Going to Scotland from Heathrow with BA and it seems confusing.

Here it says

You can take non-motorised bicycles of up to 190cm (75in) in length as part of your checked baggage, provided they are packed in a recognised bicycle bag. Please ensure that you:

So in my evoc bag and away? I get 23kg free in an economy plus flight so its just my checked bag right? I am confused…
How fussy are they about weight?

I get 23kg free in an economy plus flight so its just my checked bag right?

Exactly right. It’s probably the most confusingly worded baggage policy I’ve ever seen, but having flown BA with my bike twice from Heathrow you have it correct. In my experience they haven’t been tremendously fussy about the weight, possibly because the bike needed weighed at the oversize baggage area, but that might be down to the check in people I dealt with rather than general policy.

I’ve just flown with Swiss who have the same confusing wording in their baggage section. I just booked it on as an extra bag. Checkin people just asked how much it weighed so it got a few kilos knocked off the actual 29kg and they were okay with it.

In my experience they’re usually pretty relaxed about the weight of bike bags and boxes as long as you don’t take the piss.
I’ve had no issues with 26 or 27kg bike boxes in the past.
They also aren’t bothered what’s in with the bike so you can stick helmets and clothes in easily.

I flew to Toulouse this year with BA. Took max hand baggage and checked in my bike. They were very fussy about the weight. Even to the point where the 4 of us travelling together were under the total allowance but had to move things around because one bag weighed 25kg. Light bike bags mostly.

Otherwise no issues. I think you can pay more and get up to 32kg allowance if needed.

By the letter it’s straight forward, you have a 23kg allowance and that can include a bike if you want. Not sure why they don’t weigh at check-in like everyone else. Just book an extra bag and go in style…

Looking at bike with BA myself and will have just the one checked bag. Problem is Evoc bags themselves seem to be 8kg from what I can tell. Bike plus bare minimum of bits will hit 13kg (30lbs, though bike is about 26/27). Really pushing the limit and I was hoping to include clothes in the bag too.

Any good hand luggage bags that can stuff in enough for a week trip? Usually flying I see people with way over sized hand luggage and get away with it.

Anyway, allowances are really confusing on a lot of sites. Got similar problem with skiing. BA now saying they charge extra for skis, other places say not. Another site said boot bag now counts as an additional bag too, not combined with skis!

They also generally say this about sporting equipment (inc bikes)…

“You can take larger items of up to 190 x 75 x 65cm (75 x 29.5 x 25.5in) for an additional charge. (Currently, we waive this charge so you do not pay it.)”

So means they will be charging separately for sporting equipment at some point.

With BA we got a very stern look and tutting for my mates at 25.4kg. It was £70 if she’d wanted to be fussy about it.

Just buy an extra bag and relax on holiday.* tis what we did going to canada with the touring bikes.

Extra bag each way doubles the price of the flight! (EU flight in my case).

Could hire a bike at the other end in that case then then your flight remains cheap.

23kg aint enouh to take all needed for holiday if the bikes protected properly.

I fly on BA with my bike pretty often, Evoc bag in the 23kg-25kg range.

Sometimes they weigh, sometimes they don’t.

Sometimes they’re picky about the weight, sometimes they’re not. (Never been charged though, just smile and apologise.)

Sometimes they ask if it’s just the bike in there and if the tyres are deflated. Sometimes they actually check.

I usually do bike, Camelbak (with tools), shoes and pedals in the Evoc bag.

You can take two carry-ons in economy with BA (a decent sized one and a tiny one) so something like an Osprey Farpoint 40 is good for all your kit, then a little bag just for stuff you need on the plane.

Sometimes worth checking the business class price. 2x32kg allowance.

2x32kg allowance

3x32kg. More than I weigh…. but not in 3 bits…

As above – check the business class price.

Went to Nice earlier in the year

Flight £75 + £60 for a bike
Business £110 – Extra allowance and get to feel like you’re ‘better‘ than other people.

I’m on part Avios/airmiles at £60 plus vaguely equivalent value in miles which worked out best value (better than using all miles for the flight, which had limited availability anyway), depending on how you value the miles. There was an option with paying just with miles for first class. Would have doubled the price but was half the price of first class paying by cash. Was tempted. Loads of bags and some luxury. It’s not a long flight though so didn’t think it was worth it.

Anyway, as it’s already paid, upgrade price just to business – £700! 😯

Just flow to and from Canada with BA and bikes. At Heathrow they werent worried about a few extra kg in the bike bags, in Calgary they were (and made us repack into our hand luggage, which was a 2 x 12kg allowance!).

They even escorted us to the oversize luggage area, presumably to make sure we didnt slip a few extra items into the bike bags…!

Had that before and think it was flying back from US or Canada and yeah had to repack stuff into hand luggage. Same weight on the flight. Daft.

Just flow to and from Canada with BA and bikes. At Heathrow they werent worried about a few extra kg in the bike bags, in Calgary they were (and made us repack into our hand luggage, which was a 2 x 12kg allowance!).

same here. on the way out didnt bother even weighing us at aberdeen- although i knew we were below as id weighed at home.

on the way back they weighed us at calgary and we were bang on the money but made me open up for a look inside to be sure it was just bikes.

I’ve just flown with Swiss who have the same confusing wording in their baggage section. I just booked it on as an extra bag. Checkin people just asked how much it weighed so it got a few kilos knocked off the actual 29kg and they were okay with it.

Swiss and Lufthansa treat a bike as normal baggage. I flew to Spain and back with my bike and I had clothing in my handluggage.

dont make that mistake with airfrance/klm.

I packed a bike up into its absolute smallest compontnats – XS frame forks out componants off in a kids bike the height of a 700c wheel. total weight 11kg.

although i have 3 x 23kg baggage allowance through frequent fliers – they still wanted 300euro to take the box.

why – because the L x W x B calculation put me 30cm over the maximum permitted before having to pay the oversize baggage charge.

Bike goes as check in, but remember on BA they have a massive 23kg main hand luggage (about 40l – 45l ish in size) plus a personal bag so easily enough for a week.

BA they have a massive 23kg main handluggage

only handy if your packing lead as they have maximum bag dimensions that will limit what you can take.

True but for a week a hand luggage bag carries a lot of clothes unless you are heading somewhere really cold

I’ve used the CTC bag to take a bike on BA:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ctc-cycling-uk-plastic-bike-bag/

No damage to bike or bag. Whereas BA put a hole in my Ground Effect Body Bag the first time I used it.

airports/airlines have started to refuse bikes in CTC bags so thats lucky dip in its self.

BA state, a recognised bike bag.