Travelling with bikes on EasyJet

Kirky

Hi all, I'm after a bit of advice - so hopefully you can help. We've been offered the use of a friends place in Spain next year and I'd like to take the bike with me - EasyJet appear to be the best option, but I'm trying to figure out the costs. They have an additional option for travelling with a bike, but is it possible to take the bike in a decent bike box and put it on as normal luggage?? Or will they see through this and still charge me??

Finally - any recommendations for bike boxes, the Polaris one looks good.

KIRKY

Special K

check the website for the charges - think its about 20 quid each way.

You will have to put the bike in a box or bag. check to see if the weight limit is included in your normal baggage allowance.

GET THERE EARLY - one little Easyjet trick I have suffered in the past on a flight to Geneva where there were maybe twenty bikes going on the plane - "sorry sir, the plane is very full we cannot take your bike". I made a fuss and pointed out that I had already paid for carriage - the point is that the booking and pricing system has little to do with the plane and the cargo on the day, so do yourself a favour ad get there early to make sure you have no nonsense from the ground staff.

do the normal things you would ordinarily do to pack and label the box or bag - it's been covered elsewhere but do say if you want some specific pointers.

..make sure your insurance covers you for loss or damage to bike, components AND accessories.

the_wooden_man

You have to pay the additional charge for the bike. Make sure it is well packaged. You can hire a bike bag/box, or just get an empty old bike box from your LBS. Wiggle have a deal on a hard case at the moment which looks like a bargain although I've not seen the case in the flesh.

Kirky

Cheers for the info guys, looking into things more I get the feeling the weight is going to be an issue!! You only get an additional 12kg for putting a bike on the plane - but most bike boxes weigh that much!!

I like the look of the Polaris one (http://www.polaris.in//category-6254/pr ... E-POD.html) it's not a bad price (I'm happy to buy a case as this might become a regular thing!!), and it's also pretty light (6.7kg) so won't push me too far as far as the weight limit goes. Does anyone know of any reviews on it??

richa

Kirky wrote:

I like the look of the Polaris one (http://www.polaris.in//category-6254/pr ... E-POD.html) it's not a bad price (I'm happy to buy a case as this might become a regular thing!!), and it's also pretty light (6.7kg) so won't push me too far as far as the weight limit goes. Does anyone know of any reviews on it??

This month's (Jan08) Cycling Plus supplement (Cycle Traveller) reviews it, gives it a 9 and a CP 'Recommended Buy'. "A hybrid of a bag and a case, and a superbly safe way of carrying your bike"..."It's the best way to keep your bike safe in transit".

'nuff said.

Kirky

Result!! Thanks for that, haven't had a chance to open last months C+ yet - let alone this months!! Going to try and find some time to have a read over Xmas

Looks like the Polaris one it is then!!

andyp

Kirky wrote:

Cheers for the info guys, looking into things more I get the feeling the weight is going to be an issue!! You only get an additional 12kg for putting a bike on the plane - but most bike boxes weigh that much!!

As long as it isn't over 30 kgs they'll take it. Your bike would have to be one helluva lump to tip the scales over that.

A trick - if they do ask you to weigh it on the luggage scales at check in keep one foot underneath it and hold some of the weight on it. It works every time.

el_presidente

I took mine to Spain on Easyjet in Septmeber, very straightforward. £10 extra each way booked in advance and turned up early, no-one batted an eyelid.

My big chainring was slightly bent but that was my fault for having a cheap bikebag and not packing it properly. I will know better in future.

All in all pretty pleased.

andy_wrx

Flew from Liverpool to Nice in September.

Liverpool could tell from the computer I'd paid the extra £15 for the bike, said I had an extra 12kg in addition to usual 20kg, so I could take 32kg-worth, spread across both my holdall and the bikebag any way I wanted. They weighed both, it was within the 32kg, no probs.
(at this point EasyJet had 1 bag included in ticket price and you paid extra £5 for each further hold bag - I think they now charge per bag ?)

Nice asked if I'd paid for the bike, wanted to see my email confirmation.
They asked if I had anything else in the bike bag or just the bike, then just weighed my holdall against the 20kg limit but didn't weigh the bike at all.

Neither end weighed my hand luggage (small rucksack)
- I had my bike shoes, a jersey and a pair of shorts in there, plus a change of civvies, just in case I and the bike arrived at the other end but the holdall didn't.
I guess I could have coped without helmet, waterproofs, etc.

Because on another flight yjis year, when we went on our 'proper' holiday, the airline left my wife's bag at the airport and we didn't get it back until the fourth day.
We'd put some of her clothes in my bag and some of mine in hers (could have been interesting explaining about my bras and panties to the customs man...), but she was able to cope until we got the bag back.

So it's worth spreading your stuff around.
If I'd known what they were going to do in Liverpool, I'd have put more of my cycling kit into the bike bag.

cougie

Definitely get their early. Anything heavy - take in your handluggage or on your person - bearing in mind that you wont be allowed tools or liquids this way.

lambkin

I've taken my bike in a suitcase but it is an Airnimal. Check in staff do not believe me when I tell them a bike is in the case so I'm not charged extra. As long as your box is within their carriage guidelines there should be no problem, otherwise a bagged bike is £15 each way usually but all details can be found on the Easyjet website.

Mark Alexander

this is a very interestin one as I'm going on my fiorst trip tyhis year
thanks everyone

mrushton

RichA wrote:

Kirky wrote:

I like the look of the Polaris one (http://www.polaris.in//category-6254/pr ... E-POD.html) it's not a bad price (I'm happy to buy a case as this might become a regular thing!!), and it's also pretty light (6.7kg) so won't push me too far as far as the weight limit goes. Does anyone know of any reviews on it??

This month's (Jan08) Cycling Plus supplement (Cycle Traveller) reviews it, gives it a 9 and a CP 'Recommended Buy'. "A hybrid of a bag and a case, and a superbly safe way of carrying your bike"..."It's the best way to keep your bike safe in transit".

'nuff said.

I've seen one for real at Geneva airport. They are OK but not really much better than good bag. My g/f uses a planet X bag and wraps the whole bike in bubble wrap (a lot of it - but it weighs practically zero) and stands the fork in a polystyrene block. Pipe lag the tubes and use a piece to rest the bottom of the chainset. No problems as yet. Since it's lighter she put her kit in the bag as well. I use the sci Con and it's been great (expensive) but they are not indestructible. There is some english guy making a similar product (cheaper). i think it's www.alanbox.co.uk

proper_job

I've got the DHB one for my road bike, it is excellent but I couldn't get an MTB in it as the forks were too long. I use a padded bike bag for the mtb. Word to the wise take your discs off or they will get bent, leave the rear wheel in. As for Easyjet they are brilliant, Bristol, Malaga, Milan, Geneva, just get there early. I think the policy has changed but last summer I paid £15 each way, just showed my email confirmation, and away I went. Final thought, most places the bikes don't come off on the normal belt system but turn up at the unusual packages place.

andy_wrx

I have a ProBikeKit bag which looks the same as the PlanetX reviewed in C+ this month, similar sort of price, worked fine - although I did disassemble the bike quite a bit and used lots of pipe lagging (it's a carbon bike !)

At Nice, the two bikes on board (mine plus another guy's, who'd just taken the pedals off, turned the bars round and put it in a big plastic bag) were first out on the conveyor and looked like they'd been placed on it, rather than thrown on it.

At Liverpool, my bag was just mixed in with all the other hold bags on the conveyor and covered in dirty marks and minor tears/abrasions...

CyclePoland

FAULTLESS SERVICE FROM EASYJET!

Bristol - Gdansk 27/12/07, bike in the same perfect state (safely packaged in cardboard box) when picked off the carousel.

Had Googled best ways of packing bikes and also studied EasyJet's not so clear weight limits. Turns out the 32kg limit (inc. bike and luggage) for one person holds true when one person flies alone with bike. Was told at check-in that as a party of three travellers, each traveller could take a 20kg suitcase and the bike 'would be spread over the three'. Sadly, the website fails to mention this.

Delighted with the service: joined this site just to put the positive feedback here!

Thank you Easyjet!