h1tvd

Just wanting some info on taking bikes on flights. We have noticed some airlines allow a bike or sporting equipment as part of additional luggage allowance.
Has anyone done this and was it much hassle? How to get them to/from the airports by taxi etc. Which airlines did you use and did it cost anything?
Our kids cannot live without their bikes and would be heartbroken if they had to wait until the container arrived. The bikes are pretty new and would cost a fair bit to replace so dont want to leave them and buy new when we arrive.

Any help appreciated.

Tracy

232Bar

By the time you have them cleaned and ship them over it's just as easy to sell them in the UK and buy new ones here. If they aren't clean AQIS will not let them in without them being cleaned at this end at your cost (allegedly around $500). You could always just tell the kids to wait - it's only a few weeks - it wouldn't kill them if you do decide to ship them over. You can buy proper airline carriers for racing/mountain bikes - not sure about for kids ones.

youngy73

if its only kids bikes i would just buy them new ones as they are inexpensive here. i brought my bike out here a couple of years ago and it cost an extra $100. i had to strip it down and put it into a special box.customs did not even check it at this end.
i also brought my snowboards across on a different trip and this did not cost me any additional money. they also did not weigh my snowbaord bag which was packed with heaps of other stuff as it was checked through a different area. i thought they would hit me for excess baggage but nothing was said. it weighed about 30 kilos.

Centurion

I've taken my road bike on planes before as sporting equipment. However you have to pack it and anything less than a specialist metal case and your bike it going to suffer some damage.

Really unless the kids bikes are carbon framed or something pretty special make wise its not going to be worth the hassle.

Airlines allow bikes as sporting equipment as its discretion. I think you might also have a hard time convincing anyone of the kids bikes being for a sports purpose other than recreational.

Just buy a couple of Kmart things till they come. A lot cheaper than taking them on a place and a lot less grief.

h1tvd

Thanks for that.
It was just an idea. OH said the bikes would probably get bashed a bit too much. Looks like they will just have to wait for them - dont know if I can stand the whinging tho'.

fastrhino

I asked singapore airlines about my MTB, they would take it as part of our 80 kgs allowance, but they have to be packed extremely well to avoid damage. you can buy padded bags which take the bike in a part stripped down form. frame with out the wheels. but they do recommend extra padding/bubblewrap.

removal of brake discs, brakes, rear mechs and any other easily broken components, air out of tryes too.

also, they need to be cleaned very well, absolutly no soil/dirt old oil with traces of soil/dirt.

in most cases this means a complete strip down and plenty of jayes fluid, especially the tyres.

mine is scheduled for the full monty in 4 weeks, prior to shippers coming in.

still tempted to take mine on the flight., so i can hit some ozzie trails straight away.

mick