[Closed] Easyjet (new baggage allowance)

Funnily enough, I've just had an email back from Easyjet about this this morning. Not much help. They think that average bikes weighs less than 23kg. I'll agree with that. However, they do seem to have forgotten the amount of packaging required to get an average bike through baggage handlers in a still rideable state.

Or did you have the bike bag stuffed with Camelbak, shoes, tools and spares? Even without those sort of extras, I can't get mine below 23kg.

Any CTC members on here who might like to ask them to wade in on this issue?

Every year I go away, my bike in a box, with helmet, and stuff packed in the box (I only carry on my Camelbak) is 18kg. Can't imagine how you can get it to be much more.

C

My bike in holiday mode is about 38lbs. An Evoc bike bag is about 9kg. I've normally put shoes, Camelbak and a few extra shoes in the box but even without those extras, I'm struggling. Once that stuff goes in the hold bag instead, it then becomes tight taking enough kit to cover the varied weather you can come across in mountainous locations.

I would regularly just scrape in under the old limits.

Hard bike case about 10kg? and my steel touring bike with carrier ,Brooks saddle and some padding and im close to the limit of 32kg .Never mind 23kg

It's shite. Leaves people with few options other than 20hr drives to get their bike holidays. A week in morzine requires way more that 23kg of bike and stuff.

Just landed. That initial message was meant to say Evoc bag not bike and as someone has posted here it's 9kg on its own. However, we have only just bought them after years of taking biscuits to shops to get cardboard boxes 😉

The bag had an empty camelback, shoes and helmet but no clothes etc.....

At this years Trans Provence our bike boxes weighed 28kgs so don't think this is down to the type of carriage used.
I think based on these new regulations, EasyJet will become best suited to road bike users.

If I went away with my road bike, as its so light and fragile by comparison, I'd want a stronger box to take it in. Not sure there's much saving over all.

It sucks whichever way you cut it.

worst thing is theres no consistency or continuity, down to individual staff interpretation. This recent thread

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/anyone-flown-with-easy-jet-wth-a-bike-recently

suggests there has been no change to bikes as they are a specific item, not a generic sports item, and paying the bike allowance extends your weight allowance and exempts the bike from excess charges (up to a higher limit, at any rate).

Pretty sure my Alpine 160, camelback, pads, helmet, some tools/spares in a padded bag was 30kg (bang-on Emirates limit when we flew to India), cant see how I could get it down to 23!

We're due to go to Turkey with Cycleactive in the spring, better start saving!

Northwinds link to the T+Cs in that old thread shows they were updated Nov 2013, and makes no mention of bikes being a specific category which used to be the case.

this link

http://support.easyjet.com/faq/en/request.do?view%28%29=c{0fa4ed10-cedc-11e2-ef6e-000000000000}

(have to copy and paste the entire link)

You pay for 0 bags, 1 large sports item
Total allowance 1 item @32kg total (except bicycles at 23kg)

you pay for 1 bag, 1 large sports item
Total allowance 2 items @ 52kg total (or 43kg if the sports equipment is a bicycle)

so it looks like bikes have gone from being exempt and getting more generous treatment to being penalised and getting harsher treatment (you can carry more weight if the sports equipment was golf clubs, for instance 🙄 )

Crashtestmonkey, so they are discriminating against cyclists? Not sure if they are allowed to do that?

That's the way I read it, and it was the question I asked when I emailed Easyjet. Didn't really get an answer to it either. Would be nice if CTC or a magazine would like to pick this story up. There are a number of people running independant bike holidays who might be hit quite badly over this.

Either a) the numbers are high enough that easyjet will notice this and it will impact their bottom line.

Or

b) the numbers are so low, it would make no difference to Easyjet to let us have the same 32kg as other large sports equipment enjoys.

certainly looks like that, no doubt they'll justify it as due to the particularly onerous nature of handling bike bages but it does stink, and is going to hurt MTB guiding companies when the new terms (only updated November) kick in and become more widely known. We're already emailing Cycleactive to see if they use other airlines.

Or plan B is half-dismantle the Alpine 160, and forks and shock go in the other hold bag 🙄

Someone high-up in sleazyjet seems to have decided bikes are a ball-ache to fly, I assume theyve included in that calculation how much business they'll potentially lose (half the summer geneva flights are MTBers) and decided its still more cost effective to price us off their planes (or know we're a captive market due to lack of rival carriers and will pay up).

There isn't an option to pay up unless you take the £10 per kilo each way hit and even then, they might just refuse your baggage. If there was an option to pay a higher rate fir the 32kg, I'd take it, but there isn't one.

Bloody valid point. Your right Onza it's shit all round.

Best to not use easy jet then,I use BA and pay for the business flight to get the extra weight allowance works out about the same price as easy jet now a days, don't get me wrong had some cheap flights from them in the late 90's early 2000's but them days have gone. A bit of research on the BA fights before may help.

last time I flew to Geneva for a Morzine riding holiday a few years ago we went BA, they were cheaper than sleazyjet once bikes were factored in.

Last time we went to alps for MTB trip I drove, and it was such a simple straight forward journey I wont be flying again, and if theres 2 or more of you in the car it works out cheaper

I've just asked them if, as my booking was under the old terms and conditions, to the old terms and conditions apply, by mail to on their web site so I'm not sure when I might get a response. ....

They've not emailed me to inform me of the change so I can't see why the new terms would apply, to me anyway.

Wondering now that, if they have changed the T&C's if I can cancel for a full refund as it's no longer suitable.

I feel like I've paid for a service they can't now offer. I live oop Norfolk so driving isn't an option really, ok it's doable but it's a ball ache.

See my post above about Emirates. I travel a lot with my bike, and all I can say is that airlines are getting tighter and tighter with bicycles and weights. I suppose its fuel bills going up, but its becoming harder and harder to fly any where, with anything more than a bike and a pair of underpants for a price which makes it worthwhile in terms of a holiday.

I'm sorted as I bought my flight before the policy change

Their response

Thank you for contacting us.

Since you have booked your reservation and added your bicycle and hold baggage before the new policy was implemented, I confirm that the old terms and conditions apply to you. I checked your reservation XXXXXXX and I could see that you have one hold baggage and one sports equipment. You will be allowed a maximum weight of 50 kg and no single item can weight more than 32 kg.

Yours sincerely

Result for me as I booked so early...

I'm alright Jack, pull the ladder up 😉 at least they are honouring their old terms.

I'm off to Sierra Nevada (Malaga) on the 1st jan. Booked in April with sports luggage only. 32kg in my snowboard bag. Sent them a mail and pretty much got the same reply.

I booked flights to Nice in september, is this still under the old terms and conditions ? When did the t&c 's change? :/

You will be ok .The terms changed late October .I flew to Pisa on Oct 4th and it was still 32kg then we booked about the time you did

I booked flights to Nice in september, is this still under the old terms and conditions ? When did the t&c 's change? :/

at top of the sports equipment page it says

Updated 31/10/2013

the Bicycles page

Updated 07/11/2013

so you should be okay

[url= http://www.france24.com/en/20120813-france-gives-green-light-holiday-home-tax-hike/ ]The holiday home tax issue about to hit Euroland may also have an effect?[/url]

Onzadog - Member
That's the way I read it, and it was the question I asked when I emailed Easyjet. Didn't really get an answer to it either. Would be nice if CTC or a magazine would like to pick this story up. There are a number of people running independant bike holidays who might be hit quite badly over this.

Either a) the numbers are high enough that easyjet will notice this and it will impact their bottom line.

Or

b) the numbers are so low, it would make no difference to Easyjet to let us have the same 32kg as other large sports equipment enjoys.

This may also be driven by the people contracted to do the baggage handling rather than than Easjet etc 💡 ❓ baggage handlers do not like big bike boxes, there was a blog or post from a baggage handler posted on here yrs ago about this very issue. Quicker and quicker turn arounds seem to be the order of the day with airports wanting/needing to handle more planes to make money, just like all other businesses these days.
T&Cs are changing on everything, everyone is trying to extract the last/most for every shilling. Nothing new there. Only thing we can do is vote with our feet(bike)same as people do with regards to trail centre cafés 😆

They have now changed it back to 32Kg because of the ammount of complaints they had 🙂

I booked flights to Nice in september, is this still under the old terms and conditions ? When did the t&c 's change? :/

at top of the sports equipment page it says

Updated 31/10/2013

the Bicycles page

Updated 07/11/2013

so you should be okay

Although you should be ok, If I were you I would email them and check. Its highly likely that when you get to the airport you could have a problem on your hands with someone working on a desk who is unaware of past T&Cs. They are unlikely to discuss the details of past T&Cs with you and you will end up with a load of hastle, possibly a charge and missed flight. Fire them an email, print out the response and take it with you, that way you are ready for everything.

Don't worry you'll be ok, never had a problem with taking bike to Europe.
Tell a lie, only damaged on return!

They've got plenty of time to get there heads round the revised old T&C's 😉

Wonder how long it is til the next panic T&C thread.

Still says 23kg for bikes this morning ,where have you seen it back to 32kg ?

Here:

http://singletrackmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/easyjet-reduce-sports-baggage-allowance-but-just-for-bikes/

Read the update at the bottom....

Sports equipment
**From Saturday 11th January we are raising the limit on bike weight to 32kg. Whilst this will take a number of weeks to be applied to all our systems no customer will be charged an excess for bikes between 23kg & 32kg going forward.**

One item of Sports equipment can be carried in addition to Your Hold Baggage allowance.
Sports equipment is defined as:

Small Sports Equipment (items up to 20kg) for example:

Golf equipment (excluding golf shoes);
Skis (including boots and poles);
Snowboards;
Surfboards;
Sporting Firearms;
Diving Equipment (Gas or air cylinders are not permitted); and
Sporting Wheelchairs (unless this is one of the two items of mobility equipment per passenger), or
Large Sports Equipment (items up to 32kg) for example:

Bicycles;
Canoes;
Wind surfers; and
Hang-gliders/paragliders.
If You wish to carry any of the above items You will be charged an additional non-refundable fee for each item carried, depending on whether it is an item of Large Sports Equipment or Small Sports Equipment. Simply select the ‘Sports equipment’ option when You book Your flights online. If Your item is not listed it must be carried as part of Your standard Hold Baggage allowance.

If ski boots are being carried without skis they can be accepted either within Your normal standard Hold Baggage allowance or as a sports equipment item whichever is the more convenient option.

See further information on the carriage of bicycles.

If You would like to purchase sports equipment after You have booked Your Flight You can add it, up to 2 hours prior to the scheduled time of departure of Your Flight, by logging into My easyJet and adding it as an option to Your existing Booking. You can also call Our Customer Service Team who will be happy to assist You. Sports equipment can also be added at the airport, up to 1 hour prior to scheduled time of departure, for a higher fee as set out in Our Fees and Charges.

Please be aware that online amendments can only be made for Bookings originally made on easyJet.com. If your Booking was made by an alternative method please contact Our Customer Service Team who will be able to assist with Your request.

Payment of a non-refundable sports equipment fee entitles You to an additional weight allowance of 20kgs for Small Sports Equipment or 32kgs for Large Sports Equipment. A single item cannot weigh more than 32kgs in total.

Please be advised that Your total baggage weight allowance can be distributed between all baggage items as desired. The table provides guidance on how Your baggage allowance may be distributed:

You pay for

Baggage allowance

0 bags, 1 small sports item

Total allowance 1 item @20kg total
This item must be a genuine sports good as defined
0 bags, 1 large sports item

Total allowance 1 item @32kg total
This item must be a genuine sports equipment as defined
1 bag, 1 small sports item

Total allowance 2 items @ 20kg each
1 item must be genuine sports equipment as defined
You may distribute weight between items as desired
1 bag, 1 large sports item

Total allowance 2 items @ 52kg total
1 item must be genuine sports equipment as defined
You may distribute weight between items as desired