Bikes still free on International flight (United)

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On Aug 7, 1:23 pm, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> Sorry to hear about the issues with your friend's sick kid out our way. Not
> sure how that's best dealt with; in the other direction, no biggie, our
> health insurer (Kaiser) will pay for it, and, as you're probably aware,
> out-of-pocket health care in France isn't terribly expensive anyway.

Ditto Austria. Unfortunately, out crew had two separate trips to ERs
(for relatively minor ailments). The first trip cost about 1/10 of a
similar visit in America. The second hospital still hasn't charged
us. I wonder if they will bother. And both donated the needed
medications.

- Frank Krygowski

 

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On Aug 7, 7:23 pm, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Tarbes does seem to be in another world, but the taxi driver at the train
> station was quite friendly and willing to get creative to get our two bikes
> plus us into the not-so-large cab, the staff at the ETAP hotel were quite
> nice, and it certainly is central to the Pyrenees. Navigating the city, now,
> that's another matter entirely! Pretty goofy road structure; by car, not so
> bad, as you just drive the periphery and move in when you're in the general
> area. Not generally the way you do things by bike.

It took me a while to realize that you can never drop off a passenger
in front of a bakery and say, "I'll drive around the block and pick
you up in a minute." In addition, deciphering the subtleties of French
road signage is quite involved. An example: you see a road sign of a
guy on a bike crossing the road? It must mean there's a bike crossing
ahead, right? Yes, but it means something different if the guy is
facing left or if he's facing right.

> Sorry to hear about the issues with your friend's sick kid out our way. Not
> sure how that's best dealt with; in the other direction, no biggie, our
> health insurer (Kaiser) will pay for it, and, as you're probably aware,
> out-of-pocket health care in France isn't terribly expensive anyway.

Oh, I meant that in the sense that there are surprises in how things
work in every country. Almost no one in the US has a credit card with
the chip in it, so they never think it could be different. Almost no
one in France has ever had to negotiate a bizarre fractured
labyrinthine health care system so they never think it could be
different.

 

[[email protected]]

Mike Jacoubowsky writes

> Just got back from France with my son & two bikes. On United, at
> least for now, bikes are still shipped at no charge as part of your
> baggage shipment. International only. $85 each way, last I heard,
> for US flights.

Airlines seem to have taken an anti bicycle stance with a limit of
L+W+H=62" that barely allows a Dahon folding bicycle. Most airlines
are charging between $85 and $100 for anything over 62" but Air Canada
charged $43 (equivalent) so that was my choice this year. Last year
Continental was already charging $80 each way.

To make up for that, the airport baggage mashers broke off the rear
derailleur cable anchor (braze-on) and broke off one of my valve stems
at the base... inside a closed bag. These guys are resourceful.
Fortunately my frame builder friend Fredy Rüegg could help me out and
I had a spare tube.

Other than that, no mechanicals during a 2500km ride through the Alps.
To make up for that, we both got food poisoning on the Galibier,
probably from pasta alla carbonara in Valloire, after which we had the
runs for two days before heading up the Col d'Iseran and on to storm
the Col de la Seigne (2616m) and the Col Ferret (2537m) from Bourg
St. Maurice to Martigny (CH).

http://www.roberts-1.com/t/b06/ch/k/d/index.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fpoulin/940467598/

Trip report later.

Jobst Brandt

 

[sergio]

On 1 Set, 17:38, [email protected] wrote:
, we both got food poisoning on the Galibier,
> probably from pasta alla carbonara in Valloire,

Well done, if so.
Never ask for Italian food outside our sacred borders.

Instead, last year when I stopped at Bonneval sur Arc I had to be
satisfied with an improvised TV dinner.
No problem over Iseran and Le Petit S.t Bernard on the following day,
though.

Sergio
Pisa

 

[Sir Thomas of Cannondale]

I wonder how many bicycles were on the Titanic. And did they get shipped
for free.

================================================================


<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
Mike Jacoubowsky writes

> Just got back from France with my son & two bikes. On United, at
> least for now, bikes are still shipped at no charge as part of your
> baggage shipment. International only. $85 each way, last I heard,
> for US flights.

Airlines seem to have taken an anti bicycle stance with a limit of
L+W+H=62" that barely allows a Dahon folding bicycle. Most airlines
are charging between $85 and $100 for anything over 62" but Air Canada
charged $43 (equivalent) so that was my choice this year. Last year
Continental was already charging $80 each way.

To make up for that, the airport baggage mashers broke off the rear
derailleur cable anchor (braze-on) and broke off one of my valve stems
at the base... inside a closed bag. These guys are resourceful.
Fortunately my frame builder friend Fredy Rüegg could help me out and
I had a spare tube.

Other than that, no mechanicals during a 2500km ride through the Alps.
To make up for that, we both got food poisoning on the Galibier,
probably from pasta alla carbonara in Valloire, after which we had the
runs for two days before heading up the Col d'Iseran and on to storm
the Col de la Seigne (2616m) and the Col Ferret (2537m) from Bourg
St. Maurice to Martigny (CH).

http://www.roberts-1.com/t/b06/ch/k/d/index.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fpoulin/940467598/

Trip report later.

Jobst Brandt