Flying my bike box

[Bikinchris]

Well, it happened. After many flights (I think about 15), a bored skycap (in Kansas City working for Delta)measured my bike box and charged me $100 for it being 2 inches oversized. This was after failing to charge me for my other suitcase. Needless to say, I was not very happy with this. I walked off without tipping her even though she was giving me the "look" and nearly holding out her hand. I wonder if complaining would do any good. I am going to repack it and see if it will fit in the 10 inch wide box. The box measures 26x26x12, so it really is 64 inches combined. I think when I bought it, it was okay.
Thanks for being a shoulder to cry on.

[ptaylor]

Chris.

I always ship my bike UPS, and had a similar experience. If the receiving clerk measures at the 'maximum bulges', my case really is a couple of inches too big; at the narrowest girths, it is fine.

Once in North Carolina, a UPS Store was going to charge me the premium. So I took it a few miles away to the UPS Distribution Center, where the clerk accepted it without a hitch. Of course, you don't have that option in an airport.

Paul

[nobachi2000]

Thanks for the information about the cost of shipping a bike in a box.  
Have you ever taken your bike in a bag?  I took it on the Greyhound
and it did not cost me extra.  The only problem was that Greyhound
doesn't permit leaving my van in their parking lot for more than 48
hours.  My bicycle trips last 4 days and I took a chance leaving it at the
Greyhound depot.  It was still there when I returned.

[nobachi2000]

I paid $90 to have my bike shipped in a box from El Centro to my
home in Torrance.  Have you ever tried shipping a bicycle in a bag?

[Bikinchris]

The UPS stores always charge a premium price. I mechanic for a ride called Cycle Zydeco here in Lafayette, LA. One of the services I perform is assembling shipped bikes for the ride and boxing them and shipping them back when the ride is over. We get much lower prices to ship them back at company shipping docks than the shipping stores. E.G. the FedEx depot is often half the price of the UPS store.
I have no experience with shipping bagged bikes.
Chris

[jan404]

Hi,

how did you manage to get your bike in a 26x26" box? I just arrived form Germany with Delta and when I read that the box should be smaller than 60" I couldn't believe they talk of the sum.

My frame is much larger than this! I boxed it now in a 55" x 30" that worked comfortable after I took of both wheels. Luckily I could bring it here at no extra cost, but when I read now that people actually manage to comply with this rule (and that they really talk of the sum) I am sceptical for the way back...

Still wondering how you managed that...

Jan

[Bikinchris]

My bike has couplers that allow the frame to be seperated into two pieces right in front of the bottom bracket and top tube. The forward piece goes into the box and the rear wheel without air goes on top of it. The handlebars slide in between the corner and through the spokes, then the rear frame part goes on top and the front wheel (sans air) into the lid.
But my wife's Bike Friday is much easier and it fits into a Samsonite suitcase in ten minutes.

[jan404]

Hi,

seriuosly how do guy comply with this sum<60" rule if you have a standard bike? Or are there airlines who have differing rules? Probably I ll have to ride amtrak because of this, it has the advantage that it will make me see something of the US, but less of my precious holidays cycling...

Jan

[valygrl]

You don't - you just pay.  The size limit is for avoiding the bike-charge.

If you add up the time (and $ on food) you waste sitting on the train or bus compared to the $50-$80 you pay to fly your bike, it's just not worth it.

[mike_khad1]

I'm shopping for a Bike Friday to make me more mobile. I have a steel frame touring bike but I don't want to take it apart and try to cram it into a bike box and ship it off someplace

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