axolotl

Someone started a new Facebook group titled "Bicyclist Boycotting Delta Airlines" after learning from Delta that they charge US $200 for a bicycle, EVEN a folding bicycle in a standard suitcase. He posts the e-mail he got from Delta which states that all bikes including folding bikes are subject to the fee. Regardless of the folder rule, $200 for a bike is absurd. If you've got a Facebook account, you might want to consider joining this group. I posted this on the Folding Bikes forum, as well.

Dahon.Steve

The whole situation is getting insane as the airlines are getting desparate since they are broke. At four hundred dollars, you can practically buy a bike at your destination instead of flying one. Soon, we may have to do just that. Travel with bicycle tires and a tool kit and buy your bike at a Walmart once you arrive at your destination. It's just getting too expensive.

Allen

I was going to take my bike to a recent trip to California.
It would have cost $100 more for the bike than my ticket.

Oh, and no food on a 4+ hour flight, the credit card machine was acting up and they won't take cash.
Not that I was willing to pay $8.00 for a vending machine "slider."

Yan 

Joined.

I'm waiting for the day excess body weight surcharge becomes a reality. That'll solve the world's air transportation problems. If they charge $50 for every excess kilogram of baggage, imagine how much money they could make off of a 400lb passenger.

axolotl

Southwest Airlines already has a policy of requiring obese passengers to purchase 2 tickets. There was a well-publicized case in the US recently of "plus-sized" filmmaker Kevin Smith being told to get off a full Southwest plane. He had to wait for the next flight which had 2 seats available.

I was on a non-Southwest flight a year or two ago and was seated next to a morbidly obese passenger. I had an aisle seat, he was in the middle. The flight was 100% full. A flight attendant gave him a seat belt extender without him even asking. Both arm rests next to him had to be raised for him to fit. His fat pushed against me and the window seat passenger. It was a 3 1/2 hour flight. Fortunately there was no turbulence so I spent most of the flight standing in the galley. The flight attendants understood my situation and didn't hassle me about standing there.

As for Delta's excessive bike fee and their absurd rule essentially discriminating against cycling customers based on the contents of their suitcase, it seems to me that social media like Facebook are an excellent way to fight back and hopefully get them to reduce their bike fees as well as drop the folder fee.

nancy sv

You don't even want to know the fees we were slapped with when we flew up to Alaska... Three bikes, two trailers... food for four people for 15 days... all our camping and winter gear... YIKES!

Fortunately, the gate clerk must have torn up the charge slip or something. We almost called off our record attempt because of the outrageous fees, but the boys were standing there begging us to go. We explained to the clerk about the world record attempt and such - and the charge never showed up on our card!!

TonyS

Joined.

mikescooling

i'm in

adamrice 

You know, at that rate, you might as well use a service like Sports Express, which gives door-to-door service. I think they can even deal with the shipping container and will make arrangements for open-jaw itineraries.

indyfabz

I am going to join. Delta is rediculous for many reasons, including their now rediculously high bike charge. Their absorbtion fo the surly Northwest Airlines flight attendants makes fyling with them a pain. I suspect they are intentionally pricing themselves out of the market for passengers who want to fly with bikes. Either that or they think they can get away with it because they are the world's largest airline and in many cases are the only realistic option.

Neil_B

I just tried to join and received a "profile not available" message. Has the group been taken down?

axolotl

No, the group appears to be alive and well. Try again.

CB HI

I hate both Delta and United because of their lies and poor treatment.

Have not flown Delta since 1985 and United since 1990.

Had a three leg flight on Delta that they promised would only include a single charge for my bike as long as it was checked to the destination. On the second and third legs, they refused to issue a boarding ticket until I payed an extra bicycle fee. Each fee cost me $60 for a total of $180 in 1985. Too bad they could not find my “lost” suitcase that they had to pay me $200 for.



United destroyed a wheel while I watched a baggage handler crawl up the conveyor belt putting his knee with full weight into the side of the bicycle box crawling on it.

Then another United flight gave away my reserved seats when I was traveling with our dog and 3 kids (ages 2, 4 and 6). I got to the airport 3 hours ahead as they asked. United had 3 jumbo jets scheduled to leave at midnight within 1 minute of each other and to save money, brought in a limited crew to check in baggage for all 3 flights 1.5 hours before the flights. No problem, we were first in line and still had 1.5 hours. They left me waiting on the side of an elevator for one hour before they took the dog regardless of my request for them to hurry up. With 30 minutes left, we ran to get through security and to the flight, just making it before they closed the doors. Once onboard, we saw people in our seats. The flight attendants refused to move the people in OUR reserved seats. When I raised a fuss, the head flight attendant came over and said it was my fault, that I should have gotten to the airport on time. I got to sit next to my 2 year old, but the 4 and 6 year olds ended sitting by themselves (not even next to each other) in seats far away from me. I finally told the head flight attendant that I would relish the day he lost his job due to bankruptcy from their poor customer treatment. And I have enjoyed watching United’s bankruptcy problems.

Glad to see someone else going after Delta.

spinnaker

I joined.

OK I can sort of see how they can justify charging whatever they want for a regular full sized bicycle. But how on earth can they justify charging for a folding bike or bike with couplers. Just because it is a bike.

Some woman files with a large suitcase full of cosmetics, hair dryer and God knows what else and her bag goes at the normal price?? Makes no sense to me.


The airlines should charge by weight pure and simple. Weight of passenger plus luggage.

Neil_B

Thanks. I'm in.

Icycle

The thing I find ridiculous is that Delta (and most other major airlines) allow hard-sided golf cases up to 50 lbs. to be checked at no extra charge. I guess bicyclists just don't have as well organized a lobby as golfers.

JohnyW

where in Cuba, Domenican Republic, Haiti, Ecuador, Chile (Puerto Montt), Morocco, Ghana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Oman, Sri Lanka to name just a few countries.

I need a solid bike with reliable components and a frame that fits...

BTW: Because of the service I avoid delta anyway...

Thomas

spinnaker

Because the executives of corporations don't haul bicycles around on business trips.

kayakdiver

joined

mthayer

Joined.

MadMabel

Sports Express doesn't seem like any bargain.

Plugging an imaginary trip, Portland, OR, to Honolulu, HI in late May into the calculator on their site gave a charge of $611. Ouch!

spinnaker

Even cross country from east coast to west coast, the cost is $200. Seems awfully expensive to me.

skijor

I tried Wisconsin to Sacramento, also $200 round trip. Better than Delta, but still pricey.

Also joined.