Bikes on BA - What can go in the bag?

[Tim]

I have the first of what I imagine will be many questions about my first attempt at cycle touring this summer.

I am flying from Heathrow with BA to Helsinki, I understand from their website that my bike will be carried in addition to my usuall checked baggage but it also states that smaller accessories should not be packed in with the bike. Do people remove things like saddle bags (tool kit etc.) pumps etc from their bike bags when flying or am I likely to get away with packing a few things like that in with the bike?

Any advice appreciated.

Benny Hone

Don't know about BA but I've flown with both Jet2.com and SleazyJet taking a bike both times and left my tool-kit and bag in there on both occasions. The only thing they pulled me up on was the compressed air cylinders. They knew what they were straight away and told me it wasn't the security staff's decision but the individual airline to decide whether to carry them or not and therefore the bike may or may not have been transported! I chose to open the bike box and remove the cylinders and threw them in the bin. I had a pump, a tool-kit, pedals off, cleats, bottles full of energy powder, helmet etc all in the bike box and had zero problems with anything else. Basically, anything I could fit in the box that meant I didn't have to pack them in my suitase or carry-on went in there and speaking to others in Italy for the Maratrona, loads more had done the same from the UK but one or two had chanced it with the cylinders and got them through as well so maybe I should have persevered.

psmiffy

I always put every thing to do with the bike in the bag - panniers shoes tools bottles

Pekka

Funnily enough, I am flying with my bike to Heathrow from Helsinki with BA next week and I was thinking the same thing. I used to have a non-waterproof pannier set that was zipped together so it went as one piece of luggage. I have now got Ortlieb panniers and BA are going to charge me extra for the other one unless I buy an second-hand holdall or something.

culverwood

Pekka wrote:

I have now got Ortlieb panniers and BA are going to charge me extra for the other one unless I buy an second-hand holdall or something.

We had to do that last year and it worked out well as you could put a lot of stuff in the old holdall and give/throw the holdall away at the other end.

psmiffy

i put everything in a holdall panniers in with bike - leave holdall in bike bag