Flying Easyjet/Ryanair with a bike.

[spindrift]

Anyone done it please?


Ryanair want £25 and don't insist on a box, Easyjet charge €14 for a
box at the airport and insist it's used.

[Clive George]

"spindrift" > wrote in message
...

> Anyone done it please?
>
> Ryanair want £25 and don't insist on a box, Easyjet charge €14 for a
> box at the airport and insist it's used.

I've taken a tandem on easyjet. Paid the surcharge (15 quid each way? no,
16.50 quid now), provided my own box - got an old one from the local bike
shop. Looking at their Ts and Cs seems to suggest this is still the case.

I took a tandem on Virgin Atlantic wrapped in a pair of CTC plastic bags -
that worked very well, and I was able to assemble it and ride from the
airport, since the bags roll up.

Ryanair have size limitations which might be worth noting.

cheers,
clive

[TerryJ]

>
> > Ryanair want £25 and don't insist on a box, Easyjet charge €14 for a
> > box at the airport and insist it's used.
> 16.50 quid now), provided my own box - got an old one from the local bike
> shop. Looking at their Ts and Cs seems to suggest this is still the case.

here is what I posted a wek or two ago on Bikeradar.com forum/road/
tour and travel , where there is a discussion about this:

I went from e midlands airport to faro on easyjet the other day and
had no problem, but my bike was a folder dismantled to go into a large
suitcase. It was booked on as a bike so that I could have the full
32kg plus hand lggage allowance, which Ineeded.The case was not all
hard, so I took off the pedals and rear mech plus hangar and included
cardboard liberally, with the repair kit included.I use string or ties
to stop things crashing about and put small items in a carrier bag as
well. total weight was bike 10kg alone or 19kg in the case ready to
go.No damage so far. They did not make me deflate the tyres. I wrote
bici and bike all over it in chalk.

I like to show up with the bike looking not-controversial.I believe
that I will be less likely to get any problems that way. I would hate
to be told at the last minute to sort out some other packing system.
But I also believe they throw the bike about with gay abandon, and
usually have found damage after or during a trip. So far nothing
catastrophic, but I usually take an old cheap bike so I won't be too
upset. The more it looks like a suitcase the less care it gets I would
expect. Last year I saw one of a number of properly hard -cased bikes
coming off at east middlands fall off the escalator and fall +/- 12ft
to the concrete.

I have travelled with other people who simply turned the bars , added
a sheath of
cardboard with the saddle poking out and a bit of each wheel exposed
so it could be rolled along.Their bikes were treated carefully so far
as we could tell and mine was the only one damaged , dismantled in a
bike bag.Fortunately I was able to hammer the larger chainwheel into
better shape with a handy rock.

To gather panniers into one lot I have used heavy duty plastic
bags(rubble or garden waste bags from the hardware store) tied at the
top with string and labelled by string attachment and marker pen.


There are other sites on the web that discuss this if you google.
Easyjet give you an extra 12kg if you pay the bike fee, taking your
personal checkin total to 32kg including the bike and its bag. Carry
on baggage is not weighed but must be reasonable and fit the
dimensions.
When taking a normal road bike I dismantle it into a soft bikebag that
can be rolled up and put on the carrier. extra cardboard etc can be
ditched if you don't want to carry it and replaced at a supermarket
before return.
If you want to use the ctc bag and arrive with the bike in one piece
then I suppose if the airport staff play up you can then dismantle the
bike into the bag if you have your toolkit with you and some cardboard
and a roll of parcel tape.
Although I always anticipate an argument I have never had any.

Terry J

[TerryJ]

On 6 Aug, 16:00, spindrift > wrote:
> Anyone done it please?
>
> *Ryanair want £25 and don't insist on a box, Easyjet charge €14 for a
> box at the airport and insist it's used.

who did you ask? which airport? It may be better not to ask. I have
found people to be rather ill informed at the airports about the
various rules. Once they have told you something daft they may well
insist on it . The airport people are well used to controlling awkward
types, right or wrong.

I suggest you pay the fee on line, pack the bike in bits in a proper
box or soft bag so it doesn't look too enormous and exude confidence
as you hand it over. I find the continental staff never bat an eye at
it on the way back. Wear as much as you can and watch the weight.
terry J

[TerryJ]

from the easyjet site:

Sporting equipment

Each passenger is allowed a maximum combined hold baggage weight of
50kg including any sports equipment, subject to available space. The
maximum weight for any single piece of baggage is 32kg.

Bicycles (1), golf equipment, and skis, surfboards, wind surfers, hang
gliders, and firearms (2)

An additional non-refundable fee is charged per item per flight for
the carriage of the above items as set out in our carrier’s
regulations.

Payment of the additional fee increases your checked-in hold baggage
allowance (including additional item) to a maximum weight of 32kg.

Where your total checked-in hold baggage weighs more than 32kgs,
normal excess baggage charges as set out in our carrier’s regulations
shall apply in addition to the above fee.

Please note that sporting equipment fees will not be refunded if you
change your mind and decide not to carry sporting equipment on your
flight.

(1) Carriage of bicycles:


The bicycle must be packaged in a bicycle box or bag
Only one bicycle per bicycle box or bag will be permitted
No other items can be carried in the bicycle box (e.g. clothing)
The handlebars must be flush with the frame
The pedals must be flush against the frame or removed

Passengers travelling with bicycles are strongly recommended to check-
in 2 hours prior to departure in order to guarantee carriage.

[spindrift]

On Aug 6, 6:28*pm, TerryJ > wrote:
> On 6 Aug, 16:00, spindrift > wrote:
>
> > Anyone done it please?
>
> > *Ryanair want £25 and don't insist on a box, Easyjet charge €14 for a
> > box at the airport and insist it's used.
>
> who did you ask? which airport? It may be better not to ask. I have
> found people to be rather ill informed at the airports about the
> various rules. Once they have told you something daft they may well
> insist on it . The airport people are well used to controlling awkward
> types, right or wrong.
>
> I suggest you pay the fee on line, pack the bike in bits in a proper
> box or soft bag so it doesn't look too enormous and exude confidence
> as you hand it over. I find the continental *staff never bat an eye at
> it on the way back. Wear as much as you can and watch the weight.
> terry J

I think you're right, the rules seem randomly applied and what you're
told on the phone may be wildly at variance with what airport staff
say. the only problem I had was Pau airport staff asking why I had the
pedal spanner, a useless 2k dragged up the mountains and only used
twice on the holiday. They let me on with it after I promised not to
attack the captain with it.


I left the bike unboxed cos I thought they'd take more care of it, my
seat was over the wing and I watched the bike go on last, carefully,
and then it came up in a special lift at Satnsted, pedals on, bars
turned and off I went.


I've heard of people being asked to bubble wrap and box at airports
even after they'd called to clarify.

[Cheeky[_2_]]

On Wed, 6 Aug 2008 08:00:51 -0700 (PDT), spindrift
> wrote:

>Anyone done it please?
>
>
> Ryanair want £25 and don't insist on a box, Easyjet charge €14 for a
>box at the airport and insist it's used.


Did Liverpool - Alghero & Pisa - Liverpool with Ryanair. Put the bike
in a soft bag with wheels off, handlebars twisted and rear mech off
and strapped to the frame with cable ties. Used foam pipe lagging on
the frame and chucked a (full) pannier in as well. Couldn't have been
easier having paid the fee up-front when I booked. All I had to do was
take the bike to the oversize baggage drop when I checked in... Friend
of mine did it without the box - all also fine. The girl in Pisa tried
to insist that I needed to deflate my tyres but you don't in a
pressurised hold : )

[Nuxx Bar]

On Aug 6, 4:00*pm, spindrift > wrote:
> Anyone done it please?
>
> *Ryanair want £25 and don't insist on a box, Easyjet charge €14 for a
> box at the airport and insist it's used.

Pretending that you actually cycle again?

[TerryJ]

> of mine did it without the box - all also fine. The girl in Pisa tried
> to insist that I needed to deflate my tyres but you don't in a
> pressurised hold : )

actually, whether the hold is pressurised is not relevant. The
decompression in a flight to the moon in a Sopwith camel would be 15psi.
If your tyres cannot handle that you must be pumping them fantastically
hard.Even then they are built to stand shocks at max rec pressure.
TerryJ