Transporting a bicycle by plane – how do i handle it? My experiences

Choosing a carrier, what to pack the bike in, how to avoid unpleasant surprises

by Ewcyna

It is better to travel by bicycle than with a bicycle. Regardless of the mode of transport, which is used to transport it – that's my rule. Sometimes, however, it simply cannot, because we have 2 – 3 weeks of vacation and the desire to get to know other countries, new routes, or we are going somewhere much farther and longer. The plane is the fastest way out, sometimes also the most economical, though unfortunately not ecological.

Me and my bike traveled together by train, by bus, by bus, by car, by ferry, by boat and finally by plane, almost 30 times. Sometimes whole “flight operation” runs quickly and efficiently, sometimes it's quite complicated, a process full of pitfalls that threaten our pockets. This is how to go about it?

Purchase of an air ticket (with the option of transporting a bicycle)

Maybe it's obvious, but like everything, that's all.:) We start by uploading to the flight search engine (who likes what – Lataj.pl, Azair, Momondo) the destination of interest to us. It went. OK – we have the results given most often from the lowest price. A note here – the given prices may later have to be increased by the purchase of luggage and / or transport of sports luggage. Now we start by going to the carrier's website and reading the regulations and price lists.

Remark: regulations are changing, you can't just rely on your own or someone else's opinion, that someone flew these and these lines a year or two ago and it was great.. I remember, that I did not choose Aeroflot or Emirates for the second time because it already had others, the changed rules and the new ones did not suit me anymore. To read, to read, write, ring!, make sure.

What to look for when choosing airlines, which I will fly with a bicycle?

We must pay attention to the following:

– whether you pay for the bike separately (mostly cheap lines, some traditional) can it be carried as checked baggage. If so:, what is the kilogram limit for luggage and / or bicycle. It's easier with the baggage allowance, because it is listed, but be sure, there is no weight limit for the bike. Sometimes it is 20 kg, sometimes 23 kg and sometimes the maximum permissible weight of one piece of luggage in airlines, i.e. 32 kg.

I've noticed, that most bicycle travelers prefer to transport their bicycles as part of their checked baggage – it's cheaper this way, but I don't want to, although I used to use such options. It is possible in a short journey, but in the long one I already have a lot of luggage, I'm only interested in the option with a separate bike fee. Yep, I want to pay (but not more than several dozen USD / EUR and in some lines it is e.g.. 150 EUR, so it falls off) and get over it. My boxed bike weighs approx 20 kg, which exhausts the limit and where else is the luggage, that is, the next over 20 kg?

– if and what are the size and weight requirements for the box / I offer? This applies to both kilograms and the size of the box - a number is given which is the sum of the sides, i.e.. 203 cm, which consists of length x width x depth. The surcharge for oversizing or extra pounds can knock you off your feet: for example,. 11 EURO per kilogram.

The dimensions of the bicycle box are also important!

At the airport in Seoul, South Korea luggage and bike arrived without any problems. The problem started with folding

Here is an example from my own “courtyards”: Flight to Japan, I was flying with a friend. The flight was as follows:

Warsaw - Osaka (Emirates) accommodation in Osaka next to the airport and the next morning flight Osaka - Kagoshima on a separate ticket with local Peach Airlines.

The intercontinental flight was operated with Emirates, which (at least then) had large baggage allowances and the sum of the sides of the box (because that's what it matters: width, height, depth) she could be 300 cm. I'm not light, my box was big, but it was within limits. A friend flew with a large Dahon folding bike, which she put in a tarpaulin and there she added all the expedition luggage – there was more than 32 kg, heavy unformed bundle. Both bikes were accepted on the Emirates to Osaka route. We stored our multicypeds in the airport locker, We went to sleep at the hotel and in the morning we came back to fly further.

at the airport in Osaka with Zosia
our bikes in storage, Covered, żeby się nie kurzyły 🙂

We were at the check-in in the morning 3 hours earlier. The Peach Airlines staff, however, thought for a long time about our bikes. Long..., longer and longer..    whereupon 5 minutes before check-in closes they inform us, that the dimensions of my box exceed their requirements by a few centimeters (more than 200 cm) and the package with my friend's bike is too heavy. They told us about it 5 minutes to repack!  I wasn't wasting any time, to tear the staff apart I just threw myself to tear my box, and my friend her package, which, incidentally, was very hard to tear.. I put my bike in my self-made bag (hurra, that I had her) and my friend took something to her hand luggage and we MIRACLEY succeeded and WE MANAGE. Entire entry here

I know, Japanese, exact nation, but don't go this way and measure your boxes! I knew about Peach Airlines size requirements, but I thought it would pass..

But “we fly” further. We have search results and there are so-called. cheap carriers and regular lines.  What to remember, which are better?

A flight with a bicycle with low-cost airlines (for example,. Wizzair, Ryanair, Norwegian)

Here, the matter is quite simple and whenever I can, I choose low-cost airlines - most often (as always?) przewoźnik stosuje osobną opłatę za przewóz roweru, points too guidelines for its packaging (for example,. whether a box is necessary, is it enough to turn the steering wheel, remove the pedals etc.). Separately, of course, it also charges for luggage, here you have to recalculate everything. Sometimes you only manage to pay for one and stay within the limit.

Low-cost flights usually do not have transfers, we buy separate sections as separate flights each time paying separately for luggage and bike.

Why don't I always write? Well, it happened to me, that in the Turkish Pegasus lines, which are a bit of a hybrid between low-cost and traditional airlines, there were flights with stopovers (Berlin - Istanbul - Bishkek) and I was charged for the carriage of luggage and bicycle as one fare for both sections (but the aviator employee stressed, that she's doing me a favor, because it's due for two episodes)

Edit 2023 – ostatnio kilkakrotnie zadano mi pytania odnośnie lotów Wizzairfaktycznie na ich stronie z wytycznych odnośnie pakowania roweru do samolotu zniknął karton. Niestety kiedy to sprawdzam strona internetowa Wizzair po polsku nie działa, natomiast na angielskojęzycznej wciąż jest karton. I think, że to niedopatrzenie z ich strony, ja ZAWSZE woziłam rower tymi liniami w kartonie.

rower Wizzair pakowanie

A flight with a bicycle with traditional lines (LOT, KLM, Aeroflot, Finnair, Lufthansa)

Traditional airline fares are usually much more complicated. Carriers sometimes treat the bike as part of the baggage allowance allowed in the tariff (for example,. 20, 23 or more kg) and sometimes they have separate charges for the transport of the bicycle, which may vary depending on the distance you are flying (for example,. Turkish airlines). You really need to read the regulations on the website carefully and if in doubt, call the hotline, preferably write an email to the airline asking for guidelines / interpretations of the rules (if a ticket is purchased by a tour operator / website such as Lataj.pl, he will, at our request, send a question to the carrier – it is always a much faster way to contact the airline). There is a much greater risk of missing a requirement and therefore a surcharge. Record holder, about whom I heard wrote about 1500 USD surcharge for transporting a bicycle on an American route!!

Traditional carrier also requires the declaration of the bicycle transport, we are asked to provide approximate dimensions. Here you can preview what it looks like in LOT Polish Airlines. It happened to me once, that the bike was not accepted after purchasing the ticket, because there was a small plane flying, took place on 1 - my bike (I write about this situation at the end).

Let us underline, that in traditional ropes return tickets are the most profitable (on one ticket.) It is so profitable, that if you want to fly only one way, it pays to buy a return ticket with a fictitious return, not intending to take advantage of the return. Often the price of a one-way ticket is almost that, be cheaper than return flight. This is where the so-called. airline overbooking. I did so, among others. flying to the Philippines, a return ticket cost approx 1700 PLN , one way approx. 2300 PLN . I was flying to this region for a longer time and I was not going to use the return.

Remark!  cannot be done the other way around. In case of not using the flight "to", the whole ticket will be canceled.

The second important tip for traveling by bike we can buy a flight on one ticket with a different city / country of return! We can choose others, same airline location in the same geographic region - not necessarily the same country, the price will remain the same / very similar. You knew about it? Unfortunately, I did not know about it once, I bought a return flight ticket to Paris with the intention of going to Geneva. I got to Geneva by bike, but I was already returning to Paris for a train flight - and I could just buy a return ticket on the same ticket from Geneva. Significant time and money savings.

I did so, however, buying a ticket from China to Poland and return after 2,5 of the month ON THE SAME TICKET from Poland to South Korea. So the ticket looked like this:

Chongquing (China) - stopover Helsinki - Warsaw (July)

return Warsaw - stopover Helsinki - Seoul (September)

I paid as much for it as for the return flight (the same take-off and landing sites).

I did the same on the flight to America, it was a rather complicated ticket:

Warsaw - London (stay in the city less than a day) - The Angels (April); return after 6 weeks (on the same ticket) New York - London - Warsaw (May or June 2018)

In the same way, I helped my friends buy a ticket on the Warsaw - Bangkok route, return Kuala Lumpur - Warsaw.

A great option for cycling travelers, is not?

– Remark. It can happen sometimes, that the stop-over flight is operated by two different carriers. In this case, the flight on one ticket the rules of bicycle transport applied by the more important THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CARRIER apply (most often the first) carrier. It is still different when it comes to flights to and from the States and Canada. It is described in detail here (in English). Pretty convoluted.

When we do not cross the IATA zones (such is the territory of Europe, for example) you also have to be careful when making a reservation – shows us for example, that we are buying a LOT ticket, but it is operated by Finnair and then Finnair's rules apply, not LOT's.

strefy IATA

Another important issue in transporting on one ticket is the fact, that we do not collect luggage at the transit airport - including the bicycle at the first airport, it is transferred directly to the second flight. The transfer may take up to 24 hours (maybe longer, but the ticket price increases significantly). I used it on the Warsaw - London - Los Angeles flight, On the way, I planned to visit and spend the night with a friend in London, I spent almost a day there (23,5 hours) – spacer, dinner, accommodation, breakfast, return to the airport – without worrying about the luggage - the bike and luggage stayed at the airport and I went to the city with my hand luggage.

Of course, it takes a little bit (ok, quite a lot) have fun looking for such flights, because search engines automatically select for us flights with the shortest transfers / lowest prices.  

We have a ticket and a flight in the runway? Well, let's get started…

Packing a bicycle for air travel

The carrier's requirements for the transport of a bicycle are usually specified, that it is to be deflated from the wheels, removed pedals and twisted steering wheel, make it as flat as possible. Sometimes it is necessary to transport a bicycle in a box.

I'm packing my bike before departure

Ways to pack your bike:

– hardly protect / wrap with stretch and send (risky, though some say, that then the carriers are very careful about the bike – I have no such experience, I have not tried)

 – shipped in a special purchase bag (question, what to do with it upon arrival? It is usually quite heavy. Well, large bikes are unlikely to fit in it)

– send it in a bicycle carton - and this is the solution I use and recommend the most.

A lot of guides on how and what about this transport have already appeared on the Internet, a lot of people, This blocks especially women from using the plane. Error! I am writing to you as a completely non-technical person, and yet I was flying with my bike 30 times. What's more - unfortunately I have a schiza on a bicycle, ie. I'm scared, that I will damage it, that I will not deposit upon arrival, that something will go wrong and there will be a problem - that's why I secure it as best as possible and spread it as little as possible.

Yep, since I have an expedition bike, I only carry it in a box. In practice, the steps are as follows:

– I take off the front wheel and the front rack (I didn't always have it, so sometime this part fell off)

-I put the spacer in the fork

– I deflate the wheels a bit

 – I unscrew the pedals and secure it, so that they do not get lost

– I take off the steering wheel, but it still stays on the wires, so I twist it, I put it along the frame and fasten it

Knowledgeable things suggest unscrewing the derailleur, so that it does not bend.

securing the derailleur and bicycle
steering wheel
I pack the pedals together, I cover it with foil and stick it firmly under the trunk

– whole - bicycle plus front wheel plus front rack) I put it in the box. About the poodle and its acquisition is below.

My tools are very minimal: two multitools, one screwdriver with longer handle.

Depending on whether the carrier allows it - and usually yes, but it is not a rule - I put the tent in the box, front pannier, some things. Here, too, you have to be careful, what is the weight limit - sometimes it is 32 kg, sometimes 20 or 23, I think I've even seen it 15, which disqualifies the airlines in my case, because the bike itself in the box weighs approx. 20 kg.

I cover everything well with tape (I also take her to the airport, because sometimes you have to take something out of the box and reseal it) and put it in a homemade bag. Yep, I put the box in the bag, though this was not always necessary. For what? Firstly, because when I live by bike, I carry my bag with me anyway . Secondly, because I am alone and it is very difficult for me to move around with a heavy bicycle box and luggage - I can easily put the bag over my shoulder and somehow carry it over a short distance, in the case of the poodle alone, I have no way of doing it being alone.

What about the rest of your luggage? It's probably best to put the remaining panniers / tent in the bag (I have the largest ortlieb bag made of thin material, they go in there 3 panniers), I fasten it and check it as my luggage. However, I also successfully used a normal large agricultural sack, maybe a bag from Ikea, Russian bag etc., however, it needs to be properly taped up, wrap with tape.

One purse is left in my hand, and everything that is most valuable in it – I'm just watching, so that there are no sharp things or any liquids above 100 ml. I have also been transporting pots recently in the handy one, because it was once handed in luggage (they were a bit squashed).

Remark! –  Of course, you can try to fly with the bike only with sharpened foil, many people praise this way, but I also know the case of people, which unfortunately did not make the long-planned journey (Indie), because they did not have bikes packed in cartons and the airport staff had the pleasure of teasing them and refusing to accept their luggage. Yep, A lot depends on the person at the check-in, Already standing in the queue, I look at the behavior of the service, trying to reach the friendliest-looking person..

What to do with the bicycle carton upon arrival?

If we are arriving and returning from the same airport, it is best to use the same carton – The matter is quite simple – it is best to ask to store it in the place of the first night, hostelu, Hotel, host of Warmshowers. Usually there should be no problem with this, although sometimes you can count on a small fee. There are such, co go gdzieś chowają w krzakach 🙂

Here's how I assembled the bike at Fiumicino airport in Rome, I left the cardboard box near the dumpster, because I was flying one way only.

With regret of my heart, I most often throw it away, because I'm flying one way – at the airport or in the place, where do I unpack.

Where to get the cardboard box on the way back (when we're only going one way)?

So my constant case. First of all - I try to be in the city of return / departure 2-4 days earlier, to have time not only to visit the city, but also to prepare for the trip - i.e.. check how to get to the airport, find a cardboard box, to find / buy bubble wrap etc..

On the spot, I track bicycle shops in the area (google maps, regular english search), sometimes I even call them to ask for a cardboard box or ask my host for it, if I am staying with someone. The easiest way, however, is to tour the bicycle shops and ask for a cardboard box. In my case, things get complicated, because I currently have a big bike and I am looking for a cardboard with a length 150 cm such from an electric bike is the best). However, if there is no such, I add a piece of another cardboard, if the bike does not fit.

carton from Chongquing bicycle shop, China, complex
upon arrival at the airport (infantry)

Remark! I would not be so sure, that there will always be a cardboard box in the bicycle shop, as some say. I was in trouble. When you fly out of season, there may be a problem with that - it was e.g.. when I was looking for a cardboard box for a bicycle in Antalya, Turkey in early March, ale też w Warszawie w grudniu. It's just that the old cartons have already been thrown away and the new delivery of bicycles has not yet arrived. In Turkey, a local warmshowers host rescued me with a cardboard box, in Warsaw I was directed.. to the dumpster behind the building, Because that's where the store threw away the last carton. Of course, I took the box from the dumpster and took the bus home.

as I have too small cardboard box to sometimes make one from two small ones

Anyway, anyway, I usually visit garbage cans for smaller pieces of cardboard to protect, foil etc. 🙂

When I can't find a large cardboard box, to czasem dosztukowuje z dwóch.

Damage to the bicycle during air transport

Has it happened to me, that the bicycle was damaged during carriage by plane?

Yes, three times. Fortunately, this is not a large number for almost 30 flights.

The first time I was carrying a bicycle without a cardboard box (but with the derailleur-type parts protected with cardboard and foil) in my bag - it got damaged (dented) luggage rack and saddle. Then I tried to advertise (PLL LOT), but I was told, that the photo documentation must clearly indicate this, that the damage was sustained in flight, and I discovered it, of course, when I got home, because I came home by taxi.

you can see a damaged trunk
folded bike, Okecie

But! I survived with this dented trunk and damaged saddle until the next season, when I was flying with LOT again. So after arrival, I unpacked the bike at the airport (anyway, I would put it there and go home) full photo documentation immediately at the airport and then I advertised it as if it had happened during this flight. The carrier considered the complaint positively and reimbursed me the costs of a new rack and seat.

The second time, I had a broken spoke and something generally rattled loudly at the rack. And surprisingly, the bicycle was flying in a cardboard box. I was also very lucky, because it was a flight to Yangon in Burma and there was only one real bicycle shop, driven by a local American. They picked on something and it was good.

Bicycle repair in Rangoon, Burma

The third time it was not a de facto damage to the bike, but it was my fault that the dynamo cable with the tip was broken - I secured it badly. It happened during transportation to China, the bike was in a box and in a bag, but because I was on my way to work then my luggage was taken care of by my employer - evidently, that was what he did, that my bicycle box was being dragged along the sidewalk, rubbed off, the end securing the cable in the generator broke off and the pannier was rubbed. Well, I was furious with them! And I got this tip after a while thanks to a Chinese cyclist I know from Shanghai.

Then I also committed other stupidity - although it is hard for me to believe, but it had to be like that, i.e.. I did not tighten the pedal completely. The final was like this, that during the first test drive the pedal broke the thread and did not stick. It was also impossible to find a threading service anywhere.. eh, I even remember myself then, in a foreign big city in China, in the middle of a severe winter in January, targeting bike shops without knowing the language, going somewhere across town, crawling through various holes, where were the bicycle workshops of J) - I finally managed to buy a non-arm, but the whole drive. We only changed one arm with this broken thread.     

Once, I really couldn't cope with putting together my multi-pedestrian at the airport. I fell off such overlays-wheels at the controls (it was my third flight with a new bike) and I spent several hours at the airport in Seoul, then decided to take a taxi to my host and seek help from a bike shop in the city center. There, too, I got one only in the third place I visited, because no one knew what was going on either. I've already mastered the topic of overlays, it didn't happen to me after that.

List of my bicycle trips by plane (and various stories related to it)

On the occasion of creating this entry - guide, I tried to recall my flights with a bicycle. I thought, that I will post them here along with comments and curiosities, that happened to me – maybe someone will find my experience useful.

Year / directionAirlinesAs part of baggage / surchargeRemarks
2006 Helsinki - WarsawFinnairAs part of checked baggageFun fact: I persuaded my friend to join my friends for a part of the route around the Baltic Sea (Tallinn - St. Petersburg – Helsinki). I booked a plane ticket for us on the way back, You also had to report the bicycle to the airline. Imagine my surprise, when it turned out after buying the tickets, that a very small plane is flying, which can take ... one bike i .. the carrier did not confirm the carriage of the bicycle to me! Fortunately, I was making reservations through a befriended travel agency, which "rebooked" me for the next flight that day without any surcharges. Well, but my friend and I flew apart.
2006 Warsaw - Rome - WarsawPLL LOTthe bicycle was flying as part of checked baggage 
2007 Bucharest - WarsawPLL LOT ?I do not remember 
2009 Warsaw - Paris - WarsawPLL LOT?tip: I was riding a bicycle From Paris to Geneva, I was going back to Paris for a return flight with the train - and I could just buy a Warsaw-Paris ticket, return Geneva – Warsaw for the same price on one ticket)
2009 Warsaw - Simferopol (Krym) - Warsaw
LOT charter purchased at a travel agency Return flight
As part of checked baggageThere was a bit of excitement on the way to the airport by night train from Kerch to Simferopol. 4 passenger - the staff opposed taking the bikes to the wagon with couchettes.. Then my bicycle bag saved me – I took off the front wheel and by some miracle I managed to put the unfolded bike in a Russian bag in the luggage compartment above the beds. I certainly wouldn't be able to do it with my current bike because it's much bigger.
2010 Varna - WarsawWIZZAIRSurcharge for sports equipment / bicycle 
2010 Warsaw - DubrovnikNorwegianSurcharge for sports equipment / bicycle
2011 Warsaw - Bergamo WizzairSurcharge for sports equipment / bicycle 
2011 Rome - WarsawWizzairSurcharge for sports equipment / bicycle 
2012 Warsaw - London - Los AngelesBritish Airways (on one ticket back from New York)Surcharge for sports equipment / bicycleBritish Airways had no kilogram limit in hand luggage (or she was very big)! I took the heaviest things with me. However, there was a size limit, ie. dimensions, but somehow I was let through.
2012 Denver (Colorado) - New York American JET BLUE linesSurcharge for sports equipment / bicycle 
2012 New York - London – WarsawBritish AirwaysSurcharge for sports equipment / bicycle I fondly remember looking for the box, basically any dumpster carton in New York.. almost no success. I think the garbage truck was driving in front of me:)
Then I couldn't find the entrance near the airport and I threw my bike over the highway railings (times ahead of smartphone).
At the briefing, it came out, that I have a seatpost with a saddle in my handbag and I was not allowed to take it – and the baggage was already checked in. Luckily British Airways did not have a limit on the amount of luggage and the airport employee gave me a small Russian purse, in which I gave only the seatpost with a saddle.
2013 Warsaw - Dubai - Osaka (Japan) And back after 3 8 months (same ticket) Osaka - WarsawEMIRATESThe bike was flying within the baggage allowance, which is in the lines (was) really big - 30 kg plus hand luggage. The box size limit was also large – 300 cm.I had a smaller and lighter bike back then, and I barely fit into the weight limit anyway.  
On the way back, the bike went without a box, packed with cardboard boxes, in bag.
2013 Osaka – Kagoshima (KIUSIU) –local Japanese Peach Air airlinesSurcharge for sports equipment / bicycle and luggageThe bike box was too big, had to be unpacked at the airport
2013 Sapporo (HOKKAIDO) – Osaka –local Japanese Peach Air airlinesSurcharge for sports equipment / bicycle and luggage 
2013 Warszawa – Amsterdam – Manila (Philippines)KLMBike surcharge (100 EUR – this is my max.) 
2014 Cebu (Philippines) - Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) andAir Asia low cost Asian airlinesSurcharge for luggage and bicycle 
2014 Kuala Lumpur - Rangun (Burma)Air Asia low cost Asian airlinesSurcharge for luggage and bicycle 
2014 Chongquing (China) - Warsaw and return after 2,5 month to SeoulFinnairSurcharge for a bicycleI found the box in a bicycle shop and walked with it to the airport 5 km. I had the bike to be unfolded all night, but unfortunately, despite many attempts, I did not manage to unscrew the pedal – from now on, I always ask for loosening at the bike shop before traveling.
2014 Warsaw – Only (Pd. Korea)FinnairSurcharge for a bicycle I couldn't cope with mounting the steering wheel. I had to take a taxi downtown.
2015 Sajgon / Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam) - Warsaw - Aeroflot one way flight Surcharge for a bicycle (but sometimes Aeroflot on the route to Vietnam had a bicycle promotion for free) 
2016 Warsaw - Istanbul (Turkey) - Bishkek (Kirgistan) - Urumqi (China)Turkish Pegasus lines (on two tickets)Surcharge for luggage and bicycle (2 x 50 EUR) everything went smoothly, but at Istanbul airport, on a transfer, hand luggage was weighed before boarding the plane (it was not done at the airport of departure or Berlin). I had 12 kg instead 8, but I somehow managed to slip through.
2017 Shymkent (view of ..Kazakhstan) - Almaty stopover – Dubai (United Arab Emirates)Kazakh AstanaAir airlinesSurcharge for a bicycle (unless 50 EUR)Quite a long discussion at the airport with the check-in person, who wanted to charge me an extra fee – I had all the rules printed with me. But we went together to the airline office at the airport (it was small) and there the employees talked her out of it.
2018 Istanbul (Turkey) - Lviv (Ukraine) PegasusTurkish Pegasus linesSurcharge for luggage and bicycle (2 x 50 EUR)Perhaps the biggest surprise is not the journey itself, but the fact, that the owner of the hostel in Lviv did not want to keep a box with a bicycle, because he claimed, that there is no place (fact, it was a small tenement house with a yard, but I chose this accommodation quite consciously). Eventually he found a small one and I had to pay something for it.
2018 Warsaw - Larnaca (Cyprus)WizzairLuggage fee - surcharge for the bike (130 PLN )Właściciel hostelu odebrał mnie z pudłem z lotniska za 10 EUR. comfortable.
2019 Antalya (Turkey) – Rzym (Italy) –PegasusSurcharge for luggage and bicycle (2 x 50 EUR)Fun fact: podróż na lotnisko. Mój gospodarz z Warmshowers był dosć barwną postacią, zabronił mi zamawiać taksówkę bo drogo (wcale tak nie uważam) i stwierdzil, że obok jest tramwaj wprost na lotnisko. Tramwaj był jednak jakieś 500 metrów dalej i ledwo się do niego dowlekliśmy z wszystkimi bambetlami. A potem na lotnisku następny maratonik do odprawy, tylko już sama… Ufff. But the fact- było bezkosztowo 🙂
2019 Warszawa – RzymWizzairOpłata za bagaż i dopłata za rower (130 PLN )Składanie bicykla na lotnisku, w pociąg i do miasta.
2020 Barcelona – WarszawaPLL LOT (lot „ratunkowy” dla obywateli Polski na początku pandemii)nie było limitu bagażu (!)Pandemia. Nobody could drive me to the airport, because two people in the car could not drive. I was living 50 km further, I drove with an empty box in my bag (on ARM) and luggage on a bicycle by two lines with a change. I was setting up my bike at the airport. Katorga.
And then – the first time it happened to me, that the bike did not catch up (!!! -stress) supposedly that's why, that it was posted quite late (there was hardly any service at the airport – pandemic), but thank goodness he flew on the next flight and was delivered to me at quarantine.  

I jeszcze na koniec..

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17 comments

Artur 6 October 2021 - 13:31

A little hint on how you can only transport the carton (with a bicycle inside).
I bought a micro skateboard and two rubber bands with hooks at the ends. I tied the rubbers from the bottom to the axis of the skateboards, that both ends protruded equally. Then a cardboard box for a skateboard, and the four ends of the rubber bands with hooks were hooked to the carrying holes in the carton. I raced around the airport without any effort. Then a micro-skateboard and rubber for the handheld, and after landing I kept them together with the cardboard box, where they waited until my return.

Reply
Ewcyna 5 November 2021 - 08:20

Hey Arthur, sorry, I missed your comment.. cool patent, you just have to go and come back from the same place, a ja jak sobie o tym pomyślałam, to chyba zdarzyło mi się w życiu dwa razy na prawie 30 flights.

Reply
Magda na szlaku 4 November 2021 - 19:06

Wpis pomocny, good, ze podzieliłąś się swoimi doświadczeniami. Z tabeli na końcu można odnieść wrażenie, że całkiem sporo miałaś przygód z przewożeniem roweru. A mimo to Cię to nie zniechęciło, a jeszcze zachęcasz innych. 😉 Super!
Ja nie mam tak dużego doświadczenia. However, I remember when I flew LOT with a change in Warsaw, bike packed in a cardboard box and when boarding the plane I could watch the cardboard lying on its side and getting wet in the downpour. It was my first time and I was horrified, because I imagined how easy it would be to tear a soggy cardboard… Fortunately, only the narrower side was torn, not a whole carton, and all things, which I added to the cardboard, I attached it to the bicycle with tape or string (so they didn't fall through the hole). And so, I've been wondering for a long time about certain things, które mi brakowały zapomniałam wziąć z domu czy moze wyleciały przez dziurę w kartonie podczas transportu. 😉

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Ewcyna 5 November 2021 - 08:19

Hej Magda, thanks – w sumie nie tyle zachęcam, co dzielę się doświadczeniem, bo mam też sporo pytań, a łatwiej jest odesłać do miejsca, gdzie jest to wszystko opisane 🙂 W zasadzie nawet rozpoczęłam proces odchodzenia od latania w miarę możliwościkiedy podjęłam decyzję o jechaniu na południe Europy teraz jesienią 2021 postanowiłam dostać się tu lądem, choć wiedziałam, ze na jazdę rowerem całości nie będę mieć czasu. Jednak nie znoszę pakowania roweru, całego tego zamieszania, logistykino i przede wszystkim właśnie drżenia o to, will it come in full. As you write, during transport, no one cares about the box, on the contrary. Certainly throwing things loose in the box is risky.

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aaaa 20 January 2022 - 21:55

A very interesting post, many useful tips.

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Ewcyna 21 January 2022 - 19:43

Thank you, I'm glad, that it will come in handy.

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By bike in the Italian Apulia. Valley of Itria – in the land of trullos – Ewcyna 13 March 2022 - 21:44

[…] Transporting a bicycle by plane - as I understand it? My experiences […]

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[…] Transporting a bicycle by plane - as I understand it? My experiences […]

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Marcus 22 January 2023 - 18:38

Hej Magda.
I have a question flying Ryanair with a bicycle and having a change lasting 8 hours (transfer to a plane of the same airline) I will pay for the bike once or twice?

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Ewcyna 22 January 2023 - 18:40

I am ewa:)
Ryanair to tania linia. There are no official transfers, separate flights only, therefore you will pay for everything 2x. You will have to pick up your luggage and bike and check it in again.

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Tuscany by bike - Val D'Orcia, the most beautiful landscapes of Italy - Ewcyna 25 February 2023 - 21:42

[…] Transporting a bicycle by plane - as I understand it? My experiences […]

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Darek 26 February 2023 - 12:19

Hello,
thank you for the helpful article . I am just going for the first time on a bicycle trip from the border and for the first time I will be transporting it by plane:) I have a question about the bag in which you pack the cardboard- what is this bag ? and how much it weighs and takes up space when packed? thank you

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Ewcyna 26 February 2023 - 12:39

I am happy, that it came in handy – Sorry, can't help with the bag, mine was custom made, in total over time 15 I sewed twice – one of two Russian bags, the second time from the garden tarpaulin, but it wasn't very durable – there are already some patents, It's best to ask your question on a bike forum.

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Jaa 11 March 2023 - 16:13

Hello,
Mam pytanko, I flew Ryanair with my bike and it was always packed in a cardboard box.

I will be flying Wizzair for the first time and it is written in the conditions of carriage, to put in a cover.
I definitely prefer to pack in a cardboard box, primarily for security reasons.
Could there be any problem with this?
Regards

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Ewcyna 11 March 2023 - 19:48

Welcome, I looked at Wizz and it's actually weirdly defined, but – my favorite low cost carrier is Wizz and I can't imagine, not to put the bike in a cardboard box. Myslę, that they want to protect themselves from bicycles that are not packed at all. Best – if you have spare time send them an email, to have in writing.

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Ewcyna 17 April 2023 - 13:11

Hi, in the English version of the guidelines, the cardboard is still there, looks like, that's a translation error. I added a screenshot in the text

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Flixbus bus bike transport guide - Ewcyna 12 March 2023 - 18:56

[…] Transporting a bicycle by plane - as I understand it? My experiences […]

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