We’re flying with Easyjet this summer, taking the bikes. I haven’t flown with them for ages but, other airlines seem happy to allow a few extra bits of “Padding” in with the bike. The T&Cs on Easyjet state that the bike bag should be just that, not clothes, but I’m wondering if I can get away with a few things in there. I’m not talking filling the bike bag with clothes – just the bulky things like pads & helmet, keeping to the weight limit obviously!
Otherwise it’s another £40 for hold luggage I don’t really need as I can get 90% of stuff in a cabin bag.

Anyone had much experience with this?

Just used Easyjet last week and had no problem, plenty of clothes and other items in the bike bag. I would say it depends more on the airport than the company?? Usually the bike is scanned and checked in at a different place from your normal bags. This is usually managed by airport personnel instead of company personnel, and IME they don’t really mind.

just got back from malaga with easyjet bikebag was on the nail both ways 32kg with shoes and the like in with it. your problem is if you start to get near the max 52kg total baggage allowance i was 42kg in total so well under.

Thanks a lot for the replies – sounds like I should be ok with a few things in there then….

your problem is if you start to get near the max 52kg total baggage allowance i was 42kg in total so well under.

2 or 3 parts to this..

32kg is the max item weight regardless of how much you paid, the handlers shouldn’t be lifting any more and anything over that can/will be rejected.

What you call packing and what they do are very different things, your camelback etc. is a saddle bag and the pads are what the bike came with in the box.

Also be early as there is a chance that luggage could have been oversold.

slightly OT i.e. I went with a different airline (Manchester) and the bike limit was 20KG easy enough you think with a touring bike, but steel frame, panniers, even the cardboard box was 3-4kg! so I only just got under the limit! But I did have a chat with the security chap who scanned the box, he was happy (at 4.30am) to let me take a photo of the X-Ray of my bike:)
In my carry on bag under the 10KG I had any heavy stuff, tent, camping stove, bike tools! Security on the French side took a while over the camping stove, not with gas obviously;)
So just weigh your bags before you go to make sure. Enjoy.

Over here in Oz it’s 23kg per item, Evoc bag and my big bike can mean popping the pedals and rotors in the other bag.

Flew with EJ a couple of weeks ago, bike box had bike + all my riding gear. Shoes, helmet, a few tools. Came in well under 32kg and they never said a word about the ‘extras’ in there.

Never had any trouble with that no matter who I’ve flown with.

All encouraging stuff. I’ll stick with the plan then – plenty of “Padding” round the bike.

EJ do not weigh hand baggage so I stuff this full of my clothes and as much gear as possible. Then all spare parts tools and other stuff in my hold bag, and a bit in the bike bag, like armour, tyres tubes.
I did notice at Bristol and my mates remarked at Gatwick that the EJ scales seemed a little tight. I am normally 28-29 kg on my evoc with dh bike and this time I was 33, so had to do some swapping around at check in.

Seems you’re pretty sorted but just to add helmet as carry on every time! The bags can get a lot of abusein the handling an I want to be confident my helmet is still able to do it’s job.