thepope1986
Likes Dirt
Any tips for flying international especially with connecting flights
The “Flying with a downhill bike” thread
- Thread starter T-Rex
- Start date
emirates will give you 30kgs as standard.
I took a pivot firebird to the uk packed in a bag bought from chainreaction for $90 it also included 2 wheel bags. no probs at all. my bike bag weighed 31.5kgs and my carry on was at least 10kg
Use your clothes to pad out the bag around the bike
also flew with virgin to sydney from perth no worries either. Even came in over weight due to the fact i was riding still riding 3hrs before the flight in heavy rain and my gear was soaked .no extra charge.
I smile will get you a long way when extra weight is concerned
I took a pivot firebird to the uk packed in a bag bought from chainreaction for $90 it also included 2 wheel bags. no probs at all. my bike bag weighed 31.5kgs and my carry on was at least 10kg
Use your clothes to pad out the bag around the bike
also flew with virgin to sydney from perth no worries either. Even came in over weight due to the fact i was riding still riding 3hrs before the flight in heavy rain and my gear was soaked .no extra charge.
I smile will get you a long way when extra weight is concerned
mtb_ts
Likes Bikes
For New Zealand, as I'm going to Rotorua in mid-Feb and spending a half a month touring the North Island I found out these things:
Air New Zealand now fly direct from Sydney to Rotorua.
Emirates does Christchurch (boeing 777) and for Auckland I'm coming home on an Emirates A380.
Emirates has 30kg allowed in the fare without extra charges, and 7kg in the overhead.
There's a free meal and their website said free alcohol, tea, coffee, snack.
Air NZ has a 23kg allowance, not in the cheapest fare as its carry-on only for the cheapest fare. They charge extra for the meal, and allow 7kg in the overhead.]
I'm never booking Air NZ again unless I have to go to Rotorua (nobody else does Australia-Rotorua direct). EK had the cheapest flight coming home too.
Another way to cut out the freight hassle or excess baggage hassle is get someone (partner or a non-riding mate/friend/companion) to accompany you on the trip. This gives you instantly an extra 23 or 30kg in the hold and they can use the overhead for themselves. You get your luggage immediately at the other end, and don't have to drop it off in other places before your flight. Extra documentation is not required.
Air New Zealand now fly direct from Sydney to Rotorua.
Emirates does Christchurch (boeing 777) and for Auckland I'm coming home on an Emirates A380.
Emirates has 30kg allowed in the fare without extra charges, and 7kg in the overhead.
There's a free meal and their website said free alcohol, tea, coffee, snack.
Air NZ has a 23kg allowance, not in the cheapest fare as its carry-on only for the cheapest fare. They charge extra for the meal, and allow 7kg in the overhead.]
I'm never booking Air NZ again unless I have to go to Rotorua (nobody else does Australia-Rotorua direct). EK had the cheapest flight coming home too.
Another way to cut out the freight hassle or excess baggage hassle is get someone (partner or a non-riding mate/friend/companion) to accompany you on the trip. This gives you instantly an extra 23 or 30kg in the hold and they can use the overhead for themselves. You get your luggage immediately at the other end, and don't have to drop it off in other places before your flight. Extra documentation is not required.
Top to bottom
Squid
Bike on plane
I recently travelled back from EU with a DH bike. I flew with Emirates, that allow 30kg.
I packed my bike as shown in the video below.
[video=vimeo;33754945]http://vimeo.com/33754945[/video]
I recently travelled back from EU with a DH bike. I flew with Emirates, that allow 30kg.
I packed my bike as shown in the video below.
[video=vimeo;33754945]http://vimeo.com/33754945[/video]
andy73
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Very true - love mine - but prepare to pay for excess baggage.
Isildur
The Real Pedant
Do tell? I bought an EVOC bag recently for travelling - is it due to their weight or their bulk, or both?
Cheers
Hi - They weigh in at 10kg so they do eat your allowance.Do tell? I bought an EVOC bag recently for travelling - is it due to their weight or their bulk, or both?
Cheers
My personal thoughta are:
1. Pay for a good bag and a bit of excess baggage and get to your ride spot with a more than good chance of your bike still being in tact
or
2. Risk damaging my bike and wasting a weeks holiday and no bike (or a rental)!
I'll take no. 1 any day of the week.
Isildur
The Real Pedant
That was exactly my thoughts
I've heard both good and bad stories about bike boxes, but just about no bad stories with good bike travel cases.The last thing I want when I go to NZ or Canada (both happening this year) is for my bike to be buggered when I arrive
Pack a heavy end and a light end with your bike box. Try your hardest to go to a counter where the attendee is on their own with no people either side. Bring your A Game verbally, Sweeten em up. When that time comes to put your bike box on the scale slide the heavy end in first. Hang the very end of the Box off the weigh bridge and casually lean on the counter and use your foot to unweight the end of the box. Cheeky as all hell but works a treat every time. I have managed to sneak many 30kg plus bike boxes in with this method. Good luck.
rowdyflat
chez le médecin
Jetstar are complete arseholes.
4 of us took bikes to NZ.
They dont have any allowance for sporting equipment + gouge you for excess baggage at $25 per kilo.
apparently the business is supported by excess baggage charges ,food costs and charging ridiculous fees to use your credit card.
would never fly with them again
there are ways to trick them.eg move stuff into your bike bag after its been weighed cos you have to take the bags somewhere else as they are oversized !!!
4 of us took bikes to NZ.
They dont have any allowance for sporting equipment + gouge you for excess baggage at $25 per kilo.
apparently the business is supported by excess baggage charges ,food costs and charging ridiculous fees to use your credit card.
would never fly with them again
there are ways to trick them.eg move stuff into your bike bag after its been weighed cos you have to take the bags somewhere else as they are oversized !!!
Someone obviously needs to learn to sweet talk the airline attendants.... But in all seriousness sometimes you just get unlucky.
I went to nz with jetstar earlier in the year and i had paid for 40kgs baggage for all 4 flights. Ended up with 48kgs (two bikes in one box plus another bag) and didn't get charged any for the excess. My friend had not paid for any extra baggage so he only had the 20kg allowance. He traveled with 43kgs and he only had to pay an extra $30 for the excess bag on two of the flights. On the other two it cost him nothing. He ended up paying less then i did for excess baggage and i had payed in advanced... Go figure
Airlines are pretty inconsistent when it comes to excess baggage, sometimes you get lucky other times you get screwed.
hargs
Likes Bikes
Ok so not quite flying "with" a downhill bike, but I was planning to go to Whistler this year and then travel around Canada and the States afterwards. So I don't want to be lugging my bike everywhere. Has any one had any experience shipping a bike back to Oz? Can you recommend if it is worth doing or companies to look at?
Cheers.
Cheers.
Topperharley
Likes Dirt
Has anyone stripped the rear shock of their bike and taken it on as hand luggage? As it's pressurised i've been advised by the airport unlikely, but you never know?.......
hargs
Likes Bikes
I never bothered. I have done a couple of return flights to NZ and leftthe shock on thebike with pressure in it. Last trip t whistler I let the air out of the shock, figuring it was going to be in a low pressure enviroment for longer.
Hi T Rex,
Just read through your traveling tips - thank you!
Which insurance do you recommend for covering bikes at home? I've been meaning to look into this as we now have 4 bikes and I would not be able to afford to cover them if anything happened.
Suggestions welcomed!
Thanks for this thread! Awesome, comprehensive run down on this often grey area!
Lat time I flew to NZ, I flew with Jetstar and just booked 40kg baggage for like $30 or something?
Managed to fit the downhill and dirt jump bike in the same box (wasn't pretty) and got it to like 38kg with gear, and just flew with that!
Only other thing, make sure your gear, bikes, tyres etc. are SPOTLESS flying in and out! Customs hate mud/ dirt! Well worth your while to clean everything thoroughly.
Thanks again for the thread!!
Lat time I flew to NZ, I flew with Jetstar and just booked 40kg baggage for like $30 or something?
Managed to fit the downhill and dirt jump bike in the same box (wasn't pretty) and got it to like 38kg with gear, and just flew with that!
Only other thing, make sure your gear, bikes, tyres etc. are SPOTLESS flying in and out! Customs hate mud/ dirt! Well worth your while to clean everything thoroughly.
Thanks again for the thread!!
T-Rex
Template denier
Sorry for the slow reply, I haven't looked at this thread in ages.
By far the cheapest insurance I have found is putting the bikes on the home contents policy as specified items. This covers them for getting pinched from anywhere, as well as if they get crashed into on the back of your car. Not sure about how it covers them for travel though.