Flying with a bike

 This post has absolutely nothing to do with maths but I wasn't really sure where else to put this.

I want to share my experience of flying home with a bike after bikepacking as there doesn't seem to be a single comprehensive source of information on this and I relied on anecdotes and Reddit threads for my information. This isn't meant to be a complete guide, just my experience.

I booked the flight 2 days in advance once I'd arrived in Prague which alone cost £70. I paid for the largest luggage allowance which was 32kg and cost a further £80. The day before the flight I visited a bike shop to ask if they had a cardboard box for bikes. They didn't but directed me to another bike shop which did. I asked them to hold the box until the next day. 

I disassembled the bike outside the bike shop: removed the pedals, seat post, wheels, pannier rack and handlebars. The bike shop lent me a wrench for the pedals. I packed the empty pannier bags into the box and put the rest of my belongings in plastic bags and squeezed them in around the bike. I used a few cable ties to stop things moving around. I deflated the tyres in case the pressure difference in the hold was a problem. The bike shop gave me some tape to seal the box. Packing the box took around an hour but I'd be much quicker now I know what to do.

If I'd brought the wrench for the pedals and some tape for the box I could have done the whole disassembly process from my accommodation.

Some perhaps obvious advice: don't leave a gas canister and portable charger in the box like I did

I managed to fit all my belongings into the box and carried only a plastic bag with my tent, sleeping bag and roll mat to protect them from any damage in the box.

The route from the bike shop to the airport involved minimum 3 components so I opted for a taxi. I'm still not sure about the feasibility of taking the box on public transport. Carrying it alone was pretty difficult.

I tried to get an Uber but the driver couldn't (or wouldn't...) put the seats down so I had to book an UberXL in which the bike easily fit.

Once at the airport it was easy enough to find a trolley. I took the box to get wrapped because I didn't trust the tape at all and just for general protection. It cost £20 to wrap the box and on reflection I probably would have been better off buying a roll of parcel tape and a few rolls of cling film. After wrapping, the box weighed in at 29kg, much heavier than I imagined but within budget.

Then I checked in for the flight where they weighed the box. Next I took it to oversized luggage where they scan it. After that the rest of the process went like normal. The box didn't go to the oversized luggage collection point for some reason and just came round on the belt. Nothing was damaged and I bought some grease to reattach the pedals and seat post. On reflection I could have done more to protect the bike, perhaps with bubble wrap.

Again this wasn't supposed to be a failsafe guide: just my experience, which would have comforted me to know beforehand.