W. Post article: Airlines change gears on passengers flying with bikes

@PotomacCyclist 88391 wrote:

A June 12 article in the Travel section

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/airlines-change-gears-on-passengers-flying-with-bikes/2014/06/12/a4d2af42-edc3-11e3-b84b-3393a45b80f1_story.html

Higher fees and worse service than before, according to the article. I haven’t tried to fly with a bike yet. If I ever do a race in a far-away location, I might use a shipping service, as someone suggested. Or fly with just the frame and rent wheels in the destination city (with arrangements made in advance). Or I would use one of those bike-delivery services that specialize in door-to-race delivery for amateur and pro athletes.

..and this is why my fiancee and I are driving 800 miles this friday to northern Michigan instead of flying. Fees for 2 bikes and a dog, on top of the cost of the tickets would make the transportation cost of the trip over $1,000 easily. Plus now we can also bring the fly fishing gear safely (they also charge extra to check that…). The bikes we’re bring arent for racing though-we’re taking a mountain and hybrid bike. We’re planning to do the north central state trail up there

This is a very timely thread for me.

After biking around Boulder last week on a rental bike, I pretty much decided that rental bikes are not for me. Bike shops do not stock rental bikes small enough so I end up riding bikes that are too big and I miss the accessories I have on my own bike (e.g., rack, bell, etc). So I’m seriously thinking about buying my own bike case and flying with it.

Assuming I get a sturdy case, how likely is it my bike will be damaged by the airline workers?

Soft shell or hard shell? I remember Dirt purchased a soft-shell last year that he highly recommended but I question how much protection soft-shells provide. I would prefer something I could wheel around like a suitcase.

Do any of the LBSs around here carry them in stock so I can see what one looks like in person?

I had presumed I would just pay a second bag charge but the article indicates much higher fees apply. Have others found this to be the situation? My box should be on the smaller side since my road bike is a 44. I presume boxes come in small, medium and large?

Can anyone recommend a brand/make of case?

Is there much to strip off the bike before packing it? How many tools will I have to bring to re-assemble it?

What do you do about a pump when travelling? I was lucky on this last trip that the hotel had a floor pump available but what do people do in situations where they have to provide their own pump for daily top-offs? Bring their floor pump, rely on cannisters, use a hand held?

My other alternative is buying a folding bike; my biggest concern with a folder is finding something comfortable enough to ride, say, 30 miles at a time. Aside from that, a folder seems like an easier alternative to flying with a full size bike.

Any advice/stories would be much appreciated!!!!

@KLizotte 88460 wrote:

Any advice/stories would be much appreciated!!!!

You could buy something like the Surly Vaya Travel.

@dasgeh 88462 wrote:

You could buy something like the Surly Vaya Travel.

Hmmm… I didn’t even know S&S bikes existed till now. Probably not an option though since I don’t have room for another full size bike in my apartment.

I find the article’s title misleading. It sounds like things are not changing. It is still a bit random and hard to predict what you will be charged and you run a great risk flying with a bike. The same it was years ago. My experience have ranged from not being charged anything for two bikes in one package to be charged €400 for a short flight with one bike packed very light.

Now a days, I will always use FedEx, UPS or a specialty service like BikeFlights.com