Is it practical to bring a folding bike on a commercial airliner as carry on baggage in the overhead bin? How would you do this - which bike, what case or no case at all? You'd need to be able to ride the bike on the way to the airport (e.g. to get to light rail line to airport), fly, then ride it at the other end. I vaguely recall seeing a wheeled case that could be towed behind the bike, but don't remember if it was overhead-bin-sized.

Any 16"-wheeled (or less) folding bike in a soft bag may work. I personally have not tried this though.

There are bikes that will *fit* in overhead bins (I think Bromptons will fit in larger ones), but they don't actually comply with the 22x14x9 carry-on limits of most airlines.

I've read an account of the Carry Me by Pacific Cycles being a carry on for the overhead bin on Southwest Airlines. I think it was on the Carry Me website...

I think Bromptons would be the only way to go for carry ons. My wife and I have a set of Dahons TR24 that we fly with but they go in a case and get checked in.

BikeFriday makes a kit to convert the hard sided carry case into a trailer. That would work as checked luggage, but it won't come close to qualifying as carryon. It's a great folding bike, but I think the suitcase/trailer would be a nuisance. I would just pack the bike in a box, discard the box at the airport and ride away. When you go home, just put it in another box, andleave that one at your airport.

I've also left my bike in the airline luggage office, gone home and come back with the car to pick up the bike, but that might defeat your purpose.

It's also possible, if your bike packed in a soft bag looks close to fitting in the overhead bin, that you can carry it through security. If it won't fit in the overhead, they will probably gate check it for you, saving you the fee and returning it to you as you leave the plane.

It's probably unpopular to say this, but taking up so much space in an overhead bin is really inconsiderate.
I know a lot of people already take up more than a fair share of bin space with their maximum carry on size bags, their personal bag and duty free shopping - but no need to add to the misery.

Those who do fly with their bike as carry on - what do you do about tools ?

I'm not seeing a difference between taking space for your bike or taking space for whatever else one chooses to carry...

I think the only tools I need for the Bike Friday are a pedal wrench and a folding allen wrench. Both should be allowed. You could probably put it together with just a small vice-grip, whcih I often carry on the plane.

Works fine as long as you have very little other luggage or it's in panniers, but the Bike Friday suitcase/trailer is a nice way to tote your carryon and/or garment bag from the airport to your hotel or home.

I've heard of some people getting small folding bikes on as carryon luggage, but it seems to me that if the TSA is serious about security they shouldn't allow it. Makes no sense to confiscate tiny pocket knives but allow a folding bike that could easily be concealing more effective weapons.

Well the bike would have to first pass through a scanner like other luggage so objects hidden in the frame will probably raise suspicion. However, a person can do more harm to someone with a disposable ball point pen (the "Glock" of shivs) than a small pocket knife yet they're not even considered a weapon, so yeah, TSA rules aren't necessarily about being sensible.

The difference is that they take up more space than is allowed. Even the carry-me, with 8" wheels, doesn't comply, being 36" long.

Having said that, if there is actually room for them and they fit (the B. won't fit in smaller overhead bins), I see no reason why you couldn't take them.

you will hear all kinds of stories of bikes ( especially Bromptons ) who made it into the overhead bin. I however have a HUGE amount of skeptism about this. Unfortunately not all rules are enforced with the same vigor, and some folks dismiss their platinum whatever status while checking in, having been employed with the carrier, being furlod pilots, etc etc. They usually dont comment on the instances where it didnt work and they had trouble getting the bike with them on the same flight. They might have 4 hours time before the flight leaves and have ample time to change their ways, and and and ....
Usually its 20 lbs max weight in the overhead bins, and usually there is this small crate in front of every checkout counter where the bag needs to fit in completely ... not on top or whatever, completely ...
and there is no bike ( not even a Brompton) which fits in there....

For everybody who has ever flown on a plane in distress ( air turbulances, weather, stupid pilots , plane malfucntions there are ample reasons ) and has seen the overhead bins open up and their content emptied and flying through the plane, will surely not put himself and other passengers in lifethreatening situations and have a 35 lbs bike hit that 5 year old 3 rows in front of you in the head.

But again there are "success" stories abundant.....

I would much rather travel (and do) with my bike in a HARD case. Which means it's checked.

NOT that big a deal!

I wouldn't like to be under a bin with a bike in it - extreme turbulence can make things fall out and I think it'd be messier than a flat-faced case falling on you.
For this reason - I don't think folders are allowed as carry-on unless you have some amazing exec jet that will let you stow it somewhere safer.

Well, they say be careful what you wish for, but here goes.

I wish that airlines would strictly enforce their baggage policies. On every domestic flight, I see people boarding with luggage that does not comply with the carry on restriction. Often it is a piece of luggage that would not fit in the "screening" crate that Thor described above. Other times a traveller has two large carry-ons instead of one and a "personal" item. On this morning's flight, a large portion of the bin above my seat was occupied by a standard sized guitar in its case. It had to be placed lengthwise in the bin as it otherwise would have stuck out. It prevented three large legal carry-ons from being placed in the bin, although there was room for small items, like a jacket or small parcel.

The current policy rewards the more aggressive or selfish traveller who hovers near the boarding area to win the competition with other travelers so he can find a place in the bins, for example, for his two large bags and "personal" item.

It is my understanding that the European airlines are much more strict in enforcing their baggage policy and if a traveller attempts to board with luggage that should have been checked they will take it , check it, and charge a premium for the trouble.

I have a Brompton, and I have seen the pictures of Bromptons in overhead bins and I have roughly measured bins and determined a Brompton would fit some bins but I will never attempt to carry mine on and place it in the overhead. Boarding takes too long as it is - it would go faster and smoother if we all complied with the requirements.

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is there a like button here somewhere ..lol