Flights to Paris

[Kevin Williams]

Hello fellow Randos!

I am far from a seasoned world traveler and I am feeling a bit overwhelmed trying to plan for PBP next year. Does anyone have recommendations for airlines? I will be flying out of San Francisco, most likely.

-Kevin W.

[Noel Howes]

Kevin,

In 2007 I flew through Heathrow to Paris. My bicycle arrived at my friend's house three days later. That was three hours before PBP start. My shoes and kit arrived one hour before...

I'm sure with Brexit and all, British Airways has resolved the problem since then.

Noel Howes
(206)518-2132

   

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Randonneurs USA" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to randonneurs-u...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/randonneurs-usa/7d6e1829-6dd5-4f0a-ae87-845e09f06a41n%40googlegroups.com.

[Craig Robertson]

If at all possible, fly direct to Paris.  Baggage seems to have trouble making connections, and oversize baggage (like bikes) has even more trouble.  

I've always flown Air France between SFO and CDG.  Nine out of ten flights (5 trips to PBP) everything showed up where and when it should.  In 2011, my tandem showed up the next day at SFO on the trip home.  A blessing in disguise as they delivered it to my house the next day and I didn't have to drag it through SFO and haul it home.  

Domestically,  I usually use ground shipping and send it to the proper hotel.  

Craig

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/randonneurs-usa/CANkJjLCDPYVfy7phNCWMYbjwtOzGr5860n-kio6D93rritxdxw%40mail.gmail.com.

[Mike Hrast]

Air France to CDG would be my recommendation. 

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 29, 2022, at 3:33 PM, Kevin Williams <kws...@gmail.com> wrote:



Hello fellow Randos!

I am far from a seasoned world traveler and I am feeling a bit overwhelmed trying to plan for PBP next year. Does anyone have recommendations for airlines? I will be flying out of San Francisco, most likely.

-Kevin W.

--

[Garry Knox]

I will +1 what Craig wrote.  I have also had good success flying Air France with my bike. I will pay a bit extra for a direct flight if I have to when it comes to PBP.

Garry

[Eric Linser]

As an aside to this conversation on flights with bikes in tow, what are others past experiences in shipping a bike to Europe/France, near Rambouillet, say to a bike shop via the likes of BikeFlights?

I'm planning on being in Europe a month ahead of time with my family hiking Tour du Mont Blanc and doing other things. After that, I'll head to Rambouillet or nearby, unpack my bike, and prep it for PBP. 

Thanks for your thoughts.

Eric Linser

San Francisco

--

[Kevin Williams]

Thanks everyone! It looks like Air France is probably the winner in this discussion. Has anyone not bought their tickets yet because they expect the prices to go down? Is there an ideal time to buy the tickets or would you recommend getting them ASAP? Thanks again, you are all helping me out tremendously :)

-Kevin W.

[Patrick Conneely]

New to PBP but not new to traveling outside US for bike races.  Having been to the Rift in Iceland 2 of the 3 runnings, this convo arises each year on the various groups among US travelers.  

The main best practice I would share is that nearly all, if not all, of US travelers who had a delayed bike connected through a third country.  So, if you have to connect highly recommend doing it in the US.  In my case have flown through DFW, PHL and JFK from LA to Europe with a bike and no issues.

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 29, 2022, at 6:37 PM, Kevin Williams <kws...@gmail.com> wrote:



To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/randonneurs-usa/8f998c84-83c6-4e0d-b99f-205f47a782fan%40googlegroups.com.

[Eric Nichols]

Another airport option is Paris Orly.  It's south of Paris, closer to Rambouillet, and tends to have cheaper flights.  It's mainly served by in-Europe carriers, so a non-stop from North America may be hard to find. 

For PBP 2019, I flew TAP Air Portugal from the US through Lisbon to Orly. My bike was delayed in Lisbon and arrived two days after I did.  My connection in Lisbon occurred on Assumption Day, a national holiday in Portugal, when EVERYTHING is closed, including TAP customer service. The airline eventually sorted it out, but the holiday probably added a day to the delay. Fortunately, bike arrived in time for inspection.  

I've flown many, many times with my bike and that was the only time I've had a delayed arrival for a checked bike.  Even though the risk of a delay is low, it's worth baking an extra day or two into your arrival schedule if you can manage it.   Arriving early also gives you more time to adjust to the time zone and enjoy Belle France.  

Regarding fares, Kayak and other aggregators have fare trackers that advise whether fares are trending up or down.  They mostly focus on short term-trends e.g., over the next few weeks.     

Many things can happen in the run-up to PBP: health can change, qualifying brevets may not go as-planned, etc.  It is worth considering a higher-fare flight that can be refunded or rescheduled. 

  

Tailwinds,

Eric

[Bill Bryant]

I’ve made the SFO to CDG flight many times over the years. Mostly on Air France, but also a few others. My current bike is coupled and doesn’t incur the usual upcharge for oversize luggage, but if I had a large bike box I’d be looking for an airline that doesn’t charge for that (which is rare, and it seems to change.)

My main tip is to look for non-stop flights. I think that reduces the chance of your bike not arriving with you a little. I’ve also started using Apple AirTags recently and like being able to see where my bike and luggage is.

 

Bill Bryant

Santa Cruz Randonneurs

--

[Mark Thomas]

I just noticed on the PBP site an alternative to flying with bike - https://www.listnride.com/events/paris-brest-paris

For brave souls.

Mark

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Randonneurs USA" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to randonneurs-u...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/randonneurs-usa/ebac80ef-b658-44fd-b7c1-77ccad53275en%40googlegroups.com.

[ed bernasky]

I have had bikes delayed several times when traveling.  It happens even flying direct on a good airline, I had valuable sporting goods be lost from a top airline when I was flying up front, I wrote the stuff off but it showed up on my porch almost 2 months later.  This is one reason that I arrive early to be able to resolve a problem.  A bike can sort of be replaced on short notice but gilet, lights, shoes, pedals, reflective ankle straps, and kit?  Not so easily.   I pack those irreplaceable items separately from the bike in normal luggage or carry on.  (batteries generally have to be taken into the cabin in hand luggage anyway).   One contingency would be to have one of my N + 1 bikes packed at home to be sent overnight in case the bike is ruined or really lost.  The cost of that would be quite high but nothing like the cost of missing PBP.

[Bill Bryant]

Very good advice from Ed—more than the bike itself*, some of the key accoutrements for randonneuring are probably best carried along with the rider in their luggage.

Finding all that stuff in Paris or waiting for a mail order just before the start of PBP would be awful. Having watched this happen to several riders over the years, I wouldn’t want to repeat it myself.

 

*Unless one has some unique fitting requirements that their bike addresses.

 

Bill Bryant

Santa Cruz Randonneurs

 

 

 

From: <randonn...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of ed bernasky <edber...@gmail.com>

Date: Friday, December 2, 2022 at 7:11 AM
To: Randonneurs USA <randonn...@googlegroups.com>

Subject: Re: [RUSA] Flights to Paris

[Eric Keller]

Does Air France actually fly out of the U.S.? I have only found Delta
flights masquerading as Air France flights from the east coast. Then
again, Delta no longer has the special fee for bikes.

I thought most of the big airlines stopped charging extra for bikes,
although a second piece of luggage isn't that cheap. I managed to get
mine to fly back for free by looking confused in CDG when I was trying
to print a label for it. That was on American.
Eric Keller
Boalsburg Pennsylvania

> To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/randonneurs-usa/B324F4E8-8A80-4644-A4F8-270E45C131BF%40bryant-springsteen.net.

[Rob Hawks]

Yes, Air France does fly from the US. I've taken an Air France flight 4 times from San Francisco.

rob hawks

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/randonneurs-usa/CANEU9UyztSOXr91L7exWFJG68JEONG1-BF6LAM-vcJwa32nw9w%40mail.gmail.com.

[Garry Knox]

 Some airlines still charge extra for bikes. Some also require you to notify them in advance if you are traveling with a bicycle.  I would check the airline's baggage policy before you buy your ticket. I saw a note recently that Air France was charging $150 for bikes between North America and Europe but I can't confirm since their site is down for me. I don't recall paying a fee with AF before.

 Even though some airlines don't charge you extra for a bicycle they still have weight limits. Most of the time it is 50 lb but it can vary between 40-100 lb. I always make sure to weigh my bike before I go to the airport if I pack extra equipment because exceeding the weight limit can result in an extra $200-300 charge.

Garry

On Fri, Dec 2, 2022 at 8:38 AM Eric Keller <kell...@gmail.com> wrote:

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/randonneurs-usa/CANEU9UyztSOXr91L7exWFJG68JEONG1-BF6LAM-vcJwa32nw9w%40mail.gmail.com.

[ed bernasky]

AF cut the number of airports out of the USA, I used to fly them out of Philly but now Delta will take you to Atlanta and AF to CDG.  AF flies out of JFK for sure.   I need get off the schneid a score some seats to Paris.

American is probably the only nonstop from Philly.  Others might show a nonstop but it is a codeshare flight with American metal.

United is not the best and I say that as someone who used to have Global Services for frequent flier status.  So, I am not sure who to fly these days.  IF AF flew out of Philly direct to Charles de Gaulle, I would do that.  I guess it is a crapshoot anyway with a bike.

[Garry Knox]

 This is from the Air France website regarding travelling with a bike. https://wwws.airfrance.us/information/bagages/bagages-speciaux-hors-format-airfrance#tab

Transporting bikes, folding bikes and tandems is not included in your baggage allowance. At the airport, you must pay an additional fee* that varies based on the geographical zones (zones 1 - 5) below. Amounts shown are for a maximum of 23 kg / 50 lb of equipment, including the container. If your baggage exceeds the maximum weight, please see the page “Additional baggage, Overweight baggage and Oversize baggage”.

• Zone 1: €40

• Zone 2: €65 (or 75 USD on flights departing from a country outside Europe)

• Zone 3: €55 (or 55 USD on flights departing from a country outside Europe)

• Zone 4: €125 on departures from a country within the European zone (175 CAD on departures from Canada, 150 USD on departures from all other countries)

• Zone 5: €100 on departures from a country within the European zone (120 CAD on departures from Canada, 100 USD on departures from all other countries)

Btw, it looks like the French Bee airline has flights from SFO plus other US cities direct to Paris Orly airport. Anyone familiar with that airline and travelling with a bike?

Garry