I'm planning a tour for this summer and I'm thinking of shipping my bike using shipbikes.com, does anyone have any experience with this company? I might fly with my bike but having it shipped to a hotel and assembling it there and leaving the next day is another option I'm weighing. I thought I'd tap the experience here for input, please share your advice with me. I'll probably fly into and depart from Seattle although Vancouver or Victoria may work better. I'll be shipping a LHT.
I don't have any experience with them, thought I had looked for them to help ship a bunch of bikes to Phoenix Arizona where we usually go to for our winter getaway. I just came back from Arizona and actually no one decided to use them cause Air Canada and WestJet bicycle fees are cheaper than shipbikes.com. In fact, WestJet charges a normal luggage fee for a bicycle that is wrapped in see-through plastic and is hand carried into the plane, whereas WestJet charges like $50 (more than the plastic bag option) if the bike is shipped in the box or container and is man handled like a gorilla in a cage (abused). Go figure with such inconsistencies! Plastic bag = princess treatment; Box = Treated like s**t.
The only option you would use shipbikes.com is if you fly with United or US Airways. Their fares might be cheap, but their bike fees are just so outrageous and the treatment so poor that you might as well ship it via shipbikes.com!
The only thing I like about shipbikes.com is their aircaddy box. I am interested in buying it just so that I can bring my carbon bike on my next hub and spoke trip as it is a well designed box and heck a lot cheaper than the Thule and the P.O.S Bikend Helium air bag!
Good luck!!