Best airline company to take a bicycle with? PER>FRANKFURT

[polishbiker]

Just had a chat with someone i know who works for flightcentre, she contacted the Emirates airlines and they say they do not accept bicycle boxes hardacse only which makes things difficult but reading the above they dont really care so much?

Anyone else used Emirates and a cardbox?
Ta

Just got off the phone to Emirates and asked them if they had any specific requirements with bike packing. Guy checked and gave me the usual spiel that you would expect regarding pedals off, wheel down the sides etc. Asked if there was anything else and he said no. Nothing on their website saying hardcase only.

Polishbiker, can you ask the person who works for Flightcentre to provide a link, a document or a reference to this supposed "hardcases only" rule?

One point to note; when travelling with a bike in a cardboard box to and from Europe in 2010, 2011 and 2012 they did ask me to sign a waiver form each time. Forget the exact details but I think it basically said that they would do "all care no responsibility".

My friend at flightcentre said she called Emirates, not sure who she was dealing with on the phone.
Looks like there would be no issue with having a standard bicycle box, thanks for the above info.
Another good thing is that Emirates allow 2x23 pieces for flights to USA or South America

[scirocco]

Just returned from Europe (flying with Emirates). Can confirm that there is no issue with taking a bike in a cardboard box. However, as with previous years at Paris CDG (NOT at departure in Perth) I was asked to sign a damage waiver. Quick scan of the wording was something like "item is inherently unsuitable for carriage by air and therefore acceptance of carriage is at passenger's risk". I did not ask what would have happened if I had refused to sign but I assume they would have refused to accept the bike for carriage.

So what Emirates may mean by "not accepting cardboard bicycle boxes" is perhaps that they will not accept responsibility for damage to them, not that they will not accept them at all.

[il padrone]

Our bikes were carried to and from Europe by Emirates. They travelled in Ground Effect Body Bags. We were not required to sign any wavers, nor told that insurance would be waived. The bikes came through with no damage of note (my cycle computer did get smashed because I was stoopid and forgot to remove it from the bars ).

We flew to Rome so maybe it's a Parisian thing. I can tell you that our luggage which was spot on the weight limit leaving Melbourne, was weighed on the Roman scales and came in 8 kgs over We did have a few extra items.... that would have added up to 2 kgs max. So in my opinion there must be Australian kgs and Roman kgs. A Roman kg is 10% less than an Australian kg Not nice at 45 Euro per kg excess baggage rates.

[jemo27]

I flew with Vietnam Airlines Melbourne to Paris via Ho Chi Minh, no extra charge when leaving Melbourne, box from Qantas was free. I was under 30kgs.

Just had rear light on world randoneur broken but I forgot to protect it.

Flight back, got charged for box like 10 euros plus 100 euros to take on plane despite being under 30kgs. Only change was Airfrance from Paris to Ho Chi Minh.

When I arrived back in Melbourne bike box was in a bad shape like it had been squashed. Bike is fine from what I have seen.

Overall had a reasonable experience getting to Paris not so much coming home.

Flight cost less than $1600 dollars booked in June flew July 6, home October 3

[Treadle]

Went Melbourne /Paris, Rome/Melbourne in April/June this year with Cathay Pacific. Our cardboard boxed touring bikes were accepted without any issue. Not even weighed, We just trolleyed them over to the oversized luggage area and the attendant took them away.

At Rome we had difficulty finding bike boxes and getting them out to the airport on the train. We spoke to CP staff a couple of days prior to departure about having the bikes accepted if they were glad wrapped by the machines at the airport. They were happy to accept them wrapped with front wheel, handlebars, pedals off and a pannier bag full of my gear ( taped to the frame before I gave it to the chaps for wrapping). I think it cost 30 euros and no damage was done to the bike. Maybe I got lucky?

Again no weighing by CP even though I was about 5 kg over the 20 kg limit. They seemed to work on the premise that a bike is a bike is a bike. Again CT didn't weigh my carry on luggage, after I spent hours getting the other pannier bag down to 6.95kg. First time overseas and I can use that info now for my next visit. CP were very easy to deal with and I will fly with them when I take my bike back to France next year.