A rental bike can ruin your entire holiday. Many bikers are convinced of this. Cracking noises, grinding brakes, flat tyres or simply the wrong frame size - not all bike stations have bike maintenance heroes. If you want to be on the safe side, it's better to take your own bike to the airport. Surprisingly, however, hire bikes are currently in great demand on the Canary Island of La Palma. This may be partly due to the well-maintained bike stations. But the main reason is that Condor has raised the transport costs for bikes considerably. Anyone booking less than four weeks before departure now pays 70 euros each way. The six-day hire charge for a Scott Spark on La Palma is just 132 euros.
But there are other airlines besides Condor - and each has different sports baggage tariffs, transport and booking conditions. The comparison is worthwhile. Bikers should not only look at the bare airfare, but also calculate the total costs including bike transport. And sometimes you can save money simply by booking early.
When booking online, make sure that you choose a direct flight. Especially for Spanish destinations, Iberia often appears as the cheapest airline in price comparison portals. Here, not only you but also your bike will have to change planes. It can happen that your bike misses the connecting flight and only arrives at your holiday destination a few days later.
Clever booking
Be careful with code-share fares! Check the flight numbers of the outbound and return flights before booking. Only where it says AB are you travelling with Air Berlin and their bike transport fares. However, as some airlines have joined forces, it may be that the return flight is operated by another airline. In this case, their baggage transport conditions apply. And this can be surprisingly expensive. It is best to register your bike immediately when booking, as there are also different deadlines here, which in turn can be associated with extra charges.
Insurance in the event of damage
In the event of damage during transport, airlines often only pay a maximum amount of 1000-1200 euros. If the value of your bike is significantly higher than this, check whether your credit card includes baggage insurance. If not, it is worth taking out extra insurance. A comparison of all providers: www.reiseversicherung.com
Airport transfer
The classic case: you've reached your destination and now the only thing separating you from your holiday home is the taxi ride. But no taxi has room for your bike. So book a taxi minibus for the airport transfer in advance!
The bike fares of the 10 major airlines
Packaging, time of last possible registration, fares - every airline has a different system.
...
Packing your mountain bike safely
Some airlines only require a protective film over the greasy bike parts so that they do not soil other items of luggage. This has the advantage that the bike can still be pushed, is recognisable as a bike and is treated carefully as such by the packers. Other airlines only transport bikes in boxes or suitcases. As such luggage is often thrown, bikes should be well padded inside the box. Many airlines require that you let some or all of the air out of the tyres. This is to prevent tyre bursts, which could unsettle the crew and passengers. No matter which packaging you choose - don't forget the name/address label!
How to pack the bike stably: Handlebars parallel to the frame, pedals unscrewed and tyres deflated is a must. Then you have the choice:
BIKE bag: For frequent travellers, it is worth investing in a special bike bag. Handlebars, pedals and wheels (up to 29 inches) must be removed, then everything fits perfectly. The zip is lockable and the bag can be pulled along on wheels.
Evoc Bike Travel Bag Pro
Price: 549.90 euros
Info: www.evocsports.com
Bike box: Also protects, but costs nothing. Ask at the bike shop round the corner for a suitable box. If you also reinforce the corners with shoe boxes, the bike is even better protected. The disadvantage of this option is that you can only carry the box. And: If the luggage is standing on the tarmac in the rain, the cardboard will become brittle.
Tom Bierl, Tour-Guide Alps Biketours: "I often go on trips where I don't fly back from the same airport. There's a trick: I dispose of the bike box on arrival at the airport. I then try to get a new box from a bike shop for the return flight. If that doesn't work, I make do with bubble wrap and cover the most important parts with cardboard and tape."
Tips for the Canary Islands from Philipp Foltz, frequent flyer and Canary Islands bike guide from Atlantic Cycling
- Connecting flights (e.g. Iberia) should be avoided, as sports baggage often arrives at the holiday destination a few days later.
- 1-2 times a year it still happens that instead of La Palma, people book Palma
de Mallorca instead of La Palma. Therefore, always enter the 3-letter code of the desired destination when booking online! La Palma (the Canary Island) = SPC;
Las Palmas (Gran Canaria) = LPA; Palma de Mallorca = PMI.
- Organise a transfer from the airport to the hotel in good time. The taxis available at the airport are usually too small for bike transport. The bike stations on the islands will send you a taxi minibus if you book in advance.
- With Condor and Air Berlin, bike transport to the Canary Islands now costs
now costs 70 euros each way. But Air Berlin has a trick: buy the Topbonus Card. It costs 119 euros once and then your bike flies with you free of charge for the whole year.
You can read this article or the entire BIKE 11/2015 issue in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or buy the issue in the DK shop reorder:
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
