international travel with the bicycle

[Jocelyn Wong - "Wongstar"]

 

ok teammies!

I've started looking at airline reservations for my first big international race (IM China) and there seems to be a lot to it.  I thought I found a great deal and then realized I also have to factor how much the airline charges to bring your bicycle, argh!

at first I was going to go through Hong Kong but then Alex suggested going through Singapore as there are more flights to Haikou.  so that will be fun, I will get to check out the Bike Boutique itself!

anyway from San Francisco I can either take United or Northwest Airlines.  NWA charges $130 each way for your bicycle internationally ($80 domestically), and United says to call them.

yuck.  so just wondering if this sounds about right.  plus any tips you all have regarding international travel and what do you do on an airplane for 20 hours straight!!

thanks friends!   

[Donna]

Hi Jocelyn,

I paid $95 one way when I left LA on Delta/Continental heading over here. The quotes you were given sound about right. At one time I used to say I had running clothes, a wetsuit, etc in the box (omitting the bike of course!), and I wasn't charged. Unfortunately, they recognize bike boxes now so it's not so easy to avoid paying.

Hope your training's going well...

Donna

[Mina]

It sounds about right to me too. Unfortunately these days they see bikes as a way of making money through 'excess luggage'. If your airline is quoting you a set cost then take it as there are many airlines out there now- like Singapore who do not care and will charge you per kilo over the set 20kgs for economy- now that is when it gets expensive!!!
Justin and I will fly to Haianan through Singapore as well- I think it is a much better option.
Make sure your bike is well padded as you do not want any little surprises when you open up your box in China. These days I just use a carboard box as the hard cases are just too heavy but of course you then take the risk of your bike being damaged. Make sure you find out if the set price they are quoting you is for 'unlimited weight'- sometimes airlines trick you and have you pay for your bike but it is only up to 10kgs.. virtually impossible!
Hope this helps.
see you in China!!

[Sugar]

how do you all find the best prices for flights?

any suggests on websites?

i'm still searching for im oz.

[Jocelyn Wong - "Wongstar"]

thanks for the tips 

Belinda do you know what your travel dates are yet?  when do you plan to get to Haikou?  I am thinking of getting to Singapore Monday before the race and staying the night just to recover from the flight and check out the bike shop then flying to Haikou on Tuesday.  that's as early as I can get to Singapore, it kind of boggles me that I leave Saturday mid-day from the USA and kind of fast forward through time to get to Singapore Monday morning.   

hi Sugar, I use kayak.com which is pretty good for flights within the US and from the US to major cities.  then I go directly to the airline's website.  not sure where you are based at??  also Alex tipped me off to Tiger Airways for flights from Singapore, which helped a lot, because some of these flight searching websites don't look at the smaller airlines in smaller cities.

[Mina]

Heya
Justin and I will be flying straight from Subic so we won't be arriving in Haikou until the tu=hursday afternoon and then leaving on the tuesday. I like getting in late but I don't have as far to fly as you do so I think it is best that you get there on the monday.

[Jocelyn Wong - "Wongstar"]

oh!  I have a really important question now.

is the big after party going to be on Monday night?  because I was planning to fly out after awards on Monday but not if I'm going to miss the after party!!

[doc]

what is your flight plan

[Mina]

Jocelyn- if you can organise to fly out on tuesday that would be better- for two reasons- 1. you will miss the presentation as it should be on the monday night and probably won't finish until reasonably late. 2. there is nothing worse than having to get on a long flight home straight after an Ironman- it will set your recovery time back by about a week.
Justin and I will be leaving Hainan on the tuesday afternoon.

[KT]

Hi J, when I flew to IM France on United three years ago, it was free to fly my bike because it was an international flight.  Not sure if they changed the rules but I flew out of SFO and they told me at check-in that bikes fly for free on international flights.

[Jocelyn Wong - "Wongstar"]

KT-- holy crap I hope that is true!!     I just found a flight on United to Singapore that I'm right about to purchase.  their policy may have/probably has changed but I will keep my fingers crossed.

Thanks Belinda I will fly out Tuesday afternoon as well...you forgot reason #3, the after party right???  unless that is what you mean by "the presentation" hehehe 

ok boss here is my flight plan:
Saturday April 12: late morning, fly from SFO to Singapore.  There is a 4-hour layover in Tokyo (where I can perhaps run circles inside the airport??) and then I get to Singapore right before midnight on Sunday night.  I am thinking of hanging out in Singapore until Tuesday lunchtime and then flying out to Haikou, getting there Tuesday afternoon.

then I have been told to hang out after the race to celebrate  so will fly back to Singapore the next Tuesday afternoon and then head back to SFO Wednesday morning.  Then when I get back it will still be Wednesday morning.  weird!

[Mina]

yeah- presentation means after party in our weird aussie english!!
Would be good if you get your bike to travel for free- I hope that still stands for you. It always depends on who you get at check-in. Last year Justin and I checked in with 110kgs between us and didnt get charged a cent- go figure!!!

[doc]

its easy to figure,
you talked the previous 2 sign in guys to unconscousness and the third thought ,
it aint worth it
you dont take belinda as the norm miss wong , or your in deep shit .
she is the world champion , of this stuff .
but emma snowsill was up there too ,
i watched her cry on demand in a number of airports , but it cost her at training , as , when she turned it on at training , i already saw ,
how it was like a tap .
when the bags went on
she would turn and crack the big water melon smile
dont know your method but dont try belindas ,
she has had a life time of experience , at cracking people with verbs hahaha

[Jocelyn Wong - "Wongstar"]

ok i flew United.

i got dinged $50 on the way to Singapore from SF because they weighed my bike box and it was 70 lbs, way over 20 lbs.  I don't know how I got 70 lbs in there.  I bet Donna could tell you how.

on the way home, in Singapore I was going to check in my bike box, a duffel bag, and a box full of Chinese candy.  they told me $166 singapore dollars because I could only check in 2 items at no extra charge.  so I said fine, I'll take my box of candy and mail it or something, then you won't charge me for my bike and bag?  and they said ok.  they never took the bike off my little trolley and weighed it.  I stuffed the candy in one of my extra bags and carried it on.

total damage: $50 in excess bag fees for the bike for the entire trip.  not too shabby eh!!  next time I fly United I will try to get my bike box under 50 lbs, if that is at all humanly possible.

the end!   

[IM fan]

Whatever you do - don't trust Air New Zealand 

My wife and I flew from Brisbane to Auckland last year

We warned them we were travelling with bikes when we booked the flights.

The return trip cost us $550.00 aussie dollars in excess baggage our friends travelling with us were hit about $450.00

All four of us have flown with lots of other airlines lots of times and never paid more than $50.00 per flight

Be warned  there are plenty of other airlines who want our business