carrying bike on planes

kaitzpro said:

hi
we are a group of 11 road cyclists going to the spanish pyrenees on june.
we will cross the pyrenees from the atlantic ocean to the mediterrenean sea.
we fly IBERIA and I hear that bikes are free of charge and will not be considered as part of your luggage.but got no confirmation about that
any one knows about it? has actual experience?any references?your advice please.🙂
thanks

My experience is that different people at the same airline will tell you different stories. See if you can get it in writing in case someone spins you a different story later.

WE are flying Iberia to Madrid for a tour in May. Check the Iberia USA website as it has lots of bike info.. Bikes are counted as 1 of your 2 checked pieces and also count against your total weight allowance. I also called Iberia to verify this and they told me the exact same info that was on their website. Bikes must be boxed with pedals off and handlebars turned. Hope this helps-have a great time. ws

What does 'boxing a bike' involve? Is a difficult/expensive process? Do bikes in cargo holds tend to arrive intact?

Bob42 said:

What does 'boxing a bike' involve? Is a difficult/expensive process? Do bikes in cargo holds tend to arrive intact?

Get a cardboard bike box from your local bike shop. Take your pedals off, and loosen the handlebars so they can be turned to fit parallel to the frame. I think the front wheel has to come off too. Pad anything that is sharp or rough or poking into the box. My experience is that bikes come out of the flight pretty well. Also, Iberia has cardboard boxes at the check in counter. They are about $10 I think. Plan to use lots of tape. Also plan to have your box opened at customs so if you have another flight once in Spain, you'll have to tape it up again. Folks have suggested that we travel with the tape because we'll need it. Hope this helps. wendy

Bob42 said:

What does 'boxing a bike' involve? Is a difficult/expensive process? Do bikes in cargo holds tend to arrive intact?

Given the nature of the question, I am led to believe it would be in your best interests to pay to have you bike boxed at a trusted bike shop. Tell them you are going on a tour. They will pack it better than you, at least until you have some experience.

When you get to Spain, carefully unpack the bike noting how it was packed, and save all packing materials for your return trip.

Key component in all this is somebody in your group better know how to reassemble and adjust the bikes when you arrive in Spain.