Has anyone flown with them to Canada? You are allowed to take a bike for free as long as it weighs no more than 23kg – I fear my DH bike will be more than that (more like 30-32kg) – does anyone know what the charges are for overweight baggage?

They also say the maximum dimensions are 190x75x65cm, but my bike bag is taller than 75cm.

Any experiences?

Not flown with them to Canada but have to Japan.
If you look on their website they list all the over weight charges for their flights, you can also pay for extra bags. Compared to a number of other airlines their charges are very reasonable (although I haven’t checked for a year or so).

However, when I checked in at Heathrow they looked at my bike bag and told me to take it straight to oversize baggage where it was checked in but wasn’t weighed in. It was over but not by much, but it was never checked.

It was on the way back and I just paid the small-ish over weight fee.

My bag was bigger than their limit also, but they have a special sports equipment section on their website with all the details.

Yeah, I looked on their sports equipment section, which is where it gives the dimensions and weight limit for bicycles.

I was just wondering how strict they were with those limits.

I fear my DH bike will be more than that (more like 30-32kg)

Eh? Maybe take some of the clutter out.

23kg is about 50lb, exactly what beast of a DH bike do you ride?

I flew last Summer with my bike & bag. No problem at all.

As above, are you sure you’re not mixing up lbs and Kg?

A DH bike in a suitable carrier can easily weighs more than 23kg. It used to be that the maximum weight of any bag was 32kg but then health and safety changes driven by the baggage handlers limited it to 23kg. One time getting home from the Alps cost me an extra £150 on Easyjet because of this.

The average DH bike can easily weigh 40lbs/18kg. When you then include the weight of the bag and packaging it can happily go way over the 23kg limit.

23kg is about 50lb, exactly what beast of a DH bike do you ride?

Bike – approx. 17-18kg (38lbs) not including packing materials.
Bike Bag – 5-6kg

So that’s 23-24kg right there, without other bits, such as body armour, that won’t fit in my hold luggage. I am sure I could try and squeeze them in my holdall, but it would probably make that over-weight.

Mikey if you have anything other than a bike in your bike bag then you may find you’re asked to take it out. The airlines are usually happy to let you take sporting equipment for free (the total weight notwithstanding) but they aren’t happy for you to use that as a way of carrying extra baggage.

It’s hit and miss but this has happened to me.

My DH weighed 18kg and my Dakine bike bag weighed 8kg and yet still the all in weight on the airlines scales came to over 32kg. I don’t know where the extra weight comes from but it’s just a product of packaging a DH bike that it seems to gain weight when you do it!

I have been to Canada the last 6 years in a row and I have always packed body armour in my bike bag without a problem. However, Virgin may be different; hence the thread.

If necessary, I will only pack my bike in the bag, which should get it nearer the 23kg limit.

Yeah, I looked on their sports equipment section, which is where it gives the dimensions and weight limit for bicycles.

I was just wondering how strict they were with those limits.

Not very in my experience. But it is an airline so they can change on a whim.

My Anthem, with bag and some tools, shoes, lights etc in the bag came in at 25kg on the way out, was up to 28kg on the way back. They just classed it as a bag weight change on the way back. (But I was flying premium so was allowed 2 bags anyway and only had 2 bags including the bike bag so not sure if that made a difference)

Excess baggage costs are in the link below.

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/gb/en/travel-information/baggage/additional-baggage.html

There are no specific sizes for the bike bags that I can see? I think I remember having the same thoughts at the time.

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/gb/en/travel-information/baggage/sports-equipment.html

It used to be that the maximum weight of any bag was 32kg but then health and safety changes driven by the baggage handlers limited it to 23kg. One time getting home from the Alps cost me an extra £150 on Easyjet because of this.

Utter balls, the max weight of any bag is still 32kg, the max weight an airline will carry may have changed, Emirates still allow 30kg single bag as do most of the big carriers.

Utter balls, the max weight of any bag is still 32kg, the max weight an airline will carry may have changed, Emirates still allow 30kg single bag as do most of the big carriers.

That is my experience too.