London’s Gatwick and Heathrow airports are trying to stem injury claims of their luggage handlers by not allowing “sporting equipment” over 70 pounds to be checked at either airport UNLESS 24 hours notice is provided AND the item cannot be “broken down.” (Checked baggage arriving and transiting through these airports is unaffected). While I would not worry about a weight limitation specific to bicycles, a published ban on all sporting equipment over 70 pounds would cause me pack a tandem differently. If your tandem case needs to exceed 70 pounds, find the “sporting equipment” rules on an airline’s website. Since 2006 we’ve seen a growing trend to limit all checked items to 70 pounds. Since 2003 most airlines have imposed a surcharge for suitcases weighing over 50 pounds. In the “Good Old Days” suitcases could weigh up to 70 pounds and everything else could weigh up to 99 pounds. Should you worry about a 70-pound (32kg) limit for bike cases? Jan and I research our flights on, a website where seating charts reveal everything you’ll need to know in order to book appropriate flights.ĥ. Unless your tandem stows in a suitcase-sized container, you must avoid flights on planes with 3-across seating. Tandem cases from BikePro USA and Crateworks barely fit in planes with 4-across seating, which may cause your bike to be delayed if your case shows up after the plane is partially loaded. Even the largest tandem case or box easily fits within the luggage bays found on airliners big enough for 5-across economy seating. ![]() Keep reading.īecause the largest tandem cases won’t fit in the smallest “regional” airliners, the size of your tandem case dictates your choice of flights (and may limit your choice of airports). While the existing system is unpredictable and confused, it works just fine for tandem enthusiasts who learn how to avoid the pitfalls. ![]() If enough cyclists bother them, the airlines will respond by making it tougher and more expensive to fly with a bicycle. The airline employees who work at the airport ignore stupid regulations. The airline employees who write bicycle size regulations don’t work at an airport. The only airline that publishes different dimensions for different airliners (United) welcomes larger sporting items on flights with a Boeing 757, and then claims these same items won’t fit on a Boeing 737-which has an identically roomy baggage compartment! If your reason for web research is to feel “safe,” please don’t waste your time. Instead, they’ll publish the too-small limitations of the tiniest plane they subcontract. Because the big airlines don’t want you to avoid their “feeder flights” using teensy sub-contracted planes flown by non-union crews, they’ll never tell you that full-size tandems are easily accommodated on all of their normal planes (and by competitors who use normal planes on the same route). Although we’ll explain later why this is much safer than using the phone, please don’t expect reassurance. These days, when Jan and I finally convince insecure tandem owners to NOT phone the airline, their immediate response is to run to the web. Couples who use my time-tested tips continue to report a 100% success rate.Īirline phone operators will needlessly scare you by reciting the luggage limitations dictated by their smallest prop-liner or regional jet. While newer coupled tandems have made it easier to get to-and-from airports, full-sized tandems continue to be accepted as checked luggage. In spite of horror stories, there is no reason to imagine that you can’t fly with a full-sized tandem. If your tandem fits in suitcase-sized containers, skip to Section Two
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