Airline Baggage Regulation / Flying with Bikes

Hi guys.
I got hit by an excessive baggage fee by American Airlines on Monday.

Flew Honolulu to Belfast.
Checked in 1 box 95 x 72 x 20cms, 17kg.
Charged $150 but http://www.americanairlines.co.uk/i18n/agency/travelExperience/baggageAllowance.jsp?locale=en_GB says

Bicycle*

• One non-motorised touring or racing bike.
  
• Handlebars must be fixed sideways and pedals removed or pedals and handlebars must be enclosed in plastic foam or similiar material.
  
• Restriction for travel to/from/through Zurich (Switzerland): Due to limitations of the X-ray machines in Zurich (ZRH), bicycle boxes cannot be larger than the dimensions of the X-ray machines, which are 31 inches wide by 39 inches high by 157 inches long and cannot weigh more than 70 lbs.
  **- One bicycle will be accepted in place of one checked bag within the baggage allowance regardless of the actual dimensions of the bicycle. **
  
• Carry-on: No
  
• Checked: Yes
  
  

So, the website says Free I get charged $150.

So I email American Airlines the website link and all the flight information. They reply with the following...excerpt, the full is below...

Moreover, we depend on our agents to assess the items and collect the applicable charge. We do not countermand our airport agents' decisions regarding excess or overweight baggage. Accordingly, we must respectfully decline to refund the baggage charge you paid.

They also include a completely different website link stating the bike charge is $100 not $150

I have once again emailed and asked why 1. the website says free regardless of size and 2. why the other page says $100 and not the $150 I was charged.

Any ideas of who I can copy this too? OFT? Trading Standards?

Cheers
Alex

Thank you for contacting Customer Relations.

I can appreciate your dismay at having to pay an additional charge for transporting a bicycle as checked baggage. Thank you for this opportunity to address your inquiry.

While all sports equipment counts towards your bag allowance, there is an additional charge for some sports items that exceed our size and weight restrictions (bicycles, surfboards, hang gliders, and javelins, for example). While it may not be readily apparent, there are additional costs associated with handling these items. For example, such items generally cannot be placed on standard baggage conveyor systems and may have to be transported by other means to and from bag rooms and aircraft. In addition, the cubic space required to secure such items in aircraft cargo compartments is space that may displace other cargo and reduce our revenue. To recover some of these costs, we believe it is reasonable to charge those customers who choose to travel with these items. For more information, please click on the following link:

http://www.americanairlines.co.uk/i18n/travelInformation/baggage/baggageAllowance.jsp#Sports%20Equipment

Moreover, we depend on our agents to assess the items and collect the applicable charge. We do not countermand our airport agents' decisions regarding excess or overweight baggage. Accordingly, we must respectfully decline to refund the baggage charge you paid. I am sorry.

Again, thank you for allowing me to explain why we charged to check your bicycle. Please travel with us soon. We look forward to welcoming you onboard again in the near future.

Sincerely,

Arjanne Suierveld
Customer Relations
American Airlines

Hi, its been a while, but I've just got back from a trip which took me to LA, Samoa, New Zealand and Hong Kong. I did the whole thing with bicycle in tow flying AIR NEW ZEALAND.

I packed the bike in a large see through plastic bag, as sold by Wiggle, with a bit of pipe insulation around the tubing, and they were really good about it at each leg of the journey.

They ship sporting equipment for free, and so I didn't have to pay a penny extra when heading East. They were a bit unsure at Samoa airport, but I showed them a print out of their guidelines that I had highlighted and they soon came around.

flying to Hong Kong from New Zealand and then Hong Kong to home, the baggage alowance is less but they give you an extra 10kg of baggage free for a bike.

All in all a very friendly and helpful airline.

Update! - I got a refund!

Dear Mr. Donald:
Thank you for contacting us again.

I have checked the link you provided with regards to the transportation of your bicycle. As our agency website states that one bicycle will be accepted in place of one checked bag within the baggage allowance regardless of the actual dimensions of the bicycle, we are happy to offer you a refund of the baggage fee.

We will issue an adjustment to the credit card account used to pay the baggage charge. A credit in the amount of $150.00 should appear on one of your next two billing statements. In the interim, we appreciate your patience.

Mr. Donald, I regret any misunderstanding with regards to this charge and will forward your feedback to the appropriate supervisory staff for review. We hope this has now been settled to your satisfaction and look forward to welcoming you onboard again soon.

Sincerely,

Arjanne Suierveld
Customer Relations
American Airlines

Update! - I got a refund!

Dear Mr. Donald:
Thank you for contacting us again.

I have checked the link you provided with regards to the transportation of your bicycle. As our agency website states that one bicycle will be accepted in place of one checked bag within the baggage allowance regardless of the actual dimensions of the bicycle, we are happy to offer you a refund of the baggage fee.

We will issue an adjustment to the credit card account used to pay the baggage charge. A credit in the amount of $150.00 should appear on one of your next two billing statements. In the interim, we appreciate your patience.

Mr. Donald, I regret any misunderstanding with regards to this charge and will forward your feedback to the appropriate supervisory staff for review. We hope this has now been settled to your satisfaction and look forward to welcoming you onboard again soon.

Sincerely,

Arjanne Suierveld
Customer Relations
American Airlines

"Sorry seems to be the hardest word"

Sorry seems to be the word they just won't use!
But, I'm happy that they refunded the money. It took a lot of effort and put me in a pretty awful mood for the past couple of days; I wonder just how many people would have given up after the original check in refusal, two visits to American Airlines service desks in LA and London and then that first email.

Sorry seems to be the word they just won't use!
But, I'm happy that they refunded the money. It took a lot of effort and put me in a pretty awful mood for the past couple of days; I wonder just how many people would have given up after the original check in refusal, two visits to American Airlines service desks in LA and London and then that first email.

Glad you got your money back, dude. Seriously, we should all start charging them admin fees for having to point out their own guidance to them. Will keep everyone posted when I fly BA ina few weeks.

That's pretty crap, especially when it explicitly says it's free. Glad you got your money back.

I have another story of airline twattishness...
My parents were in France over the summer for a 3 week camping holiday. My sister flew out to stay with them for a week and flew back from Biarritz (I think).
When she was checking in, there was a guy in front of her with a bike, trying to explain to the French lady on the desk that the web site didnt mention anything about packing the bike in any manner when he made the booking. I guess he had thought they would just lay the bike on top of the rest of the luggage (I don't see why this isn't an option). Anyway the lady on the desk was adamant that he had to have it in a box, so he asked if they had any boxes and they said to try Air France. Over he goes to the Air France desk to ask for a box where he gets told that yes they do have some boxes. Awesome. But the boxes say Air France on them and not EasyJet so he can't use one.
At this point my sister and parents step in and offer to take the bike back to the UK on their bike rack on the trailer. I'm sure this must have looked properly dodgy but they guy ended up letting them take the bike home, and collected it a few weeks later. Don't know what he would have done otherwise though!

I should point out that he had paid for the bike to be taken on the plane, and said he had looked very closely at the website to see if he needed a box and it hadn't said anything. Anyone taken a bike on EazyJet and a similar experience?

They were a bit unsure at Samoa airport, but I showed them a print out of their guidelines that I had highlighted and they soon came around.

Goood one...I hadn't even thought about that but will take printouts to wave under BA's noses if there're any problems

And apparently I can leave my bike bag in a locker at Amsterdam Schipol for the weekend for about 20 euro too.

Goood one...I hadn't even thought about that but will take printouts to wave under BA's noses if there're any problems

And apparently I can leave my bike bag in a locker at Amsterdam Schipol for the weekend for about 20 euro too.

hmmm... interesting. may have to utilize that for bmxage.

Anyone flown with a bike to/from the US since the failed bomb attack?

I would like to bring two bikes from the States in a few weeks on British Air.

Does heightened security make this a major hassle?

that'll be check-in luggage, D. cant see how you'd notice hightened security. i flew out of newark the day after the security breach (few days ago). security was tight in getting through the gates but no diff in handing luggages in.

BUT upon arrival here, noticed they opened ALL three bags. locks were removed. prob cos they noticed each had some sort of suspicious powder mix in it (baby formula/aunt jemima/hungry jack pancake mix!). id be pretty pissd off if they open up a bike bag/box and let it rattle around unsecured after

BA were cool. No long at all.

No signs of wear on my bag, although my mates brand new bag looked like staff had been road-skiing behind the plane on his :O) ) One of his pedals was poking out through the side when we got there.

Luck of the draw, I guess. Laughed my fcuking ass off till he told me he'd forgotten the track pump.

Anyone ever flown with two bikes in one bag on BA? I'm going out with one bike, but want to come back with two. Read this on the interwebs though:

I have the double bike case, and the bag handlers at Heathrow refused to lift, or load the case with two bikes inside as it was above their max single person lift limit. I had to literally beg them to load it - and of course pay an extra "fine"

That was in reference to one of these though:

I flew BA back from the US in February with two frames and bits in a standard bike box.

No issue as it was managable and under the allowed weight limit.

Expect a surcharge if over 23kg

Can you combine the luggage of two people into on bag? I doubt it... The bike coming back is a light alu bike. The other bike is my hefty steel polo bike with tyres that are a kilo each.

Probably should just get two bags.

The ticket class will decide how many bags you are allowed.

There were a few people forced to lighten their loads to get under 23kg and avoid penalty.

I saw a family of four being hassled because all of their items were in one overstuffed and overweight suitcase.

Yeah, we get one bag each (of 23kg). So no merging. Two bike bags it is. Cheers!

For the record, I've been flying Emirates to Australia. Their Economy luggage limit is 30kg, not 20kg.

This is great for bringing bikes and stuff back. Anyone wanna buy a track bike?

Hi I noticed that a lot of the airlines including BA and easyjet are stating that the bike needs to be in an appropriate bike box. The way I see this, you can no longer get a card box from you local bike shop? If anyone know differently please correct me.

Thanks

Tom

I don't see why a cardboard box is any different from a 'proper' bike transport carry case...would imagine they're more concerned about people rocking up with the pedals off and a few plastic bags around it as i've seen on at least one instance

Hi I noticed that a lot of the airlines including BA and easyjet are stating that the bike needs to be in an appropriate bike box. The way I see this, you can no longer get a card box from you local bike shop? If anyone know differently please correct me.

Emirates were totally fine with me using a cardboard bike box.

The Mildura VLine bus driver cockfuckwit wasn't though but their policy apparently prohibits all cardboard packaging even though other cunts were allowed to have open plastic shopping bags in the luggage hold. Thanks for adding another 3 hours onto my journey you fucking truckie wannabe.

Can you combine the luggage of two people into on bag? I doubt it... The bike coming back is a light alu bike. The other bike is my hefty steel polo bike with tyres that are a kilo each.

Probably should just get two bags.

Your tyres are probably knackered/dead anyway. Bin them and replace when back in the UK?

Ah, would be a good tip, but I think you misunderstood - the tyres going are the polo tyres. They've got life in them yet! The ones on the other bike will probably be a bit "meh", but the bike will be rebuilt while we're there so Adrienne has something to ride (it's her touring bike).

Unless I misunderstood. Which is possible. Been at the pub with Joe.

But yeah, you're right on the two bag thing. Going to bring one from here, and hopefully buy another, cheaper, one in Ca-na-duh.

Emirates were really good with my bike coming from Australia.
30kg allowance for Economy, it was boxed and went into special 'Fragile' item cage.

Lufthansa want to charge 70EUR EACH WAY for Heathrow to Trieste flight. It would be free if I could fit it in their 20kg/158cm total external lengths limits but this is unlikely.

BMI were very good when I fly to the Tour of Ireland with bike. It was something like £70 return and the bike travelled for £15 each way.

I've adjusted the original post to allow for Hippy's comments...feel free to add other notes re airlines and I'll add