Touring - Bile Bags vs Bike Boxes?

Am Flying to Europe 19 July in Paris for the end of the TOUR.....Big Whooppee

Went to airport and asked about bike boxes and American Airlines people VERY nice......showed me the plastic bag they had in the back, big enuf not to have to remove front wheel, almost clear very heavy plastic,cost 10$
Went to another.....Continental..... and they were nice enuf to take me in the back where they had several Boxes folded waiting for use, cost 20$.
I bought the plastic bag,kinda bulky but I thought in Europe a lot of trains insist on bikes being bagged, and at return If I can't locate a box at checkin I can always use the bag, though when I called both Air France and American and both said that they always have boxes at CDG

While I was walking out of the terminal a guy stopped me and asked if I was flying that day with a bike, said no in a couple a weeks, so we talked for while, and I asked how bikes were treated by the baggage loaders, as he worked as a baggage loader. Told me that lots of guys who work at the airport ride bikes from the employee parking lots to the job and that they ALWAYS took good care loading bikes, also said that the jumbos load baggage into what they call "tincans',preloaded inside the buildings like a mini container so things are a bit more protected

Anyone have any experince using bags either domestic or international?

Yes, I've used bags a couple of times and they have HUGE advantages over boxes.
In Canada, Air Transat charged $CAN5. for their bag. It's a thick transparent plastic that you can roll the bike into. I don't bother turning the bars or taking off the front tire and I only under-flate rather than deflate the tires. You roll the bike into the terminal with your panniers on so you don't have to carry anything. Take off the panniers and they become your carry-on luggage and check the bike once it's in the bag. I tape helmet, tool kit (you don't want to have a tool kit x-rayed in your carry-on, the stuff looks too much like weapons).

At the other end your bike usually comes off first, so you tear it out of the bag , put on your panniers and roll out of the terminal before most people even get to the carousel. I'd suggest pre-buying a second bag, so you can have a new one for the trip home. Trying to compactly fold a bag like that once open is almost impossible and just because the airline has them at the outbound destination doesn't guarantee you'll get one in Paris. I used to try to keep my box to ship it back but it turned out to be too much trouble. I even bought one of those wheel sets for the box so I wouldn't have to carry it around in the terminal and later on the train. In England at least, the trains will take your bike as is, and some train companies don't charge for a bike.

As per baggage handling, the closest I've come to having the bike damaged was in Gatwick, London when the slug-like baggage handler insisted on cracking the valve stem to deflate the tire. I always carry at least one tube anyway.

One further question

Is it advisable to detach the rear derailleur and wrap with foam or bubble wrap?

I'll leave other forum members to answer that.

I'll just say that the first time I took my bike across the Atlantic, I was as nervous as .... well let's just say I was worried about every little detail. Now I have a few trips under my belt I tend to be much more pragmatic than I once was. I take a lot less stuff and I tend to plan better.

I also don't take a very expensive bike so I don't worry about theft. The last time I was touring, I started leaving my panniers on the bike when I went to the market or museum. I just got tired of carrying the damn things everytime I locked up. I looked inside and realized that if they were stolen all the thief would get was my dirty clothing.

Put the bike in the bag, travel light, have a great time. I'd worry more about learning a bit of French to get you by. Politics being like they are, you might need it.

I'd ship it over to your hotel or something. I wouldn't advise flying with it. The reason for this is my brother in law's bike was RUINED by the TSA inspectors (Carbon Trek 5200) on a trip out to Lake Tahoe to do a charity ride. The bike was packaged in a standard bicycle shipping box and everything was wrapped in spilt "Fun Noodle" foam. In short the bike was wrapped better than we get them to the shop BRAND NEW. These @$$faced BOZOs chipped a section off the seat tube on the trip out and on the way back managed to crack the fork. This is only the major damage there was other cosmetic damage to the components but not so much that he couldn't use the components to build up his new "spare" frame. Definately NOT what he had in mind for that frame. Best advice I can give you get a Trico Ironcase and ship that bad boy - get insurance to boot - at least the shipping companies PAY when they F something up.

I have my own bikebag, the body bag from Groundeffect (www.groundeffect.co.nz). It folds up to A4 size when not in use, so I can carry it around with me during the tour. I generally pack my sleeping bag and air matress in it with the bike to avoid any damage being done. Came out unscathed from two Brisbane/Hobart flights last year.

I have my own bikebag, the body bag from Groundeffect (www.groundeffect.co.nz). It folds up to A4 size when not in use, so I can carry it around with me during the tour. I generally pack my sleeping bag and air matress in it with the bike to avoid any damage being done. Came out unscathed from two Brisbane/Hobart flights last year.
Consider yourself lucky you didn't fly to the US.

I flew Air Canada 4 times with my bike. 2 times they gave me a plastic bag and everything was fine. The other 2 times they didn't have plastic bags so my bike had to go naked and it was fine too (except they lost the champagne cork that I had on my stem). The bag doesn't really protect very much anyway. I guess the only way to be sure that your bike won't be dammaged is to get a bicycle box, but these are as expensive as my bike itself, so I won't even consider the option. Plus, where do you put the box once you arrive...
Have fun in France, it's such a great country for riding and you'll see a lot of cyclists on the roads...

Consider yourself lucky you didn't fly to the US.

Why? It's no different out here.

Why? It's no different out here.
You of course read my rant above?

That's why I pack soft things around it to protect it from impact.