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Bicycle to Paris

You advised a listener on Aug. 21 to look into separate shipment for his bike in going to Paris [via Air France]. This may not be necessary. Many non-US airlines are reasonable about bikes and treat them well, in contrast to our domestic airlines who demand $50 per flight, no matter how packaged (compare that to golf clubs or skis that fly free) and then bang the bikes around anyway.

I have flown to Paris and to London with bikes several times. Baggage handlers were happy to accept bikes without boxes, which are not really needed, since all one has to do is secure the handlebars so they don't swing.

On one trip the bike was accepted complete with its touring bags, which protected both the bike and adjacent luggage, and made my task of reassembly much simpler at the other end. Domestic airlines have a bit of catching up to do, though no real incentive to do so.

Meanwhile, your caller may have been as well off to just take his bike to the airport and ask Air France to take it aboard. He might want to cover the derailleur, remove the pedals, and reduce tire pressures, also to secure the handlebars in the midline. That will make the bike easy to handle. To protect its finish, he can buy a bag, as you suggested, from about $200 up.

Ed

 

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