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I have the option to fly via one of these airlines, with a connection unfortunately.
None of them seem as nice as easyjet with 32kgs, and in my previous experience I have often been up against it with a 15kg all mountain bike and a 8kgs evoc bag.
Despite the T&C's do you good folk of stw know if any of these airlines are more relaxed with their rules..
[url= http://www.klm.com/travel/gb_en/prepare_for_travel/baggage/Baggage_Calculator/index.htm# ]KLM[/url] Appears to be 23kg for bike 55E each way, but is that 55E per sector? I have two sectors. Plus 23kg luggage and 12kg hand lagguage , and accessory. I might get a handbag. Plus you have to pay at the airport.
[url= http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/baggage-essentials/sporting-goods-and-musical-instruments ]BA [/url] Also implies 23kg I don't think you can book in advance though, cannot seem to find how much. Checked baggage =23kg and Hand baggage =23kg!!!! Plus accessory.
[url= http://www.airfrance.co.uk/GB/en/local/resainfovol/aba/BagCalculatorAction.do?method=jspProcess ]Air France[/url] Seems to be 23kg @£125 each way? + 23kg @£14 each way and 12kg hand luggage + accessory. Book in advance..
Arse I want to fly easyjet..
I've never booked in advance for AF or KLM.
I flew long-haul with BA with my road bike + evoc bag, no problems. Getting everything including my off-bike gear under the weight wasn't necessarily easy as I was travelling for work but hand luggage can suck up a lot of that extra stuff if you plan right.
I've flown BA several times with the EVOC and came in a shy under 23Kgs but I don't tend to put my gear in the bag
I think BA will be the best though from the 3 options you have... where are you flying to?
No experience on AF/KLM but I know BA are reasonably strict with your ticketed allowance. Overweight bag more than 23kg (up to 32g) is £65 each way, at the airport, see [url= http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/baggage-essentials/extra-overweight-baggage ]link[/url]. An additional 23kg bag in economy in Europe is £60 each way, so it can be cheaper to buy a business class BA ticket which includes 2 x checked 32kg bags. Good points about BA is they don't require a reservation and they allow bikes in a simple bag like the CRC one.
+1 to using the hand luggage allowance.
Aberdeen-Nice
Either:
KLM via schipol
BA via HTW
AF via Paris CDG
Recently I've found when going with a friend that if one of you flies BA Club Europe it works out cheaper and a lot easier than cramming it all into one hold bag (you get 2 x 23kg bags). We then split the difference on the "extra" bag. Depends on pricing - sometimes it's only £30 more each way. If you book it one way you get double baggage both ways.
GB
+1 to the club class on BA if you can swing it...even if you fly one way you get the higher baggage allowance