How to Travel with your Bike for Cycling and Triathlon
CBCG Athlete Matt Evans at one of his travel destinations in 2019
by CBCG Athlete Amy VT
Venit diebus nostris - our time has come.
This past summer, one airline radically changed its policy, effecting a watershed of competitive matching. Now we cyclists and triathletes can relish more affordable options than ever. This blog provides a breakdown of several airlines’ policies, including their fine print because we’ve all rolled up to the counter and been surprised by, if not thrown a tantrum for the neatly-uniformed agents who’ve smugly told us our bike will be an extra hundo.
Slowtwitch® and Triathlete Magazine® and Bicycling Magazine® reported on the recent changes, the latter especially providing killer breakdowns and helpful caveats. I’d like to add a few more airlines, highlight some loopholes, provide some updates, and feature a cute little graph.
Until this summer, the only way to fly affordably with a bike, and only domestically, was with Alaska Airlines®, which already held a special place in my heart because: Portland Timbers. With wicked awesome awards, their signature companion fare, cheap one-way deals, and competitive pricing to Kona, Alaska clinched Amy VT’s enthusiastic thumps up.
There was also Southwest Airlines®, and with the amazing Rüster Sports® bags that enable you to break apart your bike into two soft bags that fit within the size restrictions (let’s not broach the brief, utopian period where Frontier Airlines®, then spearheaded by a serious cyclist, offered all bikes free no matter what). Since two “Bags Fly Free” on Southwest, that M.O. is still a great option. Even if you don’t have Rüster bags, bikes are just $75 on top of their already low prices, which is why I give Southwest an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
Now onto the major airline that incited what I hope will be a trend. On May 21, 2019 American Airlines® announced “Based on feedback from our customers and American team members, American is eliminating the charge for common oversize sports and music equipment....customers traveling within the United States, who used to pay $150 to check one oversize item such as a surfboard, will now pay $30 — the cost of a standard first bag — if the weight is less than 50 lbs.”† Our time has come as cyclists, alongside snowboarders, drummers, and bass oboists (sorry, antlers continue to incur the $150 fee).
It had been $150 to check bikes before, and in an effort to at once be cruel and infuriate my husband to the point of near-detainment, they typically charged singly or doubly for Rüster Sports® bags despite their size. $150 or more on top of ticket prices rendered American a no-go. Now, not only are bikes only $30, but they frequently offer the most competitive prices (with OK rewards programming).
Delta Airlines® followed suit swiftly thereafter, changing my life since they’re my fave for flight experiences and rewards. Maybe it’s because they feature the entire catalog of the Fast and Furious films, or Rápido y Furioso if you’re off to southerly races, but honestly, IMHO, they’re the best for customer service, comfort, reliability, and rewards. Thumbs-up for Alaska, American, and Delta.
CBCG Athlete Aly Wilson headed to the 2019 Superfrog 70.3
You do have to ensure your bike is under 50-pounds, however, which ain’t easy. Gone are the days when I tossed in my pump, all my gear, tools, helmets, Normatech® recovery pumps (just kidding), and several jars of peanut butter (not kidding) into my bike bag. In fact, here’s what it takes for me to get down to size in a Bikind® roller bag:
1. bike frame
2. wheels
3. one helmet
4. three bottles
5. wetsuit
6. swim gear
That’s it. Getting under 50-pounds means no tools, shoes, pump, or anything else, so you must also exercise constraint with your second checked bag. It must weigh-in under 50#, too, ironically costing more than your bike at $40 big ones for both American and Delta.
Pro Tip #1 - stage a packable bag on top so if you have to remove items at the desk you can rapidly create a carry-on. You don’t want to be that person splayed out on the sidelines re-packing everything and swearing, potentially buying an over-priced Samsonite® at Hudson News®, or throwing away your torque wrench. If you’re in PDX, you might as well go to Pendleton® and buy an $800 Aztec print wool duffel.
Sorting your Kayak® or Travelocity® results by lowest price takes-on a different strategy when you’re flying with a bike. Perhaps you’d like to use my graph below to cross-reference with ticket prices. When you don’t have much of an option, at least you’ll know what you’re in for, heeding the notes, loopholes, and caveats.
As for said loopholes, the biggest one of all is the variability in international travel. Agents in Kraichgau, Zell am See, Desaru, or Dubai might not give two shits about my graph. You could show them their airlines’ policies for proof, but they might laugh in your face or at least make you feel foolish for not being a native speaker. Part of traveling abroad is expecting the unexpected, which often appears in the form of setbacks. Buyer beware abroad, where the only advice I have is to remember that it’s never benefited any travel to antagonize a desk agent.
Pro Tip # 2 - don’t pre-pay for your bike or any bags. You’ll have to stand in line for service anyway because: oversized. If you wait to pay at the desk, you’ll interact more with an agent, and it’s possible you get an someone who turns a blind eye to some policy. Maybe a Delta agent will float you your second bag. Maybe a Southwest agent will consider your bike bag under dimension and not charge you at all. The latter just happened to me when I asked if she was “feeling the holiday spirit?”
Our time has come, we cyclists who fly with our most prized possessions. I guess some people have little things called children, which are also quite valuable and also fly free up to a certain age. Bikes are far less likely to cry or throw pretzels, though, nor do they demand pressurized space in the fuselage, so thanks to Alaska, American, and Delta, venit diebus nostris.