DP and a Q:

DP - I had an Orucase Airport Ninja and used it to fly UA without bike fees. The $400 case almost pays for itself in one trip by avoiding a $150 fee each way. Just clarify to the baggage check-in attendant that the case is under 62 linear inches. It requires a little more disassembly than other cases, but it's easy after you practice it a time or two.

Q - I want to book a J award on BR with UA miles. EVA counts a bike as a piece of luggage but does not charge extra for it. What if I wanted to add a UA positioning flight to my award ticket? In fact, I want to book PHL -> ORD -> TPE. Will UA charge the $150 bike fee since the bag is checked in at PHL on a UA flight? Or can you haggle with the gate attendant and get them to waive the fee as per the main BR segment's bike rules?