23kg baggage allowance / Virgin Australia / Downhill Bikes

[dunndog]

Travelled with pedals in carry-on plenty of times without issue. Chain on the other hand, wouldn't risk it.

we're here in queenie right now. Firstly, nothing here is cheap(except a 5 day gondola pass) including minions. If that's all that puts you over limit, pay the excess weight, it'd be cheaper. We're flying Jetstar, got tickets on sale - they have these sales regularly - for $500 including 40kg checked baggage and 10 carry on.

Didn't mean to add the quote.. But agreed, I wouldn't risk anything through carry on..

 

[jasevr4]

Coming from Adelaide, it's pretty much AirNZ or Virgin I think. Virgin is significantly cheaper for one of the days, just depends on our luggage situation I guess.

You didn't mention what you are packing the bikes in. An airline cardboard bike box is light and big.

Also, have you read the sticky on this subject? http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?199307-The-“Flying-with-a-downhill-bike”-thread

Bike boxes. I have some massive Transition ones at the moment that I can likely cut down, although I'm not sure that's a great idea given the strength of the box I'd lose.

That thread is good, and I've flown with DH bikes before - specifically Cathay Pacific, although Virgin no longer give you the extra 5kg for sporting equipment, and apparently now it's a pay per kg setup!

we're here in queenie right now. Firstly, nothing here is cheap(except a 5 day gondola pass) including minions. If that's all that puts you over limit, pay the excess weight, it'd be cheaper. We're flying Jetstar, got tickets on sale - they have these sales regularly - for $500 including 40kg checked baggage and 10 carry on.

Didn't mean to add the quote.. But agreed, I wouldn't risk anything through carry on..

Would you ride the QBP for longer than 5 days? We're planning on heading over for a fortnight, drive from Chch to Queenstown over a day or two, hit the Queenstown Bike Park for a week, go on a tour high up in the mountains (maybe heli drop somewhere), then fly out of Queenstown back to Adelaide. Is the QBP like Whistler? Not so small that it'll be boring after a few days?

 

[dunndog]

Coming from Adelaide, it's pretty much AirNZ or Virgin I think. Virgin is significantly cheaper for one of the days, just depends on our luggage situation I guess.



Bike boxes. I have some massive Transition ones at the moment that I can likely cut down, although I'm not sure that's a great idea given the strength of the box I'd lose.

That thread is good, and I've flown with DH bikes before - specifically Cathay Pacific, although Virgin no longer give you the extra 5kg for sporting equipment, and apparently now it's a pay per kg setup!



Would you ride the QBP for longer than 5 days? We're planning on heading over for a fortnight, drive from Chch to Queenstown over a day or two, hit the Queenstown Bike Park for a week, go on a tour high up in the mountains (maybe heli drop somewhere), then fly out of Queenstown back to Adelaide. Is the QBP like Whistler? Not so small that it'll be boring after a few days?

Nah not at all, especially if you mix it up and do half day shuttle sessions elsewhere here and there to mix it up, there's heaps in there to keep a big dumb grin on your face and you constantly find new lines and get faster on the ones you know. It's pretty rad. QBT do 3-4 hr shuttle sessions around the place and they're all fairly close by, so whatever you have left in your 10 am to 8 pm day can be soaked up in the bikepark.

 

[jasevr4]

Nah not at all, especially if you mix it up and do half day shuttle sessions elsewhere here and there to mix it up, there's heaps in there to keep a big dumb grin on your face and you constantly find new lines and get faster on the ones you know. It's pretty rad. QBT do 3-4 hr shuttle sessions around the place and they're all fairly close by, so whatever you have left in your 10 am to 8 pm day can be soaked up in the bikepark.

Thanks man. Did you drive there from Christchurch or jump on the bus? Flying in/out of Queenstown just doesn't seem worth it. Extra flight and tons of time waiting around in an airport!

 

[dunndog]

No we fly direct to/from queenie. Have driven from Cchurch to Qtown before though, it's definately a drive worth doing. Spectacular.
*EDIT* That's melb to queenstown direct both ways

 

[retroenduro]

we had a chain taken off us at the airport before along with a set of allen keys. The chain did make me laugh tho... what were they expecting? a west side story/anchorman style gang fight on the plane?

Anyway i travel with my 15kg bike all the time and get it in under the 23kg allowance. Here are a few of my top tips..

wear your riding jacket on the plance with your gloves and any other small bits in the pockets..like your spare socks and pants..really this is your only chance for free baggage until they bring in a fat tax and wiegh you.

• Use your leg and arm armour to wrap the bikes up with...knees and shins over the top tube and down tube, elbows over the gear levers
• If you are taking full on body armour...wear it! hey your a fasionista! have they never heard of power ranger chic?
• Get spares like tubes/pads over there. ok so not as cheap as crc but hey your helping to keep the MTB community over there going.
• Also if your tyres are looking worn ditch them and get a new set over there. expensive way of keeping the wieght down but it works.
• Clothes - all you need is what you travel in and a couple of spare tees, i mean are you going on the pull or on a riding holiday! and wear as much as you can stand on the way over
• Shoes..use flats as you can wear them through the airport plus hey a nice set of 5/10s looks pretty cool.
• Toiletries - buy them over there, towel ditto. or use a roll of paper towels if your on a budget trip
• Helmet, strap it to your carry on and if they whinge, put it on. there is no law against wearing 'hats' on a plane.
• Tools? dont bother, just take one good multi tool like the topeak alien series
• Also check how much extra baggage is. sometimes its not that bad if you buy it early.

 

[jasevr4]

AirNZ is $55 per head more expensive for the round trip by the time we both add a bag. Going to ring AirNZ tomorrow to clarify their luggage limits - if we are allowed 32kg in the bike box we'll just pack the bikes in our clothes and go with them. If they limit us to 23kg however (the flights are operated by Virgin) I guess we'll just go Virgin and pay the extra KGs..

 

[mtb_ts]

When its a truckload of stuff: find anyone else who's going, a friend's partner, other person.......if they're not riding they won't need to bring much & they can put the bike in their standard baggage allowance with their travel stuff in a carry-on. Or find someone who you can cajole into a trip over if you cannot locate an individual like I just said.

Jetstar allow 10kg in the overhead, pretty much almost everybody else is 7kg.

Emirates do SYD-CHC, SYD-AKL & MEL-AKL and their 30kg allowance may include more than 1 item as long as total does not exceed 30kg.

 

[Genius Josh]

Just turn up be nice and plead ignorance 60% of the time it works every time.

Saw an article on using a 4 board bodyboard bag instead of bike box. You need to take forks off but save a fair bit of weight. And way easier to get around they have wheels.

 

[mtb_ts]

When you're pushed to have everything else in the carry-on, the average wheelie suitcase weighs 2~3kg, but the average soft lightweight duffle weighs from 200gram to 500gram. Empty that is, for both.

A jacket with big pockets is useful too, as the carry-on entitlement includes a coat or jacket, and these are not weighed.

 

[retroenduro]

or you could just fly enough to get gold status and the 36kg baggage allowance...

Gold card mo fo's gold card! (some folks on the forum will get that)

 

[jasevr4]

I'm silver at the moment but won't be gold until after the trip! Complimentary 23kg's, but you can't buy more. Makes sense, not!

 

[themunt]

Read the latest Revolution Mag.. Has a DOPE article on this topic.. Best advice I've heard on the subject so far...

 

[Toughy]

Was over in Rotorua a month ago, flying Air NZ. They allow 8kg carry on, 23kg checked baggage and then you pay excess for up to 23kg of "sporting goods". At the time I booked (Aug 2011) the excess was $A20 each way, but was told that its now up to $A40 each way for more recent bookings. Still beats bike hire rates.

 

[Bluemutt]

Was over in Rotorua a month ago, flying Air NZ. They allow 8kg carry on, 23kg checked baggage and then you pay excess for up to 23kg of "sporting goods". At the time I booked (Aug 2011) the excess was $A20 each way, but was told that its now up to $A40 each way for more recent bookings. Still beats bike hire rates.

I have been quoted $37.50 each way for the extra "sporting goods" bag of 23kgs with Air NZ for a trip to and from Christchurch next month, which is half of the standard excess bag charge.
Not much extra to take all you need.