Flying with your bicycle 101

Posted on 21 January 2019

Cycling enthusiasts know how difficult it is to travel without planning ahead. With the annual Cape Town Cycle Tour taking place on March 10th, kulula.com and British Airways have created a step-by-step guide on how to get you and your ride safely to Cape Town.

Before you fly

 

  1. An aircraft can only fly a minimum allowance of bikes so make sure to pre-book to save costs as well as disappointment.
  2. At check-in you will sign a limited release tag, which you use when you you drop-off and pick-up your bike at your destination. Keep this safe.
  3. Drop-off your bike at the demarcated area (depending on your airport), which will be pointed out to you to by the check-in agent.
  4. We recommend you place your bike on your private insurance for extra peace of mind, though of course care will be taken not to damage your bike
  5. If you are renting a car also do this well in advance and get a big enough car so your bicycle can fit without damaging your bike.

 

Packing your bike

 

When you fly with your wheels it is important to follow special packing procedures to make sure it gets to the other side in perfect condition so do the following:

  1. Please do not lock or seal your bicycle box or bag until after you have checked in to ensure that it can be accessed for security checks prior to acceptance
  2. The seat must be fully lowered
  3. Turn the handlebars parallel to the frame
  4. Leave the front wheel attached
  5. Remove or turn the pedals inwards
  6. Deflate your tyres
  7. Do not inflate with nitrogen as this will not be accepted for carriage on the flight
  8. Place the bike in a bag, box, or wrap it in bubble wrap.

What can be Checked in as luggage

  1. Inflation pumps filled with division 2.2 Carbon Dioxide non-flammable gas will be accepted for transportation as checked baggage only. The maximum amount per customer is limited to four 16 grams cartridges. Cartridges larger than 16 grams will not be permitted for carriage. Make sure you declare this when checking in for your flight
  2. Wheel bags cannot be carried as hand luggage and need to be checked in as checked baggage. The standard checked baggage allowance will apply.
  3. If you do have more baggage than you are allowed you can pay for the extra baggage beforehand or at the airport. Pay R290 online or R385 at the airport.
  4. Spare wheels need to be packed properly before they are checked in. At check-in, the spare wheels will be tagged with a limited release tag.

What can be taken on as hand luggage

  1. Speedometers and any other electronic equipment, helmets and shoes can be transported in your hand luggage so remove it from your bike so that it will fit within the specific hand luggage allowances

Image source: Pixabay

 

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