Delta Airlines: Travel with your bike for free

The American airline has just announced that transporting bicycles and bulky sports equipment is now free.

Until now, cyclists traveling with Delta Airlines had to pay a supplement of 150 dollars if they wish to embark with them their faithful steed. From now on, it will be free as long as the ticket includes checked baggage.

That’s a good news. Your bike stored in a special cover or its promptly reinforced and padded packing box must not exceed 22 kg and 2.9 m. Suffice to say that this should pass without difficulty in the vast majority of cases. Be careful though, impossible to transport the battery of the VAE in these conditions. Owner of VAE with fixed battery, forget the plane.

How to transport your bike by plane?

Now that you know the Delta Air Lines policy on bike transport, you still have to find a way to pack your bike for the flight. We advise you to take all the necessary information from your airline to avoid errors, unnecessary expenses, and above all not to find yourself stranded at the airport, because transporting bicycles by plane is not easy. don’t improvise.

What are the rules to follow ?

In the vast majority of cases, the American company requires that:

– The pedals of the bike are removed or folded

– The handlebar either removed or placed to the side so as not to interfere

– The wheels are removed and the tires deflated

– The derailleur, saddle, levers and chains are protected

It is therefore advisable to opt for a tool kit and a bicycle pump in your luggage to be able to reassemble your bike once you arrive there and disassemble it again before the return.

What packaging for your bike?

Once your frame is ready for transporting your bike by plane, you will have to find a suitable container for it. If the protective cover has the advantage of being light, it will often have an insufficient level of protection and the company may not accept the luggage as it is. So remember to ask the question, because most companies require packaging that is both compact and robust.

The use of a transport bag can therefore be considered, but it is rather the transport case for bicycles that is recommended. These dimensions will most often be those of the frame and you can of course add the wheels of your bike. The advantage of the suitcase is that it is robust and also has wheels, so it is easy to transport. Be careful, however, of its weight, because transporting a bike by plane requires respecting a certain limit.

If you lack the time or the means, it is quite possible to consider the use of a cardboard box. The latter will be able to contain the bike, but it will however be necessary to think about protecting the various elements of the latter. Practical, the boxes do not weigh heavily, but they can be difficult to handle, especially in a crowded airport and you will also have to make sure that your box is properly closed before departure.