Hi all
I am organising a trip to Whistler and have found the ideal flights with Air Transat. Their system for taking bikes is a little risky, it isn't possible to add excess bags or bikes on at the time of booking, you have to add and pay at check-in!
Has anyone flown with a bike with them, I don't fancy explaining to our group that we have been refused at the airport because the hold is full or any other reason they could think of!!
Thanks in advance
Get there early basically. I always fly with them. I had my bike delayed by 2 weeks coming back '14. Went from Van to Taiwan, to Alberta to Van to Manchester. Which was nice.
That.
Make sure you are the first to check in.
Then hope they show up at the other end!
I flew with them once years ago and they lost my bike too. And my sleeping bag and tent, which was chilly...
AirTransat is cheap for a reason. A friend once missed her flight (Calgary to London) when they changed the departure time forward by several hours at the last minute and sent her an e-mail letting her know. The problem being we were on the Wapta icefield where mobile reception was a little lacking so by the time we got the e-mail the plane was probably taxiing down the runway.
WestJet have, I think, started flights Calgary to Gatwick. You'd need to change in Calgary but it might be cheap (not looked) and WestJet are generally okay for bikes.
Cheers for the replies guys, unfortunately they don't fill me with confidence!
Maybe we should consider another airline, ill check out WestJet
BA have been faultless the times I've used them, not cheap mind
Air Canada rouge delayed our flight by 24 hours, got the compo, but still, missed a day of crankworx
flown with air transat 6 times with bikes from uk to vancouver and never had an issue. last time we had 4 bikes between 2 people.
turn up pay at check in, cheap at roughly 40 dollars per bike each way. bikes have always arrived safe and sound, flights have generally been on time.
don't think there's an airline out there that you won't get somebody telling you a horror story about their luggage not turning up.
I could be wrong, but I know AC/ BA are currently in a bit of a price war, so if you haven't already, it could be worth checking them out for your flight.
We have a majority of out guests fly with bikes using transat/Canadian affair.
I cannot remember a lost bike. A few delayed bikes for sure. Maybe one flight arrival per summer, but far less common on transat than it is with BA or AC.
Their service is no frills but it works.
Big thumbs up for Air Transat from me, I basically moved lives between Edinburgh and Vancouver, including a backpack full of mountaineering kit and a big padded bike bag, only paid $40 extra for the privilege and everything arrived intact. I seemed to recall being able to book the bike in advance though but perhaps I'm remembering wrong.
We are going with WestJet who operate on the same basis so fingers crossed. I rang up to check when booking. Fingers very crossed here too
Ours got there and back okay, well one slightly bent disc but you get the same bag chuckers with every airline so you could hardly blame them.
Like others said, get there early, expect to 'check-in' twice, one for you and once again at oversized luggage for you bike, I can't remember if it was £70 each-way or £70 return for the bike when I went.
I hope for OP's sake they've updated their aircraft, when we went it was a Thomas Cook plane borrowed for the trip from taking short-haul passengers back a forth the Costas, 14 hours with my head bent over because it was against some structural thing or other, easily the least comfortable flight of my life. When I got back I swore if I went again I'd go BA, but hey - it costs twice as much.
I have now had a reply from Air Transat
If there are more than 10 in the group we can prepay vouchers by calling their customer service number
$60 return Yay
I will of course still arrive in plenty of time.
out of interest what flight are you on
My mates and I have used Transat, (Canadian Affair same Co), regularly for the past 10 years from UK to Vancouver and never had a problem, have taken 2 bikes some years and again no problems.
I flew with Air Canada one year .... and they left my bike in Vancouver!!
I flew with Air Transat to Canada last year. Stayed with Bearback. Check in was the best check in Ive ever had for any flight. Turned up when check in opened and were only ones there. Bag weighed, bikes weighed and paid for, took bikes to over sized drop off and away they went. Were ready and waiting when got to Canada. No problems at all.