If I didn't have the Brompton, that would be my cost of traveling:

2007: US$3600.00
2008: US$2700.00
2009: US$8700.00
2010: US$1200.00
2011: US$600.00

That's what my Brompton saved me, allowing me to have a bike at my final destination within minutes: US$16000.00

Now, the price is round trip, right?

At $150 a trip I would have spent over $3000 last year if I had flown with a bike. As it was I was able to send a bike with one of the crews via truck so it was waiting when I got there.

Aaron

I stuff my Xootr Swift in a hardshell suitcase and only ever pay the regular bag-check fee. since the bike + suitcase weigh less than 50#, there's no weight surcharge. no one has yet asked to see inside, either, since it looks like regular luggage.

that said, they do treat it like a regular suitcase, and I have winced when seeing them toss it on the conveyor belt. I can see that gate-checking a smaller-folding bike would be preferable, though I might prefer not worry about the potential TSA drama

I don't like to lie (I actually take a Polygraph Exam here and there due to work policy), so when people ask what is inside I answer "bicycle parts". One time, I was asked "how many parts" and I replied "Enough to put it all together and ride it", everybody was laughing.

This is an incredible story. I think the OP should contact Brompton and tell them of this discovery. Then again, maybe we should keep it a secret because if everyone knew, I doubt the airlines would be willing to provide the same treatment if 100 Bromptons were waiting at the gate!

Well, this story is getting repetitive, really. But I want to keep updating this thread, as evidence that this isn't some fluke.

The winter being over, time for another transcontinental Brompton flight! This time, flying out of SFO, I had a bag to check, as well as the Bromton to gate-check and the T-bag for a carryon. No problems at baggage claim; I don't think they looked twice at my rolling luggage.

The TSA attendant tried to rotate the bike the wrong way for the X-ray, so I said "May I help you with that, please?" (ALWAYS ASK!) and set it up the right way. He was somewhat delighted that it fit through. One of these days I may snap a picture, although the TSA is notoriously weird about that and I really don't want further attention. I got the usual thumbs-up and "nice bike!" that I tend to get in SFO, and no delays.

Checking the bike at the gate was trivial; the usual routine of strapping the handlebars down, getting a claim check, and walking it down the jetway. This flight had a transfer to a small feeder plane and I wasn't given the bike back between, which made me slightly nervous.

When I got the Brompton back at the small regional airport that was my destination, the handlebars were dirty, apparently from being left naked on the floor of the cargo bay. Nothing a bit of soap and water on a damp cloth didn't fix up in a hurry.

As always, no charge, no hassle, no damage; just the pleasure of having my bike ready to go at my destination.

Dahon.Steve, I can't claim credit for this 'discovery'. I would have been far too nervous to simply try this myself! Todd Fahrner, bicycle pundit extraordinary and inventor of the Stokemonkey, details gate-checking his Brompton on a flight to Beijing to inspect the motor factory for his product. It sounded so simple, and turns out to be so in practice. Good thing too, as I bought the Brompton largely on the strength of this recommendation.


The best bike to ride is the one you have with you. By this criterion, my Brompton is the best bike I've ever had.

Is the saddle the last item to move through the conveyor?

guess I have to try this the next time with my curve





should be no problem than ....( of course the pedals are mks and come off )

thor

Hello guys

As I travel several time/year by plane for my job (mostly internal flights in Europe) I was fascinated by this thread.

I ride a Dahon Vitesse D7 (and am very happy with it). I often have to travel inside France by car for work and I always have it in my car trunk. Riding through a unknown town is a very nice way to relax after a client meeting.
I would love to bring it with me on a plane but I'll not be able to do the gate check through X rays with my 20" Dahon.

I know that it fits in a classical hard suitcase, but on arrival I would not be able to ride ..if I have the suitcase...

So my question : does anybody knows about a suitcase that is both hard enough to protect the bike and can fold uppon arrival to be easily carried with a folder ?

If my question is strange/stupid, be gentle and pretend you didn't notice :-)

Luc

a friend of mine had his brompton checked in as a baby stroller or elderly mobility device all the time and there was not charge or any problems either. I forgot to ask which airline

Thor, I don't know that your folded Curve would fit. The Brompton only fits with the saddle turned as shown in the picture I've attached. There is very little room for error on either side. The photo is meant to show you how the bike looks as it disappears into the machine, wheels first.

To be perfectly clear, with the saddle pointing forward in the usual way, the Brompton will not fit through the screening machine. You must tilt the saddle to the side as shown; another option is removing it entirely and chucking it into the T-bag, but I don't bother. I must be the only person who feels this way, but it's just a saddle; it's got scuff marks already and it's going to get more.

So that's your bounding box. If you can find any dimension of the Curve which will fit in that envelope, you're good to go.

Where in strict baggage handling "rules" does it say that you can be allowed this? As that'll be what you come back to when security says No No, you've already finished your check in, and now your stuck with a $300 extra suitcase fee?

I've taken several large bicycle parts as carry on bags (even a small frame), but I assure you'll get hit one of these days. I had a just larger than official carry on size case flying BA from Beijing and I got stopped and forced to pay to check it there. It's clear this isn't a baby stroller or a wheelchair. Why wouldn't they gate check my little bit big carry on? And why would they do that for the Brompton?

I'm happy that you can do this - but it's the same situation like hoping to fly with a classical guitar in a softpack. They may tell you No No and then you have nothing to check it in, and chances are there isn't enough time since the flight has been closed to go back to the gate.

pps - why not just remove the seatpost when running the Brompton through security? One I've got with the telescoping post makes this easy , 'know that the stock model as the flanged area on bottom to keep it from coming out.

Well Jim, at this point we'll just have to see. I've experienced not a whisper of difficulty so far.

As far as baggage handling rules go, my bike could be considered sports equipment, which has worked the one time TSA became even remotely curious. Also, there's the Transformers argument. Is a Transformer really a car when it's a robot? Well, I have a bike that transforms into rolling luggage... that got me onto a bus one time.

The truth is, it seldom comes up. They take it and tag it, without a blink of an eye. Or, sometimes they say "cool bike!". That's it.

I don't remove the seatpost because... I don't have to.

atman, sorry for getting back to this, but I am looking ahead to taking the carry-on plunge. Measuring the outline of my Brompton, I am getting the same width of 23 inches whether I turn the saddle by 90 deg, and consider the Brompton moving forward with its wheels down the conveyor belt, or whether I consider the Brompton moving forward with the saddle or with the joints, i.e. 90 deg turned orientation to the first. After the saddle is turned, the bike outline becomes square-like, 23" x 23". However, if I were to put the bike forward with the joints, I would actually not need to turn the saddle away from its natural orientation, keeping the outline at something like 24" x 23". Is there any particular reason you used the wheels forward, or have you just not tried the other, 90 deg turned, orientation?

I'm thinking of trying your strategy for a Citizenbike Tokyo:

https://www.citizenbike.com/catalog.a...&product_id=10

FOLDED SIZE: 66 x 27 x 50 cm (26 x 11 x 20 in)
weight: 29 lbs

Would it work, in terms of "bounding box" (fit the x-ray machine)? I would have a bag for my laptop, & let the bike be gate-checked

I would be flying American Airlines. Also, there would be a connecting flight to a smaller regional carrier. I noticed in an earlier post, that you had connecting flight with a regional carrier, & the bike was checked all the way through. I wonder if I have to pick it up in in DFW, & then re-gate-check it on the connecting flight.

I measured the channel of the machine to be ~24 in. I did not check the height, as it was not of my concern at that point, but from memory the height-to-width ratio was certainly better than 1:2, so you should be OK. The height of my Brompton's outline is actually something like 12 in. To be on the safe, I'll measure the height of the machine's exit channel on the occasion coming next week.

Read this thread with interest. Having only taken delivery of my 6 only 10 days ago I'm not brave enough to chance flying with it unless it's heavily protected. It is otherwise putting a huge amount of faith in someone you've got no knowledge of and couldn't pin the blame on if it came back damaged. Luggage handlers are hardly renowned for the care.

Luc, I wrap around my Brompton with cardboard box sheets for protection, put it in a Dahon soft bag with a "fragile" label. On arrival, I throw away the cardboard wrap, fold my soft bag and secure it on my rear rack, and .... ride off . No damage to my folding bike so far.

OK, I just measured the exit channel of the X-ray machine to be ~17 inch tall. Since the belt bends somewhat in the vertical direction, but not in the horizontal, more buffer space needs to be left in the vertical direction, but still be plenty should be left. Nominally then, the box one needs to squeeze into is 24"x17". According to atman one should not exceed 23" in the horizontal direction by more than a tad. My bet would be that the similar vertical distance would be 15".

I just flew Jet Blue and I asked two different TSA personnel and both said as long as the bike fits through the scanner I am fine bringing it in. I also asked the check-in attendant and she said the same thing. Then at the gate, the Jet Blue lady said you can either gate-check it or bring it in as a carry-on. I don't know if the Brompton can fit inside of the overhead cabinet but this guy was able to do it according to this picture below.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cleverc...7622596145551/

Not all carryon compartments are the same, jets used can change based on demand. That looks like one from a 767 or larger, recently was denied carrying a few pieces of metal on a flight because they could be "used as bludgeoning devices" - airport security has 100% discretion on deciding if they will allow something or not. Not being negative here, but think some people are going to have a nasty surprise after they miss a flight or pay a bag fee because of assuming generosity. Security and aviation companies are squeezing more and more and making it less and less comfortable to fly.

I also wonder what the Australian airlines will say. I feel like it's a police state here. They throw the book at you. I have the uncomfortable feeling that you will come unstuck. I hope to try out in not too distant future.

I'm glad to read about some positive experiences with airlines! :-)

Has anyone gotten a Brompton with a rack + EZ Wheels through a TSA x-ray machine?

doesn't add that much height , vs L type, mudguard, without the rack.

maybe as tiny amount, due to EZwheel diameter being a bit larger
than the standard