packing a bike into a box seems like too much trouble (I don't
> > have a car to get the box to the airport), but I was told that the
> > airline will also take a bike in a bike bag. Does anyone have
> > data/anecdata on how often this leads to damage to the bike? I would
> > take an old mountain bike, so a scratch or two wouldn't be a problem. I
> > would also fit a protective device for the derailleur like this one:
> > https://www.veloplus.ch/AlleProdukte/Schaltung/GUARDWechselschutz.aspx
> >
> > The alternative would be to rent a bike.
> >
> > Thanks for any info or opinions.
>

> People I know went to Sardinia for a holiday and were able to rent good mountain bikes. I don't know about road bikes, though.

Hmm. Looks like one extreme or the other.
https://sardinia.craigslist.it/search/bik

[Frank Krygowski]

This site may have some advice: http://www.icebike.org/bike-access/
especially this page:
http://www.icebike.org/bike-access/#Airline_experiences

--
- Frank Krygowski

[John B.]

I've used a "bike bag" a number of times. My bag requires removing the
wheels and placing them in "pockets" inside the bag and pretty well
centered on the frame. I have always removed the rear derailer, just
unscrew the mounting bolt and tuck it between the rear stays without
disconnecting the cable.

I also use "spreaders in both front and rear forks. Just lengths of
all-thread rod, or old bike axles, with two nuts on each end to ensure
that the forks aren't bent by something dropped on them.

The bag itself is quite heavy and adds considerably to the luggage
weight so costs something extra. It also presents the problem of "what
do I do with the bag".
--
Cheers,

John B.

[cycl...@gmail.com]

When was the last time you flew anywhere John? These days on most airlines you are allowed one free carry-on. Some airlines allow on free checked luggage and others don't. But a second piece of checked baggage is almost always "extra" and the price can be as much as a cut rate ticket. It costs more to ship a bicycle to Australia than it costs to fly there yourself.

[Ned Mantei]

Thanks for the links. Just renting a bike seems to be the easiest way to go.

Regards,
Ned

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Fri, 24 Mar 2017 08:07:13 -0700 (PDT), cycl...@gmail.com wrote:

>When was the last time you flew anywhere John?

I think you mean Frank, not John.

>These days on most
>airlines you are allowed one free carry-on. Some airlines allow
>on free checked luggage and others don't. But a second piece of
>checked baggage is almost always "extra" and the price can be as
>much as a cut rate ticket. It costs more to ship a bicycle to
>Australia than it costs to fly there yourself.

Yep:
<https://www.bikeflights.com>
<https://www.bikeflights.com/ship>
I priced what it cost to ship a mountain bike from Smog Angeles to
Sidney Australia. 55 lbs for $1,842.95 one-way by FedEx Freight and
not including the box, packing service or customs. I tried various
size bicycles and found the price to be the same. There were no
folding bicycles listed, which seems a bit odd.

--
Jeff Liebermann je...@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Wed, 26 Sep 2018 10:37:02 -0700, Jeff Liebermann <je...@cruzio.com>
wrote:

>On Fri, 24 Mar 2017 08:07:13 -0700 (PDT), cycl...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>>When was the last time you flew anywhere John?
>
>I think you mean Frank, not John.
>
>>These days on most
>>airlines you are allowed one free carry-on. Some airlines allow
>>on free checked luggage and others don't. But a second piece of
>>checked baggage is almost always "extra" and the price can be as
>>much as a cut rate ticket. It costs more to ship a bicycle to
>>Australia than it costs to fly there yourself.
>
>Yep:
><https://www.bikeflights.com>
><https://www.bikeflights.com/ship>
>I priced what it cost to ship a mountain bike from Smog Angeles to
>Sidney Australia. 55 lbs for $1,842.95 one-way by FedEx Freight and
>not including the box, packing service or customs. I tried various
>size bicycles and found the price to be the same. There were no
>folding bicycles listed, which seems a bit odd.

Ooops. My Forte Agent database indexer somehow got corrupted. I
didn't notice that I was replying to a year old message. Sorry(tm).

[slto...@gmail.com]

Well just as an addition I had an Eddy Merckx Strada OS frameset that I was selling on Ebay for $750. The shipping to Australia was cheapest by air and the cost was almost $900. So much for THAT sale.

[John B. Slocomb]

On Wed, 26 Sep 2018 10:37:02 -0700, Jeff Liebermann <je...@cruzio.com>
wrote:

>On Fri, 24 Mar 2017 08:07:13 -0700 (PDT), cycl...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>>When was the last time you flew anywhere John?
>
>I think you mean Frank, not John.
>
>>These days on most
>>airlines you are allowed one free carry-on. Some airlines allow
>>on free checked luggage and others don't. But a second piece of
>>checked baggage is almost always "extra" and the price can be as
>>much as a cut rate ticket. It costs more to ship a bicycle to
>>Australia than it costs to fly there yourself.
>
>Yep:
><https://www.bikeflights.com>
><https://www.bikeflights.com/ship>
>I priced what it cost to ship a mountain bike from Smog Angeles to
>Sidney Australia. 55 lbs for $1,842.95 one-way by FedEx Freight and
>not including the box, packing service or customs. I tried various
>size bicycles and found the price to be the same. There were no
>folding bicycles listed, which seems a bit odd.

Since he took my name in vain I'll respond. I fly Air Asia, the
largest "economy" airline in SEA and the last time I flew anywhere was
about 2 months ago - Phuket to Bangkok, about a 12 hour trip by road
in my old pickup.

The cost on that airline for taking a bicycle as baggage in Thailand
is about 500 baht - about $15.40 in U.S. money.
To Singapore (never took a bike any further) it is about $30.00.
--
Cheers

John B.

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Thu, 27 Sep 2018 06:54:24 +0700, John B. Slocomb
<sloc...@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Wed, 26 Sep 2018 10:37:02 -0700, Jeff Liebermann <je...@cruzio.com>
>wrote:
>
>>On Fri, 24 Mar 2017 08:07:13 -0700 (PDT), cycl...@gmail.com wrote:
>>
>>>When was the last time you flew anywhere John?
>>
>>I think you mean Frank, not John.
>>
>>>These days on most
>>>airlines you are allowed one free carry-on. Some airlines allow
>>>on free checked luggage and others don't. But a second piece of
>>>checked baggage is almost always "extra" and the price can be as
>>>much as a cut rate ticket. It costs more to ship a bicycle to
>>>Australia than it costs to fly there yourself.
>>
>>Yep:
>><https://www.bikeflights.com>
>><https://www.bikeflights.com/ship>
>>I priced what it cost to ship a mountain bike from Smog Angeles to
>>Sidney Australia. 55 lbs for $1,842.95 one-way by FedEx Freight and
>>not including the box, packing service or customs. I tried various
>>size bicycles and found the price to be the same. There were no
>>folding bicycles listed, which seems a bit odd.

>I fly Air Asia, the
>largest "economy" airline in SEA and the last time I flew anywhere was
>about 2 months ago - Phuket to Bangkok, about a 12 hour trip by road
>in my old pickup.
>
>The cost on that airline for taking a bicycle as baggage in Thailand
>is about 500 baht - about $15.40 in U.S. money.
>To Singapore (never took a bike any further) it is about $30.00.

Yes, but the distance from Phuket to Bangkok is only 840 km, while
Smog Angeles to Sidney AU is 12070 km or 14.4 times farther. That
means you need a bigger airplane, need to carry more fuel, no pit
stops along the way, and the horror of TSA and customs checks at both
ends.

If I assume the same cost per airline km, then shipping a bicycle from
LA to Sidney using Air Asia should be:
14.3 * $30 = $432
That's a long way from $1,842.95, but getting there.

If I plug Phuket to Bangkok into:
<https://www.bikeflights.com/ship>
Oops. Fedex does not carry on that route.

Official Air Asia rate for bicycles are at:
<https://www.airasia.com/my/en/our-fares/fees-and-charges.page>
From Phuket to Bangkok is:
Sport Equipment (per pax/per sector)
15kg THB 546
20kg THB 577.5
25kg THB 682.5
30kg THB 1050
40kg THB 1470
I would guess a mountain bike and shipping box would weigh 25kg which
would cost 682.5 baht = $21 USD.

I guess the only useful information here is that shipping a bicycle
from US to Australia is seriously expensive, but shorter flights can
be quite economical.

[John B. Slocomb]

On Wed, 26 Sep 2018 19:08:43 -0700, Jeff Liebermann <je...@cruzio.com>

Nope. It is 14.3 x $15.40 = $220.00

>If I plug Phuket to Bangkok into:
><https://www.bikeflights.com/ship>
>Oops. Fedex does not carry on that route.
>
>Official Air Asia rate for bicycles are at:
><https://www.airasia.com/my/en/our-fares/fees-and-charges.page>
>From Phuket to Bangkok is:
> Sport Equipment (per pax/per sector)
> 15kg THB 546
> 20kg THB 577.5
> 25kg THB 682.5
> 30kg THB 1050
> 40kg THB 1470
>I would guess a mountain bike and shipping box would weigh 25kg which
>would cost 682.5 baht = $21 USD.
>

Right, I read that cost schedule too, but the two or three times I
took a bike from Bangkok to Phuket they didn't weigh it and charged me
a flat 500 baht.

Granted this was a year or more ago but what the check in girl told me
to take the unweighed bagged bike to the large object counter (or
whatever they called it) and when I got to the other end that is where
I had to pick the bike up.

>I guess the only useful information here is that shipping a bicycle
>from US to Australia is seriously expensive, but shorter flights can
>be quite economical.

--

Cheers

John B.

[Frank Krygowski]

Regarding bikes as baggage in the U.S.:

Some years ago, it was pointed out that airlines give almost no hassle
when transporting baby carriages, golf bags and a few other large items;
but most airlines put inconvenient restrictions plus high prices on
bikes. Even Amtrak requires (or required?) bikes to be partially
disassembled and boxed. (On a long-distance train? There's no room
anywhere??)

Way back in 1976 was the first time we took bikes out of the country. We
flew British Air to Heathrow, and all they asked was that we removed the
pedals and turned the handlebars sideways. When we checked in, a smiling
gentleman came to the ticket booth and gently rolled our bikes away.
Getting them back in Heathrow was just as easy.

A few years ago, the now-useless League of American Bicyclists tried
lobbying for better treatment of bikes-as-baggage. I gather they failed.

Not that it matters much to me any more. We now have folding bikes that
travel inside suitcases. The airlines don't even know they are bikes.


--
- Frank Krygowski

[Emanuel Berg]

Frank Krygowski wrote:

> Not that it matters much to me any more.
> We now have folding bikes that travel inside
> suitcases. The airlines don't even know they
> are bikes.

Ain't it cool stuff?

--
underground experts united
http://user.it.uu.se/~embe8573

[news18]

On Wed, 26 Sep 2018 10:37:02 -0700, Jeff Liebermann wrote:


> I priced what it cost to ship a mountain bike from Smog Angeles to
> Sidney Australia. 55 lbs for $1,842.95 one-way by FedEx Freight and not
> including the box, packing service or customs.

Can I point out that there is no "Sidney Australia", but there is a
"Sydney Australia", which might lead to you package actually arriving VBG.

I wonder if "insurance" is a major factor in that cost. Apparently highly
priced bicycles can be very easily damaged in a permanent way.

[Sir Ridesalot]

If it's based on weight then perhaps packing the box with helium filled balloons would help? VBEG LOL

Cheers

[slto...@gmail.com]

I had more or less the same experience with Amtrak back in the 80's. I had to load the bike into the baggage car myself but it didn't require any disassembly or boxing as it does now. And there isn't any more baggage there than before.

I suppose this is the result of everyone suing everyone else.

[slto...@gmail.com]

John - In Thailand bicycles are objects of common transportation use and hence are respected. Here in the first world countries they are despised because the larger and more expensive your automobile is that more road you own.

[slto...@gmail.com]

You are perfectly right but that is what releases are for.

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Thu, 27 Sep 2018 12:11:48 -0400, Frank Krygowski
<frkr...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>Way back in 1976 was the first time we took bikes out of the country. We
>flew British Air to Heathrow, and all they asked was that we removed the
>pedals and turned the handlebars sideways.

(...)

>Not that it matters much to me any more. We now have folding bikes that
>travel inside suitcases. The airlines don't even know they are bikes.

Methinks you're right. The list of bicycle types on the Bike Flights
web pile does not include any manner of folding bicycle. Presumably,
these can be crammed into a smaller box and handled as air freight or
baggage that does not require any expensive special handling.

I have a problem cramming my bicycle into my Subaru Forester. Folding
handlebars and pedals are a big help:
<https://www.google.com/search?q=folding+bicycle+handlebars&tbm=isch>
<http://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/pics/bicycles/Sunlite%2067302%20folding%20pedals/index.html>
I have folding pedals on 3 of my machines, but haven't tried folding
handlebars yet.

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Thu, 27 Sep 2018 18:53:20 +0200, Emanuel Berg <moa...@zoho.com>
wrote:

>Frank Krygowski wrote:
>
>> Not that it matters much to me any more.
>> We now have folding bikes that travel inside
>> suitcases. The airlines don't even know they
>> are bikes.
>
>Ain't it cool stuff?

Not cool enough. I want an inflatable bicycle frame:
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T0UWLPhCco>
<https://patents.google.com/patent/US9334007B2/en?oq=US+9334007B2>
and bicycle wheels that expand like an umbrella.

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Fri, 28 Sep 2018 11:58:55 -0000 (UTC), news18 <new...@woa.com.au>
wrote:

>On Wed, 26 Sep 2018 10:37:02 -0700, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
>
>
>> I priced what it cost to ship a mountain bike from Smog Angeles to
>> Sidney Australia. 55 lbs for $1,842.95 one-way by FedEx Freight and not
>> including the box, packing service or customs.

>Can I point out that there is no "Sidney Australia", but there is a
>"Sydney Australia", which might lead to you package actually arriving VBG.

Sory. My spellin chequer seams to be halfing a problem.

>I wonder if "insurance" is a major factor in that cost. Apparently highly
>priced bicycles can be very easily damaged in a permanent way.

No insurance, but you can buy a "protection plan":
<https://www.bikeflights.com/shippingpolicy>
See items 6 through 9.