Anyone else had Easyjet not put their bikes on the plane?
Both of ours went missing on the way out.Along with ten others on the same flight
They eventually delivered them at 11.30 on Sunday night so we missed a days riding. 😐
Then to top it all off they failed to load them on the way back too. Along with three others.So we had to do a 200 mile round trip to collect them today.
Anyone else had the same thing happen to them?
Any way of making a claim against them?

Was it Sleazyjet or the ground-handlers at fault? Normal protocol is for airlines to forward delayed baggage at their cost – I ask to be reimbursed for your not unreasonable costs. You could probably legitimately claim for a lost day’s holiday i.e. 1/7th of cost if it was a 7-day trip.

normally they deliver to your location

T’s and C’s do say that they can do this. Maybe the flight was full of people with all they could carry fleeing the country?

You use a cheap airline you get a service that is closer to basic. They run closer to the margins (weight, fuel, volume) than most, so things like bikes are last to get loaded.

You use a cheap airline you get a service that is closer to basic.

So that makes it OK to charge for something then no give you what they’ve charged for. 🙄

You use a cheap airline you get a service that is closer to basic. They run closer to the margins (weight, fuel, volume) than most, so things like bikes are last to get loaded.

Daft post.

I use a cheap airline I expect myself AND my luggage to get to my destination at the same time. That IS the basic service that an airline is supposed to provide, so on this occasion the OP didn’t even get a basic service.

If it makes you feel better I have had my bike bumped from flights with Quantas, Swissair and BA who are all far from budget in terms of cost. All brought the bike to me when it did make it the country I was in however. Were you not offered that for the return journey to save your 100mile return to the airport?

Easyjet don’t have anything to do with loading your luggage beyond putting stickers on it and firing it in to the airport’s system. They may not even do that if they use a third party’s check in staff.
Fwiw went on a job a few weeks ago, on site for one day, tools and clothes checked in, and due to a short connection that stuff turned up just in time for me to carry it up to the hotel room. Klm.

Oh – and it should have been delivered at their expense, and Tbh I’d have rented a bike and billed them.

It’s shit, but I’d be willing to bet deep in their Ts&Cs there will be a clause about offloading oversize baggage.

Sadly, we get the service we are willing to pay for (not you specifically!) We want cheap flights, but top level service. Those two aren’t really compatible.

They should have sent your bike to your home though, rather than you collect it.

We want cheap flights, but top level service. Those two aren’t really compatible.

We want cheap flights and the service paid for. EasyJey charge extra for a bike so I’d expect it to show up. That said, they (along with every other carrier I suspect) do warn that bikes may not make it on to the flight. That doesnt make it ok.

Nightmares Stu, what a pain!

on the other hand, mine along with the other cyclists I met on my flight (all going to PDS) had their bikes fine…weird, seems completely random.

never had a problem with EasyJet

luggage issues once with another airline they delivered our stuff via taxi the next day. Shit happens but it was sorted. Why didn’t they deliver your stuff?

Whatnobeer – sadly not that simple. Cheap flights means no flexibility. 30 min turnrounds, bare minimum baggage handlers, full aeroplanes. If there’s a 5 min delay with a load of bikes, the flight will close and go without them. Anything else leads to cumulative delays and tens of thousands in compensation for delayed passengers.

Consider Easy/Ryanair the Planet X of aviation.

I have a mate who suffered the exact same with BA, never got his bike in time for etape du tour, it’s not just the cheapos. As said, they don’t have to put your bike on the same flight as you, they enter into a contract to deliver the bike, even on a later flight. Oh, and up to 80% of hold area is taken up by cargo, which helps to pay for your cheap flight. It’s shit, but that’s how it is.

I know why the service is cheap and usually not that reliable, but it shouldn’t be an excuse. If your bike are booked in on a maybe they’ll make it basis then that’s fine but you shouldn’t be paying in the instances when it doesn’t.

They should do as the train companies then, only allow 6 or so bikes.

Easyjet don’t have anything to do with loading your luggage beyond putting stickers on it and firing it in to the airport’s system.

They do though when they book nearly 30 bikes onto a flight knowing there’s not enough room for them.
They also have a lot to do with it when the pilot leaves bikes behind rather than miss an air slot.

The thing that really stinks is that they know they’ve not loaded the bikes but don’t say anything or try to help you. They just leave you standing waiting then give you a report code when you ask what’s happened but don’t tell you what to do with it.

They should do as the train companies then, only allow 6 or so bikes.

Very much this. If there’s not room for 30 bikes stop taking the money and shrugging your shoulders.

Happened with Air NZ (the plane was full and only had 14 seats 🙂 ) They were getting crappy about delivering them and ended up doing it as we had no car.
Virgin didn’t manage to transfer it from domestic to international one time, meant I got a smaller taxi home and they delivered it later that evening.
Sometimes it happens.
As for claiming – your travel insurance will have a delayed bags clause, you could have rented a bike and ridden for the day unless you decided to pop all your ride gear into your bike bag to fiddle the weight 😉
On the way home they should have delivered them. You should have insisted.

Can’t get excited about this, it’s in the T&C. I’ve had this happen a few times (10+) out of 3 or 400 flights with bikes. They’ve always delivered to me (either at my hotel when away, or at home).

They’ve always paid some form of compensation if it’s over 24 hours (IIRC) and reasonable incurred expenses (usually limited to a hire bike, not that i’ve needed one)

Best one was a pair of bikes that didn’t arrive in CDG, by the time i’d worked out that they weren’t coming, queued to get to the desk, filled in the papers, got out to the arrivals area looking for my lift (who’d buggered off rather than paying parking fees) my phone rang and told me that the bikes had arrived in the airport and would be delivered by courier “later that day”.
The courier was stood in the hotel lobby with two bike bags looking confused when i got there.

ANother good reason not to go on group cycling holidays…

Ofc it’s Easyjet’s fault – this isn’t the ground staff not being arsed to load the bags it’s because the hold is full. Easyjet’s (and others) systems just don’t seem to factor in if a lot of people are adding bike bags so on flights at popular times to popular cycling destinations you can end up with too much baggage for the plane to accommodate so it’s gets left behind and taken on the next available flight.

Stu makes a good point though, it shouldn’t be difficult for airlines to work out (via on line booking) that there are lots of bikes being booked onto a particular flight and perhaps suggest an alternative flight. Or refuse to take the bike booking after a limit has been reached. They seem happy enough to take the money though…

I must admit I generally fly at unpopular times to try to avoid this. Being single has it’s benefits occasionally as I’ve only myself to think about.

As said, they don’t have to put your bike on the same flight as you, they enter into a contract to deliver the bike, even on a later flight

This is my understanding. That is the service you paid for. 😥

Anybody who airfreights goods regularly will know that it’s a lottery and airlines often “bump” goods in favour of higher-earning cargo. In order of value to the airline it’s courier consignments followed by airfreight followed by your bike box so you’re right at the bottom of the pecking order.

ANother good reason not to go on group cycling holidays…

What was the other reason?

You end up riding with muppets?

Not me, but friends of mine – all pre-booked etc., they arrived later the same day I believe, it’s in their T’s and C’s – I forget the wording but it basically says if their 200 seater plane contains 180 people all bringing bikes and Imelda Marcos arrives with entourage and 40000 pairs of shoes there’s no way of taking it all so some will arrive later.

Time is a factor also, the bag kickers can only do so much and EasyJet only ask you to arrive 30 mins before departure, I always arrive super-early when I’ve got to go through over-sized luggage.

Having said that, their bikes were brought to them.

For balance I think EasyJet are fantastic, in recent years they’ve refined their service yes for efficiency, but they’ve taken out some of the frustrations like the scrum for seats and snotty check-in staff. These days, it’s walk in, scan code, take boarding pass, have a coffee, board when the weird queuers have done their thing, cheap n’ cheerful flight, leave – easy life.

I’m flying with them Sat to Geneva, mates are taking my bike and bag in the van, carry-on only I’m actually looking forward to it.

This is my understanding. That is the service you paid for.

I’m sure I read somewhere when I (let alone my luggage) got bumped off a flight because it was already full, but can’t even find it in their T&C’s now. That they actually contractually agree to do very little, it’s along the lines of “we’ll fly you”, destination, time, luggage, duration and everything else is pretty much on good faith.

I believe, it’s in their T’s and C’s – I forget the wording but it basically says if their 200 seater plane contains 180 people all bringing bikes and Imelda Marcos arrives with entourage and 40000 pairs of shoes there’s no way of taking it all so some will arrive later.

You basically don’t know how big everyones bag will be, what it weighs and a few other things, if people are checking small bags then more room for bikes, as you say turn up with a massive case each then it’s trouble. Also bikes in bags can easily be 23kg where as most people seem to want to stuff them to 32kg which means the weight goes up. Depending on the shape of the hold the number of big bags you can pack in will vary also.

As said I always make sure I’m there when check in opens if I’m taking oversize.

I’ve only had issues with BA. On both occasions I rented a bike for 1-2 days, so not to miss out on riding, and expensed it without any issues.

could be a laugh tho

As said I always make sure I’m there when check in opens if I’m taking oversize

Both times were we there for check in opening…
Seems the folks who were there later got their bikes loaded.

I was just about to say what order does stuff get loaded?

Is it first to check in, first on the plane or last to check in, first on the plane? Or no particular order as it all just ends up in a pile at the bottom of the check in chute ready to be trampled on/driven over/thrown into the truck for loading?

I also don’t agree with the cheap airline excuse.

you might be paying for the bare minimum level of service and comfort/extras but you should expect to get that as you have paid for it.

It all depends… mine goes on ready to be taken off first 🙂 but thats not an easyjet perk

I don’t think anyone doesn’t expect that it might happen from time to time with lost baggage or timed pressure to hit a slot, but there does seem to be an issue here of Easyjet creating the problem all by themselves at the expense of the passengers.

I imagine it cost them more than they made in excess baggage fees to courier bikes all over the place to get them to customers, so no-ones really won here. Seems like with just a bit of forethought problem could be mitigated.