Yesterday I flew from TXL to EWR. I had a bike I purchased in Finland with me.
The pedals were removed and the handlebars were turned sideways. In addition, it was a folding bike, so it was relatively compact.
However, they refused to accept it without any packaging.
The courtesy bags/boxes that are supposedly available at most ticketing offices were of course not available because Tegel "isn't a large enough airport."
Based on what I read on the website, it seemed to me that it didn't have to be packed in a case, just that Continental wasn't liable for any damage if it wasn't. The same was true when I took it HEL-ARN-TXL a week earlier on Blue1/SAS.
Handlebars must be fixed sideways and pedals removed or
* All loose items must be enclosed in plastic foam or similar protective material or
* Bicycle should be transported in a sealed box. If a box is needed, see the Courtesy Bags section of this site.
* Continental is not liable for damage to bicycles that do not have the handlebars fixed sideways and pedals removed, handlebars and pedals encased in plastic foam or similar material or bicycles not contained in a cardboard containers or hard-sided cases.
I had the page open in both English and German on my phone and showed them this, but they didn't seem willing to listen. They also supposedly made a call to someone who said they wouldn't take it, but couldn't/wouldn't give me the name of the person.
Luckily I have friends in Berlin and was able to leave my bike at the luggage storage and mail the receipt to pick it to one of them, but still, I'll have to wait who knows how long before I can finally bring it home. It's already been a while since I was able to get it from my friend in Finland who has been storing it for a few months.
So, my question.. Is the information on the site outdated, did I misread it, or did the people at the check-in make an error?
Hopefully this makes some sense.. I haven't been using my English lately.
That, the jetlag, and still being a bit miffed about this and the apple juice that got spilled on me isn't the greatest combination. -.-