So, I’m on a flight soon, taking my bike and I’m really struggling to keep it below the 20 to 23kg allowance (23kg for international and 20kg for domestic so I need to keep to a 20kg target really) I’m currently about 25kg.

The airline is very unhelpful, can’t get to speak to anyone about this and as usual the online information doesn’t make sense. (Air China) Spoke to someone in their customer services who couldn’t tell me much, told me to phone the UK number that no one is answering.

Now, the thing is, am I likely to get charged more if it’s excess weight than if I just have another piece of luggage? Customer services seemed to think it would be $110 for excess luggage, but couldn’t tell me anything about excess weight – they suggested an email address I could contact about the baggage but who knows if and when I’ll get a reply from them.

So, I’m wondering if I’ll be better off breaking down the bike a bit more and packing my stuff in 2 bags to go in the hold, one being under the 20kg weight and the other would just be excess baggage rather than weight so might be cheaper.

Any thoughts or anyone had to deal with something like this on a regular occasion?

Thanks 😕

Oh, another thought was to put some things into my carry on luggage like pedals, seatpost and saddle – would this be seen as dangerous weapons or something?

Normally you will just get charged for every kg over. Somewhere in the Web page there should be a bit of explanation but there is probably no point in splitting it.

Oh, another thought was to put some things into my carry on luggage like pedals, seatpost and saddle – would this be seen as dangerous weapons or something?

I did that once including the chainset but it was 25yrs ago. I think there would be no chance now.

Usually it’s cheaper to book an extra bag in advance than arrive and get charged excess.

Which airline?

If you let them know beforehand, often you can tell them you are taking a bike and you get an allowance of 32kg (maximum for any single item) obviously there’s a fee (£60 return springs to mind from the last few trips I’ve done), but it’s much less than excess baggage. Look under ‘sporting goods’

Ah just seen air China, nothing about sporting goods?

Overweight baggage charge
1. Overweight baggage charges for domestic routes under weight concept
On domestic routes, the excess baggage charge per kg is calculated at the rate of 1.5% of the published adult fare for a single trip, economy class (cabin Y) ticket on a direct flight from the location of original departure to the destination. If there is no published direct flight fare, the rate charged is calculated by adding ticket fares for all flight segments.

http://www.airchina.com.cn/www/en/html/index/travel_information/passenger_services/baggage_information/Checked%20Baggage/3823/

https://www.airchina.co.uk/GB/GB/info/checked-baggage/overweight-charge.html

So looks like $110 or 1.5% of the most expensive economy fare per kilo depending on what route you are on.

also strikes air china off the list of airlines to use…

On the day you’ll be hit with very large fees for excess. Usually most airlines will allow you to pay in advance for additional.

Usually there’s a sports bag allowance but these days often that bag counts as your one free item of luggage, but you can pay for another, or try to get as much in carry on as possible.

You should be able to bump the limit to 32kg. Airlines or travel agents often offer this as a baggage upgrade fee, especially for sports bags. Might even find the sports bag allowance is 32kg anyway, but check.

You cannot go over 32kg, no matter what. That’s the limit applied to baggage handlers. Anything over that has to be shipped as cargo.

p.s. consider “wearing” stuff on the flight. Even helmet if your taking one 😀 . In reality, chuck it in the overhead or under the seat.

You should be able to bump the limit to 32kg. Airlines or travel agents often offer this as a baggage upgrade fee, especially for sports bags. Might even find the sports bag allowance is 32kg anyway, but check.

not according to air china.
Sports Allowances are becoming a lot more scarce these days, I’ve not flown with an airline who has one for a while just sensible luggage allowances or the ability to buy more when it’s tight.
FWIW I read through the air china baggage site apart from feeling a bit google translate it’s not giving you much to go on.

leffeboy, I can’t get to talk to anyone in Air China to see if I can add additional luggage, have been trying! Ticket was part of a pre-booked trip so I had nothing to do with booking it.

I’ve seen most of that info but it’s still not that clear to me. Don’t know if the excess charge will be for all the flights or per flight, it’ll be four flights in total there and back so could end up expensive, but no one will tell me.

So not worth breaking into 2 bags, just go with being a bit overweight and hope for the best.

You’ll be fine packing peripheral stuff into your hand luggage. If it’s clearly a saddle and seatpost attached to each other, and a few other related bits, they won’t bat an eyelid

What is the ticket you have? Is it one booking all the way through (international and domestic) or separates? Generally you will pay per sector but it could be per journey. Who booked the trip – thats your first port of call. Where are you going (from/to)

Ha, wear the helmet .. can you do that?

I’ll be wearing as much as possible and most of my stuff will fit in a cabin bag anyway, it’s just that the bike case thing is about 8kg and my bike, an mtb, about 14kg, so about 22kg before I add some more protective packaging.

if it’s an evoc (about 9kg?) you don’t need extra packing. But you wont get under weight. I’d avoid putting pedals etc in hand luggage really.

Travel company booked the flights. I did ask them if they knew but they had no idea. According to the customer services I spoke to in Europe, not the UK, if my connecting flight is within 24hrs it’s considered as one journey. Land in China about 4.30pn leave the next day about 8.30am.

So it’s international then domestic? If that is the case then you should be on the international allowance for the entire flight. One booking Ref check in for both flights when you arrive (even if you have to collect and recheck on landing) but it’s China so who knows…
The airport you leave from should have someone representing air china there during departure times so try calling the airport or looking it up there. They should be able to give you the same advice on the phone as they would at check in.

Also 23kg is tight for a bike. Do you really need the bike 😉

Carry your helmet, wear it if challenged.

What weight allowance do you have for the hand-luggage (carry-on)? Max that out with small, heavy items. If you like gambling, then you’ll note that lots of airlines do not always weight the carry-on. If you have a small but heavy bag you might slip it through.

even if they weigh it at checkin just have whoever dropped you off round the corner with the heavy stuff (I was emigrating…)

You’ll be fine packing peripheral stuff into your hand luggage. If it’s clearly a saddle and seatpost attached to each other, and a few other related bits, they won’t bat an eyelid

I’ve flown this year with pedals and helmet in hand luggage. Im not sure if you would get away with a seat post though that could be used as a weapon.

Ask the airline is the usual advice

also what airport?
I may have dropped a but extra into the bike bag after it’s weighed on the way to the oversized drop off area more than once (about 6 times now once in front of the checkin lady from delta as they were being annoying) most places it’s a short walk to the oversize place. Again having the second mate helps or just a small pack in the trolley 😉

Or work out how cheap it is to buy rotors and pedals in china

https://www.airchina.co.uk/GB/GB/info/checked-baggage/special-baggage-fees.html

https://www.airchina.co.uk/GB/GB/info/checked-baggage/overweight-charge.html

As always they make these things pretty difficult to determine. Based on the information in these 2 docs and previous experience of finding airlines for long haul flights with a bike, my interpretation of this would be:

The excess baggage fee would be either US$75, or US$110 depending on whether your bike bag breached the weight limit only or the weight limit and the cumulative dimensions limit. It is possible these fees are per kilo rather than in total?

Although it is also not clear, they may charge you these fees per leg, (flight leg rather than the longer hairy variety) but if your international and domestic tickets are linked together under the same booking you will probably get away with it being one journey.

It’ll be 23kg all the way provided it’s on one ticket, so keep it under 23kg and you’ll be fine. Packing doesn’t need to be much, pipe lagging and some of that polystyrene film stuff will do it.

When I last flew to America I had my chainset in my normal bag and put loads of extra stuff in my bike bag to bring it UP to the limit. What bike + bag is 56lb?!

leffeboy, I can’t get to talk to anyone in Air China to see if I can add additional luggage, have been trying!

Fair enough, it’s always been an online thing to book for us but that’s been within europe

It seems a bit random what you are allowed. I’v had friends had their Dlocks taken off them a couple of times but I’ve got through with mine. Similarly I’ve been allowed a small screwdriver but not a slightly larger one. It does seem like there is some discretion. Folding up your tyres seems like an easy if bulky win.

Santa Cruz Heckler is about 30lb, my case is about 17lb so about 47lb, I have a limit of 50lb, or the limit could be 44lb on the domestic flight … soon adds up but airlines don’t give much of an allowance!

I always put helmet in hand luggage.

Can just about get my ally Stumpy down to 23kg in an Evoc bag if I put the pedals in another checked bag. As mikewsmith says, no extra padding needed (maybe a bit of bubble wrap around shock and stanchions).

Sometimes cheaper to buy an extra checked bag than risk your bike bag being overweight!

Whip off chainset (and chain), stick it in your other checked bag and you’ll be grand.

…good reason for using a light bag

Only ever used a soft sided bag, all over the world, fine as you use pile insulation on the frame and remove brake discs and chainset

Touch wood, I’ve never had an issue…

How light is light?
Just had a look and the planet x still comes in a touch over 5kg saving you 3.5ish on an evoc before you have to faff with packing material and all that? Again very frequent bike flier and I prefer the little extra weight for ease of use, movement and lack of stress. Generally I choose my airlines carefully for the best deal.

Some stuff on SeatGuru – http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Air_China/baggage.php

Useful site also for checking seat and flight information.

Seatguru says there’s a ‘premium economy’ which gives up to 32kg. That would be better, I might even be on that ticket, if only I could speak to someone at Air China to find out or pay some extra!! 😐

your ticket will have a fare class code on it.
https://www.airchina.com.au/AU/GB/info/notice/
They don’t list Prem Ec on the site

I just went through a booking process
http://www.airchina.com.cn/www/en/
Put in your flights you are on, go through to the flight confirmation page. It will tell you what the allowance is. I’m getting 23kg Economy for international, no PE available.

Seat Guru will list a few different configs of the plane so it might not be the one you are on

if only I could speak to someone at Air China to find out or pay some extra!!

Which airport are you flying from? they will have somebody there representing air china who can probably tell you.

and….
London Office West Wing, 11th Floor 389 Chiswick High Road London, United Kingdom W4 4AJ Email: ukoffice@airchina.com 44-20-32750200 44-20-76307792
London Heathrow Level Zero,Room 118 Terminal 2 London Heathrow Airport TW6 1EW E-mail: ukoffice@airchina.com 44-20-87454624 44-20-89767939
http://www.airchina.com.cn/en/contact_us/european.shtml

Hi mikewsmith – flying from Heathrow, I’m sure I’ve tried all those contacts you’ve listed there, some go to the same office, all I got yesterday was a message saying extension unavailable, even the customer sevices in Europe couldn’t get through to anyone. I’ve emailed as well. I’ll try again today, maybe I’ll have better luck.

Haven’t flown with my bike for about 6 years and this is putting me off doing it again, especially as allowances seem to be a lot lower than the last time I did it.

Thanks.

I fly with mine loads, just pick my airlines better!

From Oz done UK twice, US, NZ about 5 times and all over Oz with different bikes in tow.

It really just puts me off Air China! Try an email to the Euro offices (all of them in one mail?) and see what you get but I have to say it’s looking like 23kg max. Which is my bag and my lighter bike with a pair of shoes thrown in. Hope the destination is worth the hassle

When are you going? Could you post a few bits out there or even buy? May work out cheaper than excess baggage.

18 days in Mongolia, always wanted to go there and decided to do it this year, but I didn’t sort the flights out. It will be worth it but it’s the hassle of just finding out information from Air China, happy to pay a bit more but I don’t know if I can or how much it might be. Might just have to hope I can sort out something when I get to heathrow. My partners dropping me off, maybe go really light and if I find out I can add some weight to my allowance have a extra bag of stuff I can bung in there. Weather looks good so shouldn’t need too much kit.

I did wonder about buying stuff out there but most of my riding kit fits in cabin bag, it’s the bike that’s at or above the limit. Not planning on checking in 2 bags so don’t think I’d get away with things like chainset, pedals, seatpost in hand luggage.

Some times they weight your bike bag then you take it to out size baggage which is when you put in all the heavy stuff from your hand baggage. Or sometimes you may have to steady the bike bag on the scales at check in meaning it may not weigh as much.