- News
- Reviews
- Bikes
- Accessories
- Accessories - misc
- Computer mounts
- Bags
- Bar ends
- Bike bags & cases
- Bottle cages
- Bottles
- Cameras
- Car racks
- Child seats
- Computers
- Glasses
- GPS units
- Helmets
- Lights - front
- Lights - rear
- Lights - sets
- Locks
- Mirrors
- Mudguards
- Racks
- Pumps & CO2 inflators
- Puncture kits
- Reflectives
- Smart watches
- Stands and racks
- Trailers
- Clothing
- Components
- Bar tape & grips
- Bottom brackets
- Brake & gear cables
- Brake & STI levers
- Brake pads & spares
- Brakes
- Cassettes & freewheels
- Chains
- Chainsets & chainrings
- Derailleurs - front
- Derailleurs - rear
- Forks
- Gear levers & shifters
- Groupsets
- Handlebars & extensions
- Headsets
- Hubs
- Inner tubes
- Pedals
- Quick releases & skewers
- Saddles
- Seatposts
- Stems
- Wheels
- Tyres
- Health, fitness and nutrition
- Tools and workshop
- Miscellaneous
- Buyers Guides
- Features
- Forum
- Recommends
- Podcast
forum
Traveling with Ryanair with bike
Hi, I have a concern about traveling with bike luggage with Ryanair. I bought a ticket with additional "Sports equipment" luggage for 35 pounds - I didn't noticed that is another option for Bike baggage, for 60 pounds. Did anyone tried to dismount a bike and put all parts into cardbox and travel with it as a "Sports equipment", not especially "Bike"?
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
Latest Forum Topics
Latest Comments
- Geordiepeddeler 10 sec ago
Cycling infrastructure does not force drivers to break the law, drivers are the reason they break the law, no one else.
- chrisonabike 12 min 44 sec ago
Ah but taking pictures of things to defy the man (avoid a fine) is righteous. Taking pictures of people to grass on them to the cops (perhaps...
- ktache 2 hours 2 min ago
But getting paid for it is the very definition of professional....
- ktache 2 hours 11 min ago
Never had a Shimano QR fail on me. They just work. And the top end ones look good too....
- Backladder 2 hours 57 min ago
If you're only looking at the guy in front of you then you're going to crash whatever brakes you have, you need to look beyond them to anticipate...
- jaysa 3 hours 23 min ago
As a woman, this works great for me! My chain broke once, and a kind guy stopped with a chain breaker and sorted it all out for me. We stopped at a...
- andystow 4 hours 14 min ago
Same. I also have gone through a bunch of their tyres, and only the extralight disappointed (torn sidewall) but the standards are fantastic....
- chrisonabike 6 hours 11 min ago
Indeed - but it's no more inconsistent than our current road design - very often UK high streets are "for shopping" and also a busy through route....
- mike the bike 7 hours 42 min ago
If you ask the world's leading economic commentators how many people have been rescued from abject poverty by capitalism the average answer would...
Add new comment
13 comments
Ryanair's Micheal O'Leary arrives in a hotel in Dublin, he goes to the bar and asks for a pint of draught Guinness.
The barman nodded and said, "That will be one Euro please, Mr. O'Leary." Somewhat taken aback, O'Leary replied, "That's very cheap," and handed over his money.
"Well, we try to stay ahead of the competition", said the barman. "And we are serving free pints every Wednesday evening from 6 until 8. We have the cheapest beer in Ireland"
"That is remarkable value" Michael comments. "I see you don't seem to have a glass, so you'll probably need one of ours. That will be 3 euro please.
O'Leary scowled, but paid up. He took his drink and walked towards a seat.
"Ah, you want to sit down?" said the barman. "That'll be an extra 2 euro. - You could have pre-book the seat, and it would have only cost you a Euro."
"I think you may to be too big for the seat sir, can I ask you to sit in this frame please"
Michael attempts to sit down but the frame is too small and when he can't squeeze in he complains "Nobody would fit in that little frame".
"I'm afraid if you can't fit in the frame you'll have to pay an extra surcharge of €4.00 for your seat sir".
O'Leary swore to himself, but paid up. "I see that you have brought your laptop with you" added the barman. "And since that wasn't pre-booked either, that will be another 3 euro."
O'Leary was so annoyed that he walked back to the bar, slammed his drink on the counter, and yelled, "This is ridiculous, I want to speak to the manager".
"Ah, I see you want to use the counter," says the barman, "that will be 2 euro please." O'Leary's face was red with rage.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Of course I do Mr. O'Leary,"
"I've had enough, What sort of Hotel is this? I come in for a quiet drink and you treat me like this. I insist on speaking to a manager!"
"Here is his E mail address, or if you wish, you can contact him between 9 and 9.10 every morning, Monday to Tuesday at this free phone number. Calls are free, until they are answered, then there is a talking charge of only 10 cent per second"
"I will never use this bar again".
"OK sir, but remember, we are the only hotel in Ireland selling pints for one Euro".
Depends on the check in staff asking you about what's in the box?
You know how pedantic they could be, so get your story straight & don't use a bike brand box!
The weight limit for this £35 fee is only 20kg, so once you've packed it with all the extra padding required for a cardboard box, then you'll be getting close to the 20kg limit?
I thought about doing this fee, as I have a Titanium S&S frame which splits in two, and fits into a Buxum case that meets the maxium size for suitcases on airlines, so I could check it in either as sports equipment or a 20kg checked bag (£25), but both have the same weight limit with Ryan Air and its close too that weight in its case (But bombproof)
With other airlines it can go as hold luggage for free, BA has a 25kg, Easyjet 23kg
So I booked my carbon bike & normal bike case for my next trip using the £60 Ryanair option, as I fill up my case with clothing, helmet, gels etc, as the weight limit for the bike case is 30kg.
Then I only need a small carry on bag to carry my other clothing, although I always take my shoes in my carry on bag.
You could try and ask Ryan Air to change it to a bike, but I bet they will insist on the £60 fee, and you won't get your £35 back. Here's the list of the fees
https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en/useful-info/help-centre/fees?fbclid=IwAR00Vuv33573bu5rF3cqpcTRNWWkX3RK1XiKaxFVLo5PU7yX1CSqoZIBvvw
As for not using Ryan Air, what if its the nearest and cheapest airline. For me I can get to the Pyrenees (Lourdes) with Ryan Air for £224 return incl the bike fee from Stansted. Its an hour and 40mins from home and this year to outward flight is at 14:00, so I miss the early morning Ryan Air maddness at Stansted
Getting to the Alps is not as easy, as they moved the Lyon flight to Luton, I few with Easy Jet from Gatwick to Turin, and I wouldn't do that again in a hurry, as Gatwick is 2.5 hours on a good day. I'll give Luton a try in the future, as the official car park is next to the terminal, and close to me than Gatwick, its not as busy either.
I might go to Spain or Majorca with Jet2 from Stansted or Southend with Easy Jet
Ryan Air aren't responsible for baggage handling, it used to be Swiss Port at Stansted, but they got the boot after last summers baggage fiasco, when they didn't have enough staff on for the delayed Ryan Air flights.
I've never had any problems with Ryan Air or Easy Jet, my Buxum box was damaged by Heathrow or Lyon baggage handlers, and that was an aluminum bike box!
Or here is an idea! You could play by the rules instead of trying to cheat the system.
H'mm cheat a fixed system, where the OP can't amend his booking to a bike case without a big hit in his wallet, thanks to Ryan Air (and other airlines) shameful policies.
He's not cheating the system, it's sports equipment and if it's under 20kg then £35 according to their fee table.
To defend an air lines booking policy is shameful, when the same airline refuses to pay it's customers compensation for delayed flights under EU rules, cheating them out of compensation they are lawfully entitled to.
Are you related to Micheal O'Leary or are you employed to write Ryan Air's money generation ideas, ie the £1 to have a pee fee?
It works both ways
Not at all. I'm just wondering what you suggest the OP disguises his bike as before lying his way through check-in. Maybe squeeze those 700c wheels into a ski bag?
Perhaps you missed the bit of the baggage fee table where individual sporst items are listed in bold type - skis, golf clubs, bikes, all individually priced, actually before you get to the general sports category.
As for me being a friend of O'Leary's, you jest, they're a shit airline, but you pay peanuts, and get what you pay for. If a premium operator flies the same route at a convenient time I will happily use them, and very often after add-ons, there is very little price difference. However when you pay for a no refund/no change item, which everybody must by now know Ryanair are, why would you subsequently expect to be able to change it? Is this fair? Well my last trip back to Edinburgh cost me 9 euros, walk on with an overnight bag. That's Marseille to Edinburgh, circa 1,000 miles, for less than the price of 2 beers. Don't you think it a little unrealistic to suggest that my 9 euro ticket should also be flexible? Or do you think my ticket should have been priced at 20 euros to cover costs of those who screw up their booking?
Nope hadn't missed it, but define sports equipment please?
A javelin, a hockey stick, a go kart?
By their own vague term you could use that category for a bike packed weighing in under 20kg.
When they define bike, they mean a great big bike case or bag, weighing over 20kg and quite clearly is a bike.
If you ask them you'll probably get the dimensions of the item, if not then tough luck Ryan air.
I don't expect flexibly on the passenger, but to upgrade to a bike from sporting equipment shouldn't cost the OP £35.
If I booked my bike at a later date after I'd booked my flight then it'd cost me £75 instead of £60!
It's no wonder Ryan Air are at the bottom of the league table, yes they're cheap, but all these changes are just electronic data, no humans involved. They won't even admit that their own IT throws in misspelt names, and charges the customer £150 to change it.
I wonder how you'd feel if you got stung for £150 because of an IT glitch. Perfectly happy I'd suppose?
It is their trainset. If you try to play the system and get caught then they charge you the extra. Why not be upfront and say ‘I can pack my bike into a small case, much smaller than a bike box, weighing less than 20kg, can I carry it as sporting equipment and pay less?’ Chances are, no, it’s a bike pay the advertised price or don’t travel.
Remember, everyone has a choice and pricing reflects the competition etc so if you want to go to Carcassonne from Stansted and they are the only direct flight, and demand is high, or you leave it late then you get charged more. All airlines work on this principle. Fixed model pricing went out years ago. You go online to buy a package holiday for your family and the price varies with the day of the week and even the hour of the day that you are looking. Your IP address is logged and the more times you look at the same holiday the more the price goes up!
Try to put it in perspective - Ryanair is what it is, cheap as chips and don’t give a toss about you. That model has been very successful because on short haul around Europe the majority just want it as cheap as possible. Many on here will remember the time before low cost airlines when a flight to Benidorm with BA cost £500 (in 1980s money!)
You can now fly around Europe for less money than the bloody airport car park costs you for a week, or the train ticket to the airport if you are travelling any great distance. So get some perspective, it’s peanuts, just pay it or don’t bother travelling. I fly to Faro for a week cycling every November, the flights with EasyJet last year were about £18 each way and a bike £40 from memory. I couldn’t hire a bike there for that money and it certainly wouldn’t match my bike...
Its always good to come across a poster who sticks to his principles.
Whilst I agree with the sentiment of the "Never use Ryanair" comment above, the fact is that for many passengers ryanair is the most direct route and the suggestion that you fly with a different airline is unhelpful. I hate Ryanair, but regularly fly with them Edinburgh to Marseille, simply to avoid an indirect flight.
Ryanair vary their abnormal baggage charges according to weight and to fragility of the contents. To this end skis and golf clubs are cheap, because they can be thrown around, but bikes and musical instruments cost more. Despite a bike being a piece of sports equipment in my book, and therefore eligible for £35, Ryanair see it differently, and it is almost certain that a bike box will be questioned at the airport. Even if you get it through, if your bike happens to be damaged in transit, Ryanair will deny responsibility as the contents were not disclosed correctly. Budget airlines all (even EJ & Jet2) do tend to stick rigidly to their baggage rules. A "proper" airline is more likely to show flexibility. That is why budget airlines are budget!
Note that you can still buy bike carriage. Ryanair are always happy to take more of your mone yfor add-ons, right up to the point of boarding!
Flying on your own with hardly any luggage? Yeah I'll do Ryanair, if it's cheap enough.
Travelling with a bike, or kids, or a few suitacases? Anyone but Ryanair (and Wizz Air, who are even worse)
Jesus, Michael O'Leary will have a seizure at that ingenuity and his check in staff will treat you like you have tried to defraud the holy trinity and then charge you another 60 quid.
Never ever use Ryan Air. I tend to use Easyjet or Jet2