Following the success of Great Britain’s cycling teams this summer, specialist adventure holiday tour operator Explore has announced a 62% year-on-year increase in cycling holiday bookings and cycle shops around the UK have reported a significant increase in enquiries and sales of bicycles.
In order to help keen cyclists travelling abroad, Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) has compiled a comprehensive guide to airline allowances and charges for transporting bikes. The research is available in the Know Before You Go section of the website at www.aph.com/bikes.
The table compares the allowances of 26 airlines and highlights the checked-in free baggage allowance on both short and long haul flights, the added costs of transporting bicycles, the weight limit for each bag and any restrictions that are imposed.
In terms of complimentary baggage allowance, Emirates was found to be the most generous airline allowing 30kg per economy ticket on long haul and short haul routes. Several airlines also allow two items weighing up to 23kg on routes to and from the US, while seven of the airlines – including Ryanair and easyJet – had no free baggage allowances, charging for all bags put in the hold.
With regards to the transportation of bicycles, 11 of the 26 airlines surveyed allow bicycles as part of a customer’s free baggage allowance, including British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Ethiad and Singapore Airline. However, customers will be charged for exceeding the standard free allowance, with some airlines charging a fixed fee. Virgin, on the other hand, allows an item of sporting equipment in addition to the ordinary free baggage allowance.
Of the other airlines surveyed, most charge a fixed fee for transportation of a bicycle. These range from £25.00 by easyJet if customers pre-pay for their bicycle online, to £157.50 by Air France on flights departing from a country outside the European Zone.
Some airlines also impose restrictions on the packing of bikes with many airlines requiring bikes to be transported and in a bike box rather than a plastic bag. BMI, for example, asks for handlebars to be fixed sideways in line with the crossbar, pedals turned inwards or removed and the front wheel removed and fixed to the rear wheel.
Nick Caunter, Managing Director of APH said, “Having your bike with you on holiday is a great way to explore and exercise at the same time. However, travelling with a bike can be awkward and expensive, so we wanted to provide a go-to-guide for consumers thinking about travelling by air with bicycles.”
For further information on Airport Parking and Hotels (APH), visit www.aph.com or call 01342 859 515.
1 Stats from Explore via E-tid.com
About Airport Parking and Hotels (APH):
Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) is the UK’s award winning long stay airport parking operator and booking agency, after winning the Best Airport Parking Company for a second year running at British Travel Awards 2011. This year APH also celebrates its 32nd year as a retailer and operator of pre-booked airport parking and travel extras. APH offers parking at all major UK airports as well as airport hotels packaged with parking and airport lounges. APH is also a carbon balanced company and has, through support of the World Land Trust, helped purchase more than 1,000 acres of endangered rainforest.
Contact:
Sarah Salord (nee Falkingham)
Senior Account Manager
Airport Parking Hotels Ltd
Snowhill, Copthorne
West Sussex, UK
Zip: RH10 3EQ
Tel: 020 8237 7979
Email: sarah@mccluskey.co.uk
