Originally Posted by
raybo
On my last flight with my S&S coupled bike, weight was important. The padding that came with my hard sided case was 2 pounds. I didn't take it last time and, instead, wrapped my frame parts with old tubes that I sliced apart and wrapped around them. I secured them with zip-ties. My frame still got dinged, but I saved weight!
The "standard luggage" requirement is <= 62" H + W + L and <= 50 lbs.
You should NEVER be charged for over-sized luggage if you meet this requirement. You may need to pay checked bag fee depending on the airline.
I usually fly on Southwest and have never been asked about the contents. If asked, I would reply "Bicycle PARTS" as that is the truth.
My case + padded bike comes in at about 38 lbs, so I usually add back in some cycling clothes and tools to get it up to about 48 lbs.
If you got S&S couplers retrofitted, you really have no idea if the frame will even fit in the standard 26 x 26 x 10 case. If you bought a new frame this way, you can ask your frame builder to make sure it will fit.