They seem to dominate the route I want to fly, will probably have to use them (to do it on Easyjet is twice the price and involves changing at Gatwick in both directions. Twice not much still isn’t much but the fewer changes the better)
Who’s used them, are they any good and what do I need to know? I’ve been on them without a bike and they were OK (very basic, felt rushed, cabin crew weren’t up to the Emirates standard, and at a risk of sounding a bit, you know, the other passengers weren’t my cup of tea, but they probably said I was odd). Anyway, they were cheap, almost on time and didn’t crash. I have however heard they can be a pain with baggage, is this true and if so how should I deal with it?
I’ve used Easyjet, with a bike, and much prefered them but looks like too much hassle this time. Only £40 to get a bike from Edinburgh to Nice and back with EJ mind.
Emirates, Virgin, BA and LATAM have all been very good with bikes, will never go anywhere near KLM again.
Thanks.

They got 7 of us from Edinburgh to Girona with bikes a few weeks ago, on time, bikes in one piece etc.

Only stinger was the cost, bikes cost as much as our tickets did!

I keep saying I’m just going to start hiring bikes abroad, but can’t bring myself to do it, cheap nasty tyres, backwards brakes, different length cranks etc.

It won’t be Ryanair handling your bikes. It’ll be whichever baggage handling company works at the airport.

On the Ryanair contract they just throw your bike from the back of the plane with a bit less of a flourish.

They’re fine, just expensive! Think it’s £60 each way for a bike now.
The baggage handlers are the same no matter what airline you use.

As others have said Ryanair won’t ha duke the bikes, it’s the airport personnel. I’ve taken my bike back and forth a couple of times and haven’t had an issue with them.

Sometimes it’s better to just stump up the extra and fly with a premium airline. I went diving in Croatia a couple of years ago and due tot he amount of kit I took BA Business was far and away the cheapest way of doing it; 2 32kg hold bags with no restriction on size and 2 20kg cabin bags. Business class tickets cost me less than the additional luggage charges for cattle class and allowed heavier bags.

As already identified; cost of taking bike is typically more than EasyJet … can be quite a queue to book in.

Not sure you can generalise about others using them as ‘not your cup of tea’ without knowing what sorts are your cup of tea … God-squad types, far right, swingers??

Thanks all, nothing to worry about really then.
£60 each way does sound expensive, that is more than my seat! BA/LATAM got one from Edinburgh via Heathrow and Sau Paulo to Campo Grande in deepest Brazil for £65, and back again for US$100, Virgin got two from Heathrow to Sydney and back for £140, and Emirates didn’t charge for one from Birmingham to Sydney.
This trip is Edinburgh to Porto, they seem to be the only viable option to do it without changing anywhere.
Mooman -Last time I used them was to Majorca, people who aren’t my cup of tea include loud, usually fat, often drunk British tourists. Not sure I can blame Ryanair for this but the others I’ve flown with have all had far more civilised passengers. I’m going to stop digging this hole now, I’m only on the plane with them a couple of hours so it doesn’t really matter.
Back to the subject in hand, book the bike in advance or just show up? Will be right on the 32kg limit. Off to the European 24hr so really don’t want to hire one there (not sure of the availability of race-ready singlespeeds anyway) and will also have lights, tools, spares, shoes, helmets, bottles, etc, etc.
Any hand baggage restrictions? BA had a dimension but not weight limit so small heavy bits like lights, pedals, spare tyre etc went in there.

I keep saying I’m just going to start hiring bikes abroad, but can’t bring myself to do it, cheap nasty tyres, backwards brakes, different length cranks etc.

Take your own tyres, folding obviously. I find it takes me about 15mins to get used to the brake thing. Cranks will be 165/175mm probably 170mm, you could cope surely?

I’ve not used them personally but been on holliday where friends flying from other airports use them and no one’s ever had any complaints beyond the usual Ryan air stuff. As rugbydick said, once they put a sticker on it at check-in that’s the last time Ryanair will actually handle your luggage.

It is worth seeing if any other airlines fly that or similar routes, as someone else mentioned, the more premium airlines are often the same price and you get a free sandwich and g&t on the flight. And you don’t have to sit in a tin can full of people who read the Sun.

I flew easyjet last year on the return they asked if we had Co2 in the boxes limit was 2 cartridges
Team mate used Ryanair, fine going out but return flight he told no Co2 allowed.

They seem to be the only ones direct, the odd Easyjet fligyt at peculiar times, could use BA/Iberia/Brussels air if I changed in London/Madrid/Lisbon/Dublin/Brussels, but that is an extra layer of faff. Even at £60 each way for the bike it’s coming in under £250 for the round trip.
Defo my own bike though, might hire one for a holiday but not a 24hr race!

Just a heads up, Ryanair’s 30kg, not 32kg.

Back to the subject in hand, book the bike in advance or just show up?

You’re not joking about having not flown with many low cost carriers are you?

Definitely book in advance, if you just turn up you will either get your hat nailed on in additional charges or simply get turned away.

No, I’m clueless! One emergancy last-minute Easyjet flight to Nice is it as far as flying short haul with bikes goes, and a trip to Majorca on Ryanair without one. Fairly au fait with long-haul, which seems nice and easy, and just generally more civilised, even in the middle of Brazil and not speaking a word of Portugese I got a bike checked through two changes to Edinburgh for US$100 having shown up two hours before take-off, but I usually drive to the continent and avoid all this. Still tempted to do so but might be impractical this time, hence questions about flying, just thinking of a plan F, plan E is teetering on the edge..
Will get it booked when I get the ticket then if I go down that route.

Ryanair are possibly the worse for charges, so make sure you check this all out before.

Hello again,
What’s Gatwick like? Could go from Glasgow to Porto with BA, change at Gatwick, can’t be any worse than Heathrow can it?
Been put off Ryanair direct from Edinburgh due to strikes. Am I just being paranoid?
.
Anyone fancy a road trip to Portugal next month, from Edinburgh down the west coast of France, through the Pyranees. Happy to pick-up/drop off en route somewhere.

ive flown many times with bikes on ryanair. no problems, however it is more to do with baggage handlers at the airport rather that the airline. airport staff at bucharest were particularly a PITA making us deflate tyres and dump co2 canisters.

How you pack the bike plays an important part in the handling and there’s some evidence that less care is taken with a hard shell case on the assumption it will be more protective than soft cases.

Also hard shells can slide off conveyor loaders.

Flying with your bike: tips from a baggage handler

I’ve actually witnessed this myself from a plane window during loading. Not my case thankfully, which is a soft Evoc bag.

Hard cases also add a lot of weight and can be a problem fitting bike needing fork removed and maybe the rear shock if there’s a support pillar on the way.