Lack

The couple times I've transported a bike I always broke it down to smaller parts to fit in the regular lugagge size.

SWISSBOBBY

Last weekend I flew with OS to KLU from GVA via VIE. I was going to take part in a triathlon, so I had previously booked my bike on the flights...

The Austrian Airlines site clearly stated that the supplement for a Bike as excess baggage is € 50.

EUR 50 is roughly 55 CHF as current exchange rates... At GVA I was charged 60 CHF and a further 15 CHF handling charge.

On the return I from KLU I was charged 50 EUR plus a 15 EUR handling charge. That is 30% handling charge.

While I am happy to pay the advertised price for my excess baggage and a handling charge if I had not made use of some website which allows me to pay in advance. But there was no such option. The stated price was 50 EUR... Why do we have to put up with these hidden extras again?

It means I can not make an informed choice when I am booking flights as I do not have all the information.

I liken this to doing by weekly shopping at the Coop/Tesco/... any other supermarket, and then having to pay a charge to pay for my shopping.

Anyone had similar experiences?

Arctifox

I once was planning to take a bike on an Austrian flight and called them for information about the price (which was stated as 50€). The person on the line then asked me if I want to book it - so maybe that would have been a possibility to avoid the additional handling charge as you can't book it online?

Edit: I forgot to say that I ended up deciding not to take the bike after all, so I don't know if the handling fee would have been charged as well.

Doc Savage

.....

pete3

The famous Swiss handling charge. They charged my this on top of the Lufthansa bike fee for GVA to MUC a couple of years ago. Lufthansa said Swissport was not supposed to and refunded it in my case.

htb

Sounds like Lufthansa: pay for the honor of being allowed to pay for a ticket. They abandoned the "Ticket Service Charge", but they still charge for paying with a credit card.

HTB.

SWISSBOBBY

I booked the bike, but this was just to guarantee that there was space for it on the plane... I was to pay at the airport... which is what makes me so angry about this whole thing... I want to be able to make informed decisions and so I need the correct information will contact Austrian and see what they say

oliver2002

Yep, mention to OS that the local handling agent overcharged you and added a random service fee for performing a task that the airline already pays them to do. OS (like LH mentioned upthread) will usually refund you the extra charges after looking into the matter.

johnirvine

The information in this thread is now completely out of date. LH allow cycles (not tandems) to be taken as part of one's normal checked luggage. If you are over the limit allowed by your ticket and LH Group or *G status, excess baggage charges apply.

Moreover, cycles no longer need to be packed. I have taken my expensive handbuilt Cannondale MTB on LH flights at least 10 times in the last 2 years. All I do is roll up to oversize baggage with the tyres deflated,seat dropped and the pedals removed (handlebars not turned sideways). You need to print out a copy of the LH baggage regulations to educate LH agency check-in staff and baggage attendants who are unaware of the rules.

I have just landed in BKK with my bike and TG accepted an unboxed cycle. TK and A3 are also relaxed about unboxed bikes although having one of their *G cards may be a factor.

Not once has my bike been damaged when it travels unboxed. On the contrary, the two times it was boxed there was frame damage. The loaders sometimes place larger boxes under heavy suitcases!

Lack

That is pretty good news.

Still for an expensive bike I'd invest in a nice hard case, and at least for an MTB enthusiast flying coach you'd need to take some heavier parts out to fly under the 50 pound limit.

Grog

I called just days ago and was given the following LH rule: "Items of baggage that are larger or heavier than the permitted dimensions and weight or that are additional to the free baggage allowance will be carried as excess baggage for a flat fee". (In other words, bike is bigger than suitcase, so it's excess baggage automatically.) Told to look at the following table for pricing:

Bicycle
EUR Charge (continental) 50
USD/CAD Charge (continental) 70
EUR Charge (inter-continental) 100
USD/CAD Charge (inter-continental)150

Notes: a regular bike (no motor / no e-bike) or a special children's trolley to use with a bike or a one-wheel bike.

Based on your post, I called again and spoke with someone else. I was given the same response as above. (Since the bike is oversize, it is charged, even if it's under the limit allowed by the ticket.)

I'm not sure if you're experiencing a more favorable interpretation that LH intended, or if I'm just getting poor information when I call.

Lack

This is a fairly new regulation, so I'd say it's poor information.

http://www.lufthansa.com/pl/en/Free-baggage-rules
Scroll down for "Extended free baggage rules for:"
And:
"Passengers with sports baggage

Sports bags can be checked in free of charge as part of your permitted free baggage allowance."

Leading to:
http://www.lufthansa.com/pl/en/Excess-baggage

johnirvine

I fly on LH with my mountain bike four return trips per year. Last week, I flew TXL-FRA-BKK with no problems. However, on the previous trip, the check-in agent tried to charge and had to be 'educated'. If you carry a print-out of the new sports luggage regulations, there should be no problem.

Grog

The various Lufthansa pages and passages are definitely poorly arranged, at least in English. But, in reading them and then re-reading them twice, I do see your interpretation as sound.

I will test the waters again before my next flight (and will read through the German pages before then as well).

I thank you!

pete3

I flew MUC-YVR on a first award ticket in September and was not charged for my large bike case in either direction, although for the return flight I checked in with Air Canada in Castlegar (on a separate paid ticket for YCG-YVR).

This was the first time in years I did not have to pay for a bike case on Lufthansa! I thought I'd give it a try after the LH call center agent said it would be free when I called up to register the bike. I thought she was mistaken, and was prepared to pay at the MUC airport, but it seems there is indeed be a new policy :-).

As a side note, Air Canada waives their bike handling fee for all Star Gold, not just their own as listed on the AC website.