Air Travel with a Bike

Baggage Experience Jun 2009

This is a limited snapshot at 27 Jun 09. The airline websites contain sections on "overweight baggage" or "sporting equipment" which should be consulted. However there are some things they won't say, such as how much discretion you can expect from the checkin staff:-) If you have experience to add, please contribute it.

First, here are some airline links.

• Air New Zealand basically 20kg, anecdotally 3kg over is OK, plus a stated 10kg allowance for sporting equipment
• Qantas basically 23kg but no tolerance, no allowance for sporting equipment
• Pacific Blue basically 20kg, unsure about tolerance, each sporting item counts as 5kg regardless
• Emirates basically 30kg, unsure about tolerance, no allowance for sporting equipment EXCEPT FOR GOLF!!!

Now our traveller experiences. Note the differences between the expected (on the website) and actual limits applied at checkin; and between different flights on the same airline. The approx date of the flight is given so you can tell when this experience fades into irrelevance.

• Grant B (Auck)
  • Airline NZ-Aust: May 09 Emirates, expected limit 30kg std plus 12kg silver status
  • Actual: no probs due to high allowance
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Jun 09 Emirates, ditto
  • Actual: ditto
• Rob and Marquita (Auck)
  • Airline NZ-Aust: May 09 Air NZ, expected limit 23kg + 10kg sporting
  • Actual: Used to travelling within 46kg between two. Bike only measured 14kg with a little lift..
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Jun 09 Air NZ ditto
  • Actual: OK
• Phil and Ann (Auck)
  • Airline NZ-Aust: May 09 Air NZ, expected limit 23kg + 10kg sporting
  • Actual: Overs and unders taken into account, OK
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Jun 09 Air NZ ditto
  • Actual: ditto. But bags delivered on arrival via carousel.
• Stan (Auck)
  • Airline NZ-Aust: May 09 Air NZ, expected limit 23kg + 10kg
  • Actual: 36kg, had to pay $60. Seems the tolerance disappears once you exceed it.
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Jun 09 Air NZ, expected limit 23kg + 10kg
  • Actual: 34kg, OK
• Lisa (Auck)
  • Airline NZ-Aust: May 09 Air NZ, expected limit 23kg + 10kg
  • Actual: 20-21kg, OK
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Jun 09 Air NZ, expected limit 23kg + 10kg
  • Actual: ditto
• Pete (Auck)
  • Airline NZ-Aust: May 09 Air NZ, expected limit 23kg + 10kg
  • Actual: OK
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Jun 09 Air NZ, expected limit 23kg + 10kg
  • Actual: Bike 18kg, bag 20kg, OK
• Jacqui and Neil (New Plym)
  • Airline NZ-Aust: May 09 Air NZ, expected limit 23kg + 10kg
  • Actual: 2kg over at NP, $20 in spite of pleading. Cabin bag weighed.
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Jun 09 Air NZ, expected limit 23kg + 10kg
  • Actual: Pre-weighed to comply, OK. Put more in carry-on. Was asked how much in carry-on but not actually weighed.
• Michael, Tom and Jim
  • Airline NZ-Aust: May 09 Qantas, expected limit 23kg
  • Actual: 7kg over between the three of us, no leeway. Transferred stuff to carry-on and got down to 69kg
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Jun 09 Qantas, expected limit 23kg
  • Actual: Similar to way over perhaps heavier due to wet clothes. Checked it all in no trouble. BUT after booking flights Qantas changed the return flight time and then cancelled it altogether. Ended up on a domestic to Sydney and then Sydney-Wgtn. Worst baggage level, worst service. Michael and Jim sailed thru agriculture but Tom had to have a tire scrub.
• Ali and Grant (Nelson)
  • Airline NZ-Aust: May 09 Air NZ, expected limit 23kg + 10kg
  • Actual: Bike boxes 23kg not weighed die to running late, OK
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Jun 09 Pacific Blue, expected limit 20kg but bike counting as 5kg
  • Actual: Bike boxes 28kg, OK. MAF found mud in seat post but otherwise pleased with cleanliness
• Graeme (Chch)
  • Airline NZ-Aust: May 09 Air NZ, expected limit 23kg + 10kg
  • Actual: 28kg, OK
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Jun 09 Air NZ, expected limit 23kg + 10kg
  • Actual: Had about the same, told overweight, had to remind them about sporting allowance. After weighing you have to carry the bike to the oversize conveyor, could easily slip extra stuff in!
• Bruce (Chch)
  • Airline NZ-Aust: May 09 Air NZ, expected limit 23kg + 10kg
  • Actual: 35kg, OK
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Jun 09 Air NZ, expected limit 23kg + 10kg
  • Actual: 38kg (wet clothes), redistributed to Pat and carry-on, OK
• Tim
  • Airline NZ-Aust: May 09 Pacific Blue, expected limit 20kg but bike counting for 5kg.
  • Actual: Bike box weighed 26kg, OK
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Jun 09 Pacific Blue, ditto
  • Actual: Ditto. You have to buy your meal but good baggage deal.
• Claire and Greig
  • Airline NZ-Aust: May 09 Pacific Blue, expected limit 20kg but bike counting for 5kg.
  • Actual: Bike box weighed 28kg or so plus 11kg bag, OK
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Jun 09 Pacific Blue, ditto
  • Actual: Ditto. They weighed the first box and then asked if the other was the same! Present lighter one first...

Baggage Experience Nov 2007

This is a limited snapshot at 6 Dec 07. The airline websites contain sections on "overweight baggage" or "sporting equipment" which should be consulted. However there are some things they won't say, such as how much discretion you can expect from the checkin staff:-) If you have experience to add, please contribute it.

First, here are some airline links.

• Air New Zealand
• Qantas

Now our traveller experiences. Note the differences between the expected (on the ticket) and actual limits applied at checkin; and between different flights on the same airline. The approx date of the flight is given so you can tell when this experience fades into irrelevance.

• Michael
  • Airline NZ-Aust: Oct 07 Qantas, expected limit 20kg
  • Actual: think about 25, let me away with it
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Nov 07 Qantas, expected limit 20kg
  • Actual: (shared basis with Jim) under 25; asked checkin person what he was working to; he said 25; we transferred stuff back from carryon into checked bags.
• Bruce
  • Airline NZ-Aust: Oct 07 Emirates, expected limit 20kg
  • Actual: At airport they said 26 and was 6 over. Transferred stuff to carryon, still 1kg over, they allowed it.
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Nov 07 Jetstar, expected limit not stated
  • Actual: was underweight
• Viv
  • Airline NZ-Aust: Oct 07 Emirates, expected limit 20kg
  • Actual: At airport they said limit 26 and was 6 over. Transferred stuff to carryon, still 1kg over, they allowed it.
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Nov 07 Virgin (=Pacific Blue?) expected limit not stated
  • Actual: They didn't care. Someone later said they count a bike as only 5kg.
• Mark
  • Airline NZ-Aust: Oct 07 Qantas, expected limit 20kg
  • Actual: 2kg over, let me away with it.
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Nov 07 Qantas, expected limit 20kg
  • Actual: (shared basis with 4 others) quite a bit over in total, did some shuffling and "sweet talking" and let us away with it
• Alison
  • Airline NZ-Aust: Oct 07 AirNZ, expected limit 20kg
  • Actual: 25kg, was under
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Nov 07 Qantas, expected limit 20kg
  • Actual: Maybe 28-30 but had 34. Checkin friendly, went to see if higher limit becos of sporting equipment. After 10min couldn't find info, let me away with it. (Had to pay extra on domestic flight Wgtn-Nelson tho:-))
• Graeme
  • Airline NZ-Aust: Oct 07 Jetstar, expected limit 20kg, bought (in advance?) an extra 10kg between 2ppl. Think this covered both ways.
  • Actual: Extra 5kg was enough.
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Nov 07 Jetstar, expected limit 20kg plus 5kg.
  • Actual: was a bit heavier on way back and had to shuffle to carryon. Both ways the operator seemed confused by the code used to show that extra baggage had been paid so had to check with supervisor.
• Angela
  • Airline NZ-Aust: Oct 07 Pacific Blue, expected limit 20kg, but an item of sporting equipment counts as 5kg no matter what weight it actually is!
  • Actual: Was enough
  • Airline Aust-NZ: Nov 07 Pacific Blue, expected limit 20kg, but an item of sporting equipment counts as 5kg no matter what weight it actually is!
  • Actual: Was enough

Packing your Bike