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Been a long time since I've flown and I've never done it with a bike bag. I'm going on the following flights
London -> Shanghai with Virgin Atlantic
Shanghai -> Auckland with Air NZ.
Virgin state "Any oversized bags can only be paid for at the airport. You don’t have to do anything in advance. Just head over to one of the check in desks and a member of our airport team will be able to take your payment and show you where to take your bags".
What happens when transit and go to Air NZ in Shanghai?
Thanks in advance.
Have you booked it as two separate flights? Or are they code shares?
Never been with Air NZ but Virgin are indeed very good.
Did Heathrow via Hong Kong to Sydney and back with them. In cattle class they give you 23kg of luggage plus one piece of sports equipment, up to 23kg. My sports equipment as a bike and my luggage was my spare bike. Bumped them both up to 32kg on the day, cost me £140 return.
Food not good as Emirates mind
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RE Mork's question, this is an iportant detail. If two separate flights you will have to reclaim your bike and check-in again at Shanghai, and probably go through customs again. If you've booked it as one ticket it will probably be checked through, you won't have to do anything apart from wonder nervously what Chinese baggage handlers are like.
I went to Brazil in the summer on a mix of BA and LATAM, bought as one ticket (Edinburgh/Heathrow/Sao Paulo/Campo Grande) Bike was checked through apart from the SP/CG change on the way out, that was something to do with having to clear international customs to get into the domestic system. One fee paid at first check-in (£65 on the way out, US$100 on the way back) covered it all. I would expect similar if booked as single ticket.
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Would get a box rather than a bag though.
just a reminder that NZ is even stricter (if that is possible) than Aus' on bio' contamination incoming bags 100% x ray and anything that looks like a walking/mtb boot will be pulled out and the soles/tongues checked for mud and seeds... Assuming MTB as this is/was an MTB forum so all the usual places need cleaning out and maybe consider new tyres if not the whiff of disinfectant may help (and if too strong may cause damage) Road bike might just get waved through.
What @antigee said above. I would say and absolute must on doing a Howard Hughes cleaning of your bike, and putting new tires on regardless.
I wouldn't worry about new tyres as long as they're clean. I'm in and out quite a bit with the bike and they've never batted an eyelid at used tyres. Other than that the advice above is spot on.
One other thing to note is that Air NZ won't take any bag over 23kg on their internal flights (unless you've checked through to a final destination from overseas). My enduro bike+EVOC bag is well over that so I have to take the bike in 2 bags, which is a real PitA.
Hey everyone,
Thanks for the responses.
In answer to Morks question it was booked as I believe code shares (If I type my number into virgin then air nz flights up come up and the other way round)
One other thing, most of the horror stories of lost bikes at Heathrow relate to T5 (something to do with limited capacity on the lifts for heavy luggage causing delays I'm told)
IIRC correctly Virgin fly from T3 so a bit less to worry about.
Yes they say T3.
Looks like I just book my extra bag when I get to the plane.
Food not good as Emirates mind
Don’t eat all the way there and you won’t care. It’ll also help you avoid jet lag.
Did it on my last trip out to China.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bishopjordan/2016/11/28/how-to-beat-jet-lag/