Flying Emirates with bike in Scicon Aerocomfort 2.0 TSA bike bag

[Ross]

Has anybody got any personal experience of flying Emirates with bike in Scicon Aerocomfort 2.0 TSA bike bag? I seem to recall Etihad made a notation last time I travelled o/s with them that my bag was non-standard or not to their regulation and so was not covered by them if anything happened to it (or my bike inside). Luckily there was no incident.

This seems quite odd as these bags are used most pro-teams, not to mention thousands of other amateur and recreational cyclists around the world.

There is a blurb about this on Emirates website:

Baggage allowances for sports equipment

All sporting equipment including golf equipment, bicycles and ski equipment
Emirates will accept sporting equipment as checked baggage and part of your standard baggage allowance.

Weight Concept

Individual items with total dimensions exceeding 300cm (118 inches) cannot be transported as checked baggage, and must be sent as cargo or freight. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Piece Concept

Total dimensions (length + width + height) of each piece must not exceed 150cm (59 inches). Customers with individual items exceeding above dimensions up to 300cm (118 inches) will be charged an additional fee. Individual items with total dimensions exceeding 300cm (118 inches) cannot be transported as checked baggage, and must be sent as cargo or freight.

For customers with two pieces of luggage in all three classes, the total combined dimensions of both pieces should not exceed 300cm (118 inches).

[MichaelB]

Not with Emirates, but with Qatar airlines. Same bag, no problem.

In fact, the only fuss was with the c02 cannisters. The airline had different limits vs IATA regs (which the guys at the oversize check-in counter informed me). I was allowed 2 with the bike and 2 in carryon.

Easy.

[HenryCharlie]

I almost took my bike with Emirates last year and called up their cust service about this, as long as your bag, bike and luggage are within your weight allowance and the total dimensions on the bag was within their limit, then you're fine.

[MichaelB]

I almost took my bike with Emirates last year and called up their cust service about this, as long as your bag, bike and luggage are within your weight allowance and the total dimensions on the bag was within their limit, then you're fine.

Got the same response with Qatar, and that was the process too.

When returning from Milan to Adel, there was a lengthy conversation at the checkin counter (no idea who he was talking to and why), but the end result was that total weight was 33kg, but no issue whatsoever.

[Ross]

Weight Concept

Individual items with total dimensions exceeding 300cm (118 inches) cannot be transported as checked baggage, and must be sent as cargo or freight. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Piece Concept

Total dimensions (length + width + height) of each piece must not exceed 150cm (59 inches). Customers with individual items exceeding above dimensions up to 300cm (118 inches) will be charged an additional fee. Individual items with total dimensions exceeding 300cm (118 inches) cannot be transported as checked baggage, and must be sent as cargo or freight.

For customers with two pieces of luggage in all three classes, the total combined dimensions of both pieces should not exceed 300cm (118 inches).

I don't really understand what this means.

The External Dimensions of bag are: L 118cm x D 25cm x H 90cm

Does this fit their criteria? I don't want to turn up at the airport and they turn me away because bag is wrong size.

[redned]

Maybe they have changed the "piece concept" because I have flown several times with Emirates with my bike boxed in a standard LBS-type bike box, total luggage weight <30kg, no extra charges.

A Qantas bike box is 140 x 30 x 80, which looks like it is more than Emirates "piece concept".

I would have confidently said you are okay, but now I am not so sure!

[antigee]

suspect the problem is that it looks like a soft bag and not a hard case

"my bag was non-standard or not to their regulation and so was not covered by them if anything happened to it (or my bike inside). Luckily there was no incident"

had this recently with a ski bag that was hard one side but soft the other - asked me to sign a disclaimer at baggage check

think checking in any bike or other sports goods is very much a who you get on the day thing ...might be worth printing off the stuff on their website and have handy - found this helps - also maybe in this situation the manufacturers description which may sway on that it is intended as a full protective case just that the hard bits aren't obvious

have flown emirates with a soft bike case once as needed to heave someone transport the bag for me, usually use a full hard case - it was accepted without query and survived...but think that how it goes on the day

[Hergest]

I've flown Singapore Airlines to the UK twice with the same Scicon bag as yourself. I couldn't really follow their luggage allowances on their website with 100% sureness that the bag was allowed but rocked up anyway. No problems at any time at either end, just asked if it was a bike at check in and confirmed that I had let the air out of the tyres.

My Italian bike mirror on the end of the handlebars was broken on the last return trip as the bags are just bunged in willy nilly with everything else so next time I'll wrap some towelling or something around the bar ends as extra cushioning.

[HenryCharlie]

I don't really understand what this means.

The External Dimensions of bag are: L 118cm x D 25cm x H 90cm

Does this fit their criteria? I don't want to turn up at the airport and they turn me away because bag is wrong size.

It's fine, it means that the dimensions are 118 + 25 + 90 = 233, which is under the 300. As long as your total luggage weight doesn't exceed your weight allowance, you'll be fine.

Ring up Emirates if you have any questions, they're really helpful.

[redned]

I knew it had worked for me somehow!

The piece concept and the 150cm limit only applies to routes where the piece concept applies "to or from Canada, North America, Central America or South America, or you are travelling from Africa"

So from Oz the weight concept and the 300cm total dimensions kicks in.

Simple.

[Ross]

I don't really understand what this means.

The External Dimensions of bag are: L 118cm x D 25cm x H 90cm

Does this fit their criteria? I don't want to turn up at the airport and they turn me away because bag is wrong size.

It's fine, it means that the dimensions are 118 + 25 + 90 = 233, which is under the 300. As long as your total luggage weight doesn't exceed your weight allowance, you'll be fine.

Ring up Emirates if you have any questions, they're really helpful.

OK, that sounds like the answer I wanted to hear. I was multiplying the figures and getting a huge number.

Yes, very keen to stick to the weight limit, excess baggage is $108 per kilo if pre-purchased - add 10% more $$ if paying on the day at the airport.

[cancan64]

I weigh my bike first and then anything you take out of the bags to put back in parked car just goes in already weighed bike bag...has worked so far...

[MichaelB]

When I flew, the bike bag was 19kg, and the check in bag was 10. My backpack (which they didn't weigh) was nudging 8kg.

All good.

Being polite, friendly and early helps heaps too.