I'm flying out from Heathrow T5 (!) on Saturday and want to take my bike. From what I've read on their website, it seems that BA will take it for free as long as it's properly bagged up and under 23 kg. There doesn't seem to be anything about pre-booking it. Is this right? I'm just used to getting fleeced, or sorry, dealing with, EasyJet when I've taken my bike abroad before.
British Airways and bikes
- Thread starter DaveyL
- Start date
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Cathryn
Legendary Member
- Location
- Marlborough, Wiltshire
They do require it to be in a proper bag though, which, if you're touring, becomes enough of an issue to put me off BA!! As does T5!
jay clock
Massive member
- Location
- Hampshire UK
If you follow BA's website it is virtually impossible to take a bike.
http://www.britishairways.com/travel/bagsport/public/en_gb
The overall dimensions permitted are 158cm. A standard cardboard bike box is about 270cm. There is no way to get a touring bike in any of the bags they picture on their site. I went to NZ with Air NZ who were excellent (if you go to NZ go westbound as allowances are massively higher than eastbound)
I did however meet a cyclist in NZ who flew BA in January and did not even put his bike in a bag.....
http://www.britishairways.com/travel/bagsport/public/en_gb
The overall dimensions permitted are 158cm. A standard cardboard bike box is about 270cm. There is no way to get a touring bike in any of the bags they picture on their site. I went to NZ with Air NZ who were excellent (if you go to NZ go westbound as allowances are massively higher than eastbound)
I did however meet a cyclist in NZ who flew BA in January and did not even put his bike in a bag.....
yorkshiregoth
Master of all he surveys
- Location
- Heathrow
You also have to remove or reverse the pedals, and also to turn the handlebars.
Not so, if you read the Cycling section it says "Whilst most bicycle bags comply with the standard dimensions, We will accept all single bicycle bags as illustrated." So I read this that as long as you use one of the illustrated bag styles you'll be OK.jay clock said:
I would recommend a hard shell case if travelling from LHR T5: at least a little protection when your bike gets sorted by hand, left in a big pile in the rain, sent to Milan on a lorry and so forth.
EC
Thanks for all the replies. It was the pre-booking issue I was most concerned about - great that you can just turn up with it.
I actually have a padded bike bag AND a hard shell case. Using both may be a bit of overkill... But the hard case will instantly put me well over the weight limit.
I actually have a padded bike bag AND a hard shell case. Using both may be a bit of overkill... But the hard case will instantly put me well over the weight limit.
Nigeyy
Legendary Member
- Location
- Massachusetts, USA
Hmm so I just happened to be flipping through the forums when I read this thread -and now it's got me worried! I'm due to fly across the Atlantic in September (from USA to UK) and don't have a bike bag or a hard shell case. I've flown across a couple of times before using a bike box (e.g. sort of box new bikes arrive at a bike store in).
Anyone had recent experience using a bike box on BA?
Anyone had recent experience using a bike box on BA?
AndrewClark
Veteran
I flew Manchester - Heathrow - Delhi last year with my Thorn Nomad in a big polythene bag (with pipe lagging round the tubes). No problem apart from the fact it wouldn't fit through the X-ray machine at Manchester and had to be manually inspected & swabbed for explosives!
AndrewClark
Veteran
Cass Gilbert has some comments on BA's bike policy. http://otbiking.wordpress.com/
