Has anyone taken a bike on a RYANAIR flight?
- Thread starter Bigtallfatbloke
- Start date
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bikepacker
Veteran
- Location
- South Worcestershire
Airport or airline policy I would not know, but it was nice to have the offer.
I don't think Ryanair employ the handlers at any airport. And this is where a bike is more likely to get damaged.
I don't think Ryanair employ the handlers at any airport. And this is where a bike is more likely to get damaged.
OP
OP
Bigtallfatbloke
New Member
well I will find out soon...I will fly to Bremen with them and likely home from Freidrichshafen
OP
OP
Bigtallfatbloke
New Member
Ryanair do not require a bike bag or box..just a handlebar turn, pedal removal and tyre deflation....an additional bike fee and excess luggage charges apply...acording to the girl on th echeck in desk at stanstead this morning
Stick on a Giant
New Member
BFTB, it's good to see the right hand not knowing...
We were looking at going to Italy with Ryanair and their website said that bikes had to be in a box or bag! And the charge you £25 per bike per flight for the privilege of being able to trash your bike! They seem to be making it more and more difficult to travel by air with a bike.
If banks can be sued for charges which don't reflect the costs incurred, can airlines?
We're catching the ferry - we can cycle there and won't have to worry about storing boxes somewhere - put stuff in Left Luggage at Pisa airport would have cost about £60!
We were looking at going to Italy with Ryanair and their website said that bikes had to be in a box or bag! And the charge you £25 per bike per flight for the privilege of being able to trash your bike! They seem to be making it more and more difficult to travel by air with a bike.
If banks can be sued for charges which don't reflect the costs incurred, can airlines?
We're catching the ferry - we can cycle there and won't have to worry about storing boxes somewhere - put stuff in Left Luggage at Pisa airport would have cost about £60!
Stick on a Giant said:
The problem is not necessarily with the carrier, but the airport.
I had my bike in a PVC bag, and it had to go through the big xray machine at luton. But they couldnt make it stand upright, so they had 2 people one at each end trying to prop it up on boxes.
The guy organising it was getting red in the face, because there was a queue building up behind, and cussing easy jet saying 'WE TELL THEM TO MAKE SURE BIKES ARE IN BOXES'.
The xray operator, as it finally went through said 'It's a bike!!!!'. Which eased the tension
In reply to Bonj's advice, drawn from his vast experience.....where do you leave your expensive hard case?
Airports. I work at one. Each airline, with the exception here of BA, who have their own, employ the services of a handling aent, a company like Aviance, Servisair, Groundstar etc. These companies employ the baggage handlers that take your kit to the plane, load it, and the reverse on arrival.
The etiquette is that backs are not bent, so bags are dropped from a great height onto the belt. Big flat things like bike boxes are handy for piling things on.
If a bike is in a CTC style clear plastic bag, it is recognisable as a bike and should be OK, which is why I have seen piles of such bikes--literally, piles four, five six high---at handling agents' desks.
In short, though I have met O'Leary many times, and he is a daffodil, the main causes for damage to your bike are outwith the airline. The excessive charges and odious conditions. however, are simply because O'Leary is a money-grubbing daffodil.
Airports. I work at one. Each airline, with the exception here of BA, who have their own, employ the services of a handling aent, a company like Aviance, Servisair, Groundstar etc. These companies employ the baggage handlers that take your kit to the plane, load it, and the reverse on arrival.
The etiquette is that backs are not bent, so bags are dropped from a great height onto the belt. Big flat things like bike boxes are handy for piling things on.
If a bike is in a CTC style clear plastic bag, it is recognisable as a bike and should be OK, which is why I have seen piles of such bikes--literally, piles four, five six high---at handling agents' desks.
In short, though I have met O'Leary many times, and he is a daffodil, the main causes for damage to your bike are outwith the airline. The excessive charges and odious conditions. however, are simply because O'Leary is a money-grubbing daffodil.
that's all very well spindrift, but iirc one of the airline rules the OP linked to stated that bikes must be packed.spindrift said:
well, if you haven't got a 'base', such as a hotel or something, then the short answer is i don't know - where do you. Where do you leave your cardboard?Tony said:
Don't airports have long-term lockers you can leave stuff in for a nominal fee? it must be a popular request.
I think if i wanted to go on a cycling holiday abroad, i would probably explore such options as going on a BA flight, going on a train (probably more than suitable certainly for france and even most of europe), driving (if northern/mid france) or alternatively not taking my own bike and hiring one while there, the latter of which while obviously costs money may have the silver lining that it may be a more appropriate bike for the riding.
I just personally would wince at trusting my bike with an airline, box or not.
However there does seem logic in spindrift's argument that if it's obviously a bike then it's less likely to be knocked about.
i don't follow - so are you saying that piles of bikes literally 6 feet high is ok on those bikes? or not?Tony said:
It was sarcasm. It is a way of making a point nastily: that even when clearly identifiable as bikes, many baggage handlers still don't give a toss.
Left lugage lockers aren't that big, and are becoming rarer as bomb scares mount. They are also far from cheap.
I note in your ideas for going to France you ignore the European Bike Express.
Left lugage lockers aren't that big, and are becoming rarer as bomb scares mount. They are also far from cheap.
I note in your ideas for going to France you ignore the European Bike Express.
bikepacker
Veteran
- Location
- South Worcestershire
I have many times used the Bike Express and it is a good convenient way of travelling abroad with a bike. It's drawback it the length of time it takes and it is often more expensive than flying. You can be on the coach for up to 24 hours. The seats are comfortable and plenty of leg room.
andy_wrx
Über Member
I read somewhere once that if travelling in the Third World, you should leave a bike as obviously a bike, either simply stick a label on it or put it in one of CTC's big polythene bags
- a baggage handler in Delhi or Kathmandu quite possibly went to work on a bike himself, one he saved-up for, he knows the value of a bike and will treat it more carefully than if it's packaged-up anonymously in a bikebag or box.
But in the West, a baggage handler will view it as 'a f*cking bike' belonging to 'some t*ss*r' and just a pain to deal with, so will throw it about just through sheer malice
- so packing it in a big indestructible box is the way to go.
Whenever I've flown, I've used a padded bikebag, lots of bubblewrap and pipelag...and crossed fingers...
- a baggage handler in Delhi or Kathmandu quite possibly went to work on a bike himself, one he saved-up for, he knows the value of a bike and will treat it more carefully than if it's packaged-up anonymously in a bikebag or box.
But in the West, a baggage handler will view it as 'a f*cking bike' belonging to 'some t*ss*r' and just a pain to deal with, so will throw it about just through sheer malice
- so packing it in a big indestructible box is the way to go.
Whenever I've flown, I've used a padded bikebag, lots of bubblewrap and pipelag...and crossed fingers...
http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/faqs.php?sect=bag&quest=sportsequipment
Bars must be turned. No need for a bag or box, they seem to advise it only.
Bars must be turned. No need for a bag or box, they seem to advise it only.
