StephD99

HI,

End of August we're flying with our bikes for the first time. Aeromexico is the airline, we're going to pack the bike up in a bike box from our bike shop.

I keep reading stories about how badly some airlines treat bike boxes, and they come out at the other end looking pretty bad.

Our flight has a layover as well... Montreal --> Mexico City (for a couple hours) --> Managua

Anyone fly with their bikes on Aeromexico before? Did you use a cardboard box? How did the bike come out looking on the other end? Will the layover be a big problem?

Thanks!

jefnvk

Can't speak to them specifically, but remember baggage handlers are often contract employees (especially in small destination airports), not airline employees, so the service can vary considerably by location, not just airline. Also remember that a horror story will get repeated over and over everywhere the teller has the platform, whereas good stories are rarely voiced. I really wouldn't give any of it much credence. Pack it well and hope for the best.

That said, crap can happen, but I'd never expect that any one airline is going out of their way to be any better or worse at handing customer baggage than the next. All of them are going to have crews that are fresh and careful, all will have those at the end of their shift and weary, and all will have those that simply don't give a crap. Which one you get on any given day is nothing but a roll of a dice.

EDIT: also make sure you know your airline policies for packaging, and importantly THE ACTUAL CARRIER of your first flight. If it is a codeshare, even if booked through Aeromexico, the codeshare's policies will generally apply at check-in.

djb

send me a private message if you want. In january I flew from Mtl to Mexico City and then on to another southern Mexican City, where I rode down through Central America, including through Nic.
On peut jaser en francais si tu veut.

for everyone else, the Aeromexico baggage handlers were no better or no worse than other times I have flown with a boxed bike. The last flight, the doofuses did put the box upside down, but did appear to treat it properly.
I still figure its all a giant roulette wheel of chance with baggage handlers, and the individual guys mood that day and general disposition.

One other thing to mention, at the Mexico City airport taking the other Aeromexico flight, at the check-in, they got me with a supposed rule of "it being necessary for internal Mexico flights for the bike box to get wrapped in plastic wrap"--I am fairly convinced that this is a scam between the airline and the plastic wrap guys who scoot their wrapper setup all over the airport, following gringos and whatnot that they can get.
In hindsight, I should have been more pigheaded and asked to see the manager/rules written down because I am fairly certain its a 'gringo tax" thing, but I was a newbee to the whole thing.
During my trip, I became a lot more hard nosed about stuff like this, although in the big scheme of things, sometimes it wasnt a big deal, but there were a few border crossing shinaningans that were a pain in the keester.

StephD99

Thanks!
DJB.. I'll send you a PM now thanks!

roseml

Such as? I'm curious as I will also do this route.

djb

roseml, you're the 700 vs 26 person South America right? If you do your trip and end up in Central America, you will be an expert on border crossings by then, don't worry.

-For me, nothing major, just surprise "exit" fees that are not ever clear if official or not (Mexico into Guatemala)
-some Nicaraguan exit fee guys who were purposely slow on giving change to the U.S currency fee only exit fee, combined with trying a "you only gave us a $10 and not a $20" trick on for size, combined with the fee supposedly being $12 but the receipt finally given after a long wait and out of the side door of the bldg was for $2.
-the usual money changer guys and ladies who crowd you and stand too close to you to see into your bags and what passport you own
-at busy borders, often its not clear of where to go and what to do, just a lot more people around, and the odd dodgy fellow who you should keep an eye on your bike. ie simply turn your suspicious radar up and be extra aware of your belongings.

glarrea

I am also travelling with Aeromexico. I am travelling to Peru in July and it seems that the maximum total length is 80 linear inches. Is it possible to find a case that fit those dimensions? Have you ever struggled with that before?

djb

glarrea, if directed at me, I have no idea. I've only ever used cardboard boxes that bikes arrive in bike stores in, never have used a reuseable hard case if thats what you mean.

indyfabz

80" in length? That's over 6.5'. I have a rather large CrateWorks case that's 45.5" in length. It holds my 60cm LHT fine.

glarrea

Ok, I'll write it better. The thing is that I'm travelling to Peru and I'm carrying the bike with me. So the airlines says about bikes: "Maximum length allowed per piece on narrow-body cabin is 204 centimeters / 80 inches and wide-body cabin is 294 centimeters / 115 inches (Maximum length including case)". I don't have information about the Mexico-Peru connection but from Chicago to Mexico I'll be flying in a narrow-body cabin. That's the reason why I am worried about the size of the case. I just want to pick my bike safe and sound from the belt so, hard case or cardboard box, just need to fit the limitations.

I also have to mention that I will pay and additional $65 fee for "special luggage" which doesn't seem too much, the maximum size is the only thing that worries me right now.

jefnvk

Contact them to be certain, but the way I read that, they are only talking about length (or more appropriately, longest side of the box), not L+W+H.

Aircraft are space limited, especially regional planes, their holds can only fit luggage of a certain size. It would make sense that there would be a difference between a narrow and wide body if they were only concerned with the box fitting in the aircraft, if it were a fee charging thing, they'd likely apply the same size to any aircraft.

djb

I don't have the photo I took of the store scrounged box I used recently with aeromexico, but it would have been a standard type cardboard box that gets shipped all the time, and it was not a concern.

it does seem the numbers you are mentioning are for length, and as far as i recall, not a prob concerning what I used, which I think was something like 55 or 58 in long.

djb

just remembered that I may have taken a photo of my cardboard box dimensions used on my last trip so that I would have a reference to when having to find a return cardboard box, and I found the photo.

58.5 x 9.5 x 31 so well within the 80in length max. The box I came back with was roughly the same length, give or take.

and as always, this size box travels reasonably well on an airport luggage cart .