Transporting bike on aerlingus

Butters2011

Hi,
Just wondering if someone could help me with some info for an upcoming flight. I have a booked my bike onto an aerlingus flight and from reading the instructions on the aerlingus site i will have to remove the pedals, drop the seat and straigten the handlebars. However i have two rear panniers and a rack on the back of the bike and was wondering did anybody ever transport these with their bike before or will i have to book the 2 panniers as extra baggage? Any info or previous experience would be great

Thanks

As far as I know most people put the bicycle in a cardboard bike box and put the panniers in this box aswell so there's no need for another bag. The problem is though, that the weight limit with Aer Lingus is 15kg (I think) which means the panniers would put the box over the limit. The last time I flew with Aer Lingus my bike wasn't weighed so it's possible to get away with it.

If you don't want to risk it you're allowed another bag in the hold aswell as the sports equipment(bike.) What I usually do is place the panniers in a large bag with the tent and sleeping bag etc. and have this in the hold instead of putting it all with the bike.

In the end it'll cost €35 each way for the bike but I'm not sure how much extra you have to pay for a bag in the hold. Also factor in that if they find that the bike is overweight you'll be caught by the excess weight charges which are ridiculously high! The last flight I was on they guy ahead of me with the panniers in the bike box got away with it so it's up to you really!

blorg

You don't need to box the bike and certainly I never do with my touring bike unless the airline insist (and Aer Lingus don't.) A cardboard box is harder to handle, provides little protection, and can be destroyed by rain (most recent flight the box arrived in bits with the bottom entirely gone, I was lucky the handlers seemed to have taken extra care- they normally don't.) It prevents cycling to the airport and you will have to find a new one coming back which is a hassle.

You generally don't need to take pedals off or rotate the bars either, just hand them the bike as you cycle it. Make sure you have the tools to do so, though, in case they insist on it (this is airport specific.)

I put one pannier through as hold baggage and take the other as hand baggage. Note the tools to do pedals/bars MUST go in the checked bag so get the bike through first. Give yourself an extra 45/60 mins turning up to the airport. I have flown with my bike at least 30 times and never had a major problem.

serendip

I've done this several times and have never boxed my bike. It's not very practical if you're traveling from A to B.

In my experience the airports have always required the pedals to be removed (or turned), handlebars turned (best turn them to the right) and the tires to be deflated). I ask at security whether I can take the pedals through. Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes no. I prefer to have them with me in case the hold baggage goes missing. As blorg said, one pannier as hold baggage (with all the stuff like penknives and the like that you can't take on board) and one as cabin baggage. You're very unlikely to hit any weight limits.

They don't take particularly good care of the bike. It may get bashed around a bit. So far I've been lucky and all problems can be fixed with a few tools.

Tip: check you can get your pedals off before you travel to the airport.

You can leave stuff like water bottles and a small under-saddle bag on the bike.

Peterx

Heading out from Dublin I get a cardboard bike box from a local bike shop and put the bike/tent and the pannier with all the bits security don't like in the box and take the other pannier as hand baggage.

For the return leg I bring a few long cable ties and take off the front wheel/pedals, ziptie the wheel to the turned handlebars and frame and put all the unsuitable bits into a pannier and have that as hold baggage with the other pannier as hand baggage again.

+1 on making sure you can get the pedals off with the tools you'll be travelling with. They can get very tight.

blorg

Whether you need to remove pedals/turn bars may depend on the pedals and bars. I have SPD pedals, that don't really stick out that much, and drop bars, which aren't very wide - it is pretty clear that removing the pedals and turning the bars would not make much difference to the bike width in my case. I have only once ever been asked to remove the pedals, in Santiago (I did so.)

If you have normal flat pedals and flat bars these tend to stick out a fair bit more so maybe you will have a higher chance of being asked to remove/turn them. Best to make sure either way that you can do it in case you are asked, but I wouldn't bother doing it unless they ask you.

It is also worthwhile only letting a token amount of air out of the tyres, if asked. There is no need to do this whatsoever in the first place but staff often insist. Your tyres will not explode any more than they would if you rode up a col in the Alps- aircraft holds are pressurised the same as the cabin, and even if they were not, they could easily cope with the pressure differential. Leaving air in will protect the rims from the bumps they will get going through baggage handling, and reduce the amount of pumping you have to do on the other end.

blorg

Peterx wrote: »

For the return leg I bring a few long cable ties and take off the front wheel/pedals, ziptie the wheel to the turned handlebars and frame and put all the unsuitable bits into a pannier and have that as hold baggage with the other pannier as hand baggage again.

Why on earth would you do that? If you left the front wheel on your bike could be wheeled by the baggage handlers; the easier something is for them to handle the less likely they are to abuse it.

steinone

+1 To Blorg, when myself and a few friends flew into Europe, there was some small damage to the boxes we used when we eventually got them(they lost five bikes).
The return leg was the real lesson, we arrived into the baggage hall to find four boxes battered and one non existent, my bike was sitting on the remains of the box with some bits from the box going around the carousel.
In fairness to the baggage handlers they came out to us to explain that the crew on the other side had done it, they opened the cases with the boxes in bits. They explained if they can tell what they are moving(no boxes) that they can treat them appropriately.

Peterx

blorg wrote: »

Why on earth would you do that? If you left the front wheel on your bike could be wheeled by the baggage handlers; the easier something is for them to handle the less likely they are to abuse it.

Mainly because of the nightmare I had getting the girl to accept our bikes when flying back from a trip 2 years ago. We came very close to missing the flight.

Now I have to the conclusion that airports are the human version of the mazes scientists devise for rats and the whole purpose of airports is to experiment upon the tolerance and stress levels of the average traveller. Sailing is so much easier.

For this reason I arrive good and early, make a visible effort to make the bike smaller the staff are happier and my airport stress levels are lower.
The bike is still wheelable as the back wheel is as normal.
I totally agree that it should be fine to merely hand the bike over but sadly sometimes the staff don't.

blorg

I arrive early and with the tools to do anything they request. Turn the bars and remove the pedals are the common ones; I have never heard of an airline requiring the front wheel to be removed. I don't do anything to the bike at all unless they ask me to- which in over 30 flights has only happened twice (once to remove the pedals and once to put it in a box.) I always inform the airline in advance that I'll be bringing a bike.

Butters2011

Thanks for all your advice peeps. I think i'll go with putting one bag in the hold and the other as carry on and not run the risk of getting hit with excess weight charges. I have heard of people having to remove their front wheel, pedals and to adjust their handlebars/ saddel but by the sounds of it it might be worth the risk due to the hassel saved on both ends if i just turn up very early and play dumb to these tasks. Hopefully i'll get an easy going staff member.
Thanks again for all you're advice its been of great help.:)

blorg

Bring the tools to do it in case they do ask, and just remember the tools need to go in the checked bag. Lowering seatpost, removing pedals and twisting the bars should take under five minutes. Try it at home so you know how to do it quickly. The pedals are the big issue as they can get very tight. Don't bother unless they ask (they probably won't) but it would be foolish not to be able to facilitate them if they do.

C3PO

I'd take the pedals off, grease them and put them back on before you go anywhere near the airport ..... I've had a terrible time trying to remove pedals with a socket set at home never mind a multi-tool in the "spotlight" of the airport!!! And of course there's the reverse thread .......!