Touring - I gotta get my bike to Seattle

I'm hoping someone will have an answer for me. I'm headed to Seattle in October, and I just spoke to my airlines. I don't want to pay the 75 bucks each way for the bike, and the reservations agent told me that if I could get my bike down to 62 linear inches, I can take it for free. How can I get my bike transported within the parameters specified?

Koffee

Yikes, I dont see how you can posibly get it down to 62 inchese, a bike box is 106 inches, the max UPS will take is 108. 62 inches is the size of a large suitcase.

That said, draw a HUGE picture of a wheelchair on a bike box, it has worked before! You may also want to look into some "bikes fly free" programs bikeleague and other advocacy groups offer.

P.S. Heres a few other threads on the subject:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2138
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2626

I'd get on-line and find another airline (and possibly another reservations agent). $75 each way for a bike is total and complete fascism. I'd be very surprised if there was nobody out there offering a better deal than that.

this has always been a sore subject. ski's are allowed free...i see some of the elaborate fishing gear and water sports rigs go.... they are just trying to limit this practice from bikers.

i have heard (never seen) people putting their frame in one of those suit carry-on bags opened up (and hang it open, like a suit in the closet ON THE PLANE) and the wheelset, etc in another bag. if that was ever done, i'm sure it is damn near impossible in this flying climate.

In today's air travel climate I wouldn't be inclined to try anything fancy. If you get nailed at the checkin counter it will be a real hassle. Standard operating procedure is to ship the bike, either UPS or Fed Ex ground. Should be under $35 from Illinois. Much cheaper than paying the airlines

I think if you join League of American Bicyclists organization and then book your flight through their travel service then the bike can go free or at a reduced rate.

Here is the link for LAB (http://www.bikeleague.org/flyfree.htm)

Just talked to a couple that took a trip to Colorado by airline and they had a special bike suitcase with two bikes in it. Even then it was a bit of a hassle with all the extra security these days.

Good luck Koffee and have a nice trip.

The cardboard bike box from Crateworks is 11" X 30" X 45.5". $99, but reusable.
http://www.crateworks.com/

Thanks for all the info, everyone....

I already bought the tickets before I remembered to ask, and I bought them over the internet on United. Nonrefundable!

Will the crateworks box bring my bike to the correct dimensions?

Koffee

Are you bringing the Sirrus over? How's it holding up? Did it take a beating from Italy?

If I were you, I'll ground ship it to Seattle.

Easiest and cheapest to ship UPS or FedEx Ground. Insure your bike for a few bucks and that's all. I say forget getting a $99 box. Go to your LBS and get a free one. Get some simple instructions how to pack it and that's it. Bike manufacturers ship thousands of bikes all over the place in these boxes. I've used them many times with no problems, shipping UPS and bringing them on airplanes. Why get a reusable crate when there is an unlimited supply of free boxes which you can then recycle and don't have to store? Or you can reuse it if you like.

The Adventure Cycling & LAB bikes fly free have an important catch: The ticket must be at least $350. Even adding the $80 each way onto the cost of my husband's & my tickets bought on line was less than that. I used a free box from LBS, reinforced the bottom with a complete layer of duct tape, put copper pipe insulation on the frame, made a fork spacer from a carrage bolt & 3 nuts, and filled in the extra space with some of the foam pool "noodles". Fantasy made the trip from Boston to Madison & back, with a flight change each way, in good shape. I would say that NorthWest seemed to give fairly considerate handling to a bike box. I could possibly get another trip out of the box.

you might want to check out your rates at ups.com and fedex.com you will need exact weights and dimensions they will give you what the cost will be Insure it for the value it is only a few extra bucks and I have seen first hand what these guys can do to a package!I shipped a bike once from college to here in Seattle using Amtrak you might check them they are safer than UPS. (for the dims on a bike and the weight of it you will most likely end up paying dimensional weight on it)

Originally posted by Koffee Brown
agent told me that if I could get my bike down to 62 linear inches, I can take it for free. How can I get my bike transported within the parameters specified?

Have you looked at the Sci-Con cases? The
71 Aero-Tech (http://www.scicon.it/en/products/index.php3?orderidentifier=9a535514b5f43c0d38a1176587dcf8ff&languageid=2) measures out to 113cm which is about 44-1/2 inches.

I was pretty sure that as long as you did not have too much luggage, United would consider a bike box as normal baggage, and not charge anything extra.
I flew two bikes to Colorado this summer on Northwest, I had bought my ticket prior to realizing that NW charges $80/per bike/flight ($80 there & 80 back!!!). I was so upset I started calling the NW customer service line until they cut me a voucher for $80...it still was not good enough, but at least it was something. Enjoyed asking them questions like, "so I could have an entire bike packed away into my Sampsonite suitcase, and the mere fact that it was a bicycle would earn me an $80 charge?" "Isn't that bicycle descrimintation?"...it was actually fun. Good luck.