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Anyone know how much airlines charge for excess baggage of a bike?
Looking to get my kona coiler over to Rivierabike (fly to Nice) and since it's looking like just one other friend and me it's going to be cheaper and easier for us to fly. Anyone know any ball park figures of what various airlines charge? Guessing that the budget ones charge per mg but BA may be more expensive for me but cheaper for my bike.
Failing that I'll rent the nukeproof mega for 220 euros for the week.
bmibaby charged us about £30 for the bike recently.
Ryanair a little more I think, in the region of 50.
If you're only flying to nice it will likely be much much cheaper to got with the budget airlines and pay for the bike. BA for that flight will be triple the cost I expect. They are only worthwhile for long haul in my experience.
For your info, BMI have a weight allowence of 18kg for the bike+box. This isn't much, BUT you can pool it with your other luggage, for which you get 22kg, so you get 40 in total.
They don't have this info on their website, so lots of stress before going trying to get the bike as light as possible!
Easyjet, £50.
Haven't BMI been taken over by BA now?
I've had reasonable exepriences flying bikes on Easyjet over the years, one off fee both ways, still loads cheaper than BA or simalar.
I recently booked our flights to Nice for Riviera. BA was about £5 more expensive than the budget ones and charge £30 each way for an extra bag which can be a bike bag up to 23kg.
Out of interest where can you hire a Nukeproof Mega from over there?
BA was £28 per bike per way and this extends your bike bag up to 32kg. Basically you don't book it on as a "bike" you simply buy an extra bag, excess luggage at that price. The problem is ALL airlines are different both in what they charge per bike and whether it's per way and whether it's listed as a "bike" I think Easy Jet it will actually be documented as a bike, not sure on the current price. I know Emirates only have a 32kg luggage allowance (this was to India) and if you want to fly a bike you hvae to pay excess luggage fees but it's something like £x's per 5kg which is a nightmare with a bike!
Pick your airline then look at their T&C's. Good luck!
Are sure that it takes you up to 32kg with BA?
Even with a single airline long haul differs from short haul and not all destinations are the same.
SAA gave a free 20kg 'sporting equipment' allowance but supposedly you couldn't use weight from your 'main' luggage allowance to increase this (eg 25kg bike and 15kg bag).
A few years back we weren't charged by BA flying out to Germany but were charged at check in coming back. Print out the T&Cs, get answers to questions in writing, take them with you.
Yup when we flew with BA it took us up to 32kg, BA is one of the airlines where it's T&C's are simple and clear as it's not about sporting equipment it's simpy a bag and you pay for the excess luggage. Good luck but print out T&C's and take them with you remember to print them just before you fly too as the b****s change them last minute and no amount of arguing will get you past those check-in girls! Oh and I fly with BA to USA in 2010 and Spain in 2011 and those were the rules.
Take a look at the BA website under sporting equipment. It's £34 for another bag, which can be a bike bag....BUT it very specifically says "recognised bike bag" so I'm going to borrow one and not fly with a box as I normally (preferrably) do.
Easyjet - £25 each way up to 32kg
I paid £30 each way to take my bike Bristol/Nice in October with Easy Jet.
Cool, seems like it should be fairly easy to get a bike over then, less than the cost of a rental anyway. Will have a look round and see what I can find, cheers everyone.