amazinmets73

I'm moving from NYC to L.A and am seeking advice on the most cost-effective method of shipping my bike. It's a 57cm road bike that weighs roughly 19lbs.

I'm flying Sun Country airlines with a layover in Minneapolis.

My options (so far as I know) are shipping bike on plane or using FedEx-UPS

Maelochs

Fed-Ex will put it on a plane.

amazinmets73

Sure, but is it cheaper to have FedEx ship it or bring the bike on my flight as luggage?

ypsetihw

Ride it! But seriously, maybe call a moving company that does OTR trucking shipments. You might be able to get it on a westbound truck for cheap. The problem is that it will take a week or more, and you don't know how it will be handled.

bwilli88 

Bike Flights

Maelochs

A friend shipped a bike from Europe to the U.S. for a tour and found it most economical to carry it as luggage and to pay whatever the fee the airline was asking, as opposed to air-freighting it across the Atlantic.

i'd assume that air-freight across the U.S. would be a Lot cheaper, but I'd call the airline and get a quote, and also call Fed-Ex/UPS whoever else and ask them. It depends how much of a hurry you are in, as ypsetihw notes. Cheaper is slower as a rule.

amazinmets73

Just did a quick quote. It was very inexpensive, almost seemed too good to be true. What's their business model?

Machka 

Sun Country airlines should have a baggage policy with regard to bicycles on their website. What does it say?

andr0id

Bike Flights is the correct answer.

Box your box in a sturdy box and get a shipping label from Bike Flights.

They are a shipping aggregator. They buy shipping from Fedex at a volume discount and then you buy a label from them and ship using their account.

You pay way less than the Fedex retail price for Joe that walks in off the street and they make a few bucks selling you a label.

If you've ever worked at a big company with a Fedex or UPS account, you'll know how much of a discount they give. That gotta be there overnite envelope that they charge you $11.95 or whatever for, is about $2.00 with a commercial account.

fietsbob

Sold everything but your Bike? No Household goods getting trucked across the country?

FeltF2Tarmac

Is that not the right thing to do?

fietsbob

Military Transfer Orders , Taxpayers Pick up the Tab..

GamblerGORD53

I would take it on the plane myself, half the handling I recon. I flew to HK and Saigon with my huge tour bike. The box was 9x 58x 30. I put the front wheel inside a separate box inside the big box. I also stuffed it so the sides couldn't be squeezed in. On the way over I had a old axel thru a piece of 2x4 so the fork couldn't be banged. I saw the baggage guys laying the bike box on my other box. It actually rode free first and $150 on the return because I didn't balance the weight right.

With that light bike I would for sure double box it with cross bracing. With the back wheel still on likely. Turn the fork backwards.

I-Like-To-Bike

Not for shipment by air or for any extra bicycle airline charges or fees for overweight/oversize baggage with the traveler.

The only free method for shipping bike with orders is with household baggage or hold baggage which will get at the destination whenever it gets there.

molten

What is the attitude of NYC Hospitals ---- for cyclists who come in the E.R. with bikes?
As bikes are 'personal property.'
Is the bike alongside with the owner/patient?

Or is the bike possessed by another, until the owner/patient be released, -- claimed to work for the hospital??
If this be the procedure, how assuring is the hospital in returning the bike/property to its owner??

f4rrest

Greyhound Package Express.
https://www.shipgreyhound.com/e/pages/Home.aspx

You're welcome.