New Airline Fees for Bikes Going Abroad

Linked above and below is information about what are new and much higher fees for carrying your bike abroad by the airlines. The story alleges collusion, for which the airlines are famous for in appearance but carefully avoid! Quality bikes for rent are possible in many places in Europe - if you know where to look. (ie - contact us!)

Corporate Collusion Leads to Price Jumps of $300 for Flying Bicyclist.

While some of the airlines are talking green, they are simultaneous
working to undermine green choices by their customers!

In the dark of winter, the airlines have effectively increased cost of
a trans-Atlantic ticket for a bicyclist by as much as $300. If the base
ticket price is $900 that is over a 30% increase in the cost of travel.

Prior to January of 2007 most airlines let bicycles on trans-Atlantic
and trans-Pacific flights fly free, in lieu of one piece of baggage (as
long as they were within the two-bag limit and underweight limit of
30kg). Early in 2007, most of the world's airlines seem to have entered
into collusion and simultaneously changed their baggage regulations for
bicycles. By February of 2007 the regulations, for most airlines, call
for all bicycles being charged on these flights. The charges range
from $80 to $160 each way -- $160 to $320 roundtrip!

It is not a weight issues because many of their lean bicycling
customers plus their bikes are going to weigh less than many of their other
customers without any bags. It is not a size issue because today's
modern airplanes can, and have, easily accommodated bicycles. And, if
is a bottom line issue, the airlines are delusional, because there
aren't enough bikes flying to make a visible difference in there
revenue.

The work around for the bicyclists is not as easy as renting a bike at
their destinations. There are very few rental bikes available in the
world that are suitable for serious environmentally-friendly,
multi-day, long distance, bike touring.

For more information on flying with a bicycle see

http://www.ibike.org/encouragement/travel/bagregs.htm