Sitting around over the holidays with a cold has given me time to do some random things. One of them is prepping for my own trip to the Giro d’Italia next year, and with airline bike fees skyrocketing, they can completely change the calculus of which flight is the cheapest. So, sitting in SFO and waiting, and waiting, and waiting, I scoured the intertubes to find out what the bike bag fees are. Rather than keep the info to myself, I’ll share it here.
The following list includes a few assumptions; you’re not an elite in any frequent flyer program (that can lower some fees), you’re flying discounted coach (full-fare & business can lower fees), you are flying from the US to Europe (other regions have their own fee structures), and your flight handles baggage on the “piece concept” (meaning you get 2 bags with a max weight, not a max weight with unlimited bags). It is true as of 12/24/09 to the best of my knowledge. As we all know, the airlines can be fickle and change their policies on a whim. Check the included links for more info and call the airlines to be sure. This is only a rough guide; if you don’t check and get hit with an unexpected fee, don’t come crying to me!
| Airline | Fee | Weight Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Air Canada | $50 | 20kgs |
| Air France | $2001 | 20kgs |
| Alitalia | $215 | 20kgs |
| American | $150 | 32kgs |
| Austrian | $200 | 32kgs |
| British Air | $50 | 32kgs |
| Continental | $100 | 32kgs |
| Delta | $3002 | 23kgs(?) |
| Iberia | $105 | 23kgs |
| KLM | $0(!) | 23kgs |
| Lufthansa(PDF) | $200 | 32kgs |
| Swiss | $200 | 30kgs |
| United | $200 | 23kgs |
| US Air | $100 | 23kgs |
1$200 in US, 200euro from Europe
2$300 in US, 300euro from Europe
A couple of other notes. The fees have been converted to US$ (if necessary) from Euro, and weights converted to kgs. If you are travelling on a code-share (e.g. Lufthansa ticket but United planes), it’s best to assume the most restrictive fees and weight limits will apply. The weight limits are often the most difficult to figure out, so definitely double-check these before heading to the airport. If there is a standard checked bag fee, that has been added in already (e.g. American is $50 + $100 bike fee).
If you’ve had other experiences or better information, please let us know in the comments.