Taking Bicycles on Planes

Most airlines now accept bicycles on their planes; however, it can often turn into a surprisingly expensive and time consuming task. Each company requires you to do different things in order for them to accept your bike, and they charge a wide range of fees.

As a tour operator running cycling holidays in Spain, our customers often ask us for information about which airlines are the cheapest to carry a bike on.

Below is a table that we have compiled of what various airlines charge you to take a bike with them. This can help you to decide whether to bring your own, or to hire one at your destination.

Please note, that this is for information only - it is important to check with the airline before you buy the ticket as the conditions often change with little notice. However, the table will enable you to get a quick comparison of which airlines in your region may be the most bike friendly.

Last Updated - May 2021

Airline	Price For Bike	Max Weight	Condtions
Aer Lingus	€50	23kg	Fee is payable via reservations centre, or at the airport on the day of departure. (Between 6 and 10 bicycles allowance depending on the route)
Aeroflot	Free*	-	Free if within baggage allowance. If not, variable fees apply (average €80 for second piece, €150 for third piece )
Air Europa	€75	-	On inter-island flights in the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands, it may be transported free of charge in place of the checked baggage included in the fare
Alitalia	€55 - €125	23kg	Lower fee applies if paid in advance and on shorter flights
American Airlines	$75- $100*	23kg	$75 1st bag fee applies/ -$100 2nd bag fee applies . Overweight up to 32kg extra $150.
Austrian Airlines	€80 - €250	32kg	Lower price within Europe; higher prices for transcontinental flights
British Airways	Free*	23kg	*Free if within personal baggage allowance. Bike must be packed in a protective bicycle cover/box that is no larger than 190x95x65cm.
Easyjet	£45 - £55	32kg	Lower fee applies if paid in advance, higher fee at the airport. Recommended deflating the tyres and packing the bicycle in a hard case.
Finnair	€55 - €75	23kg	External dimensions (length + width + height) no bigger than 158 cm . For tandem bikes the fee is double.
Flybe	€40	20kg	Limited space available, so make sure to book in advance
Iberia	Free - €45	23kg	Free on long haul flights as part of checked luggage allowance
Jet2	€40 / £30	32kg	Must be carried in a suitable bike box or wrapped in stiff cardboard and pre-booked.
KLM	€55 - €125	23kg	Higher price for trans-atlantic flights. Lower price for flights within Europe.
Lufthansa	€80-250	32	Higher price for trans-atlantic flights. Lower price for flights within Europe.
Norwegian	£45 - £75	30kg	Lower fee applies if paid in advance, higher fee at the airport
Ryanair	€60 - €75	30kg	Lower fee applies at the time of booking, higher fee post booking ( if you add later on)
Scandinavian Airlines	Free*	23kg	It’s free if it fits within the checked baggage allowance ( max dimensions 158 cm /length + width + height/. Otherwise €35 for European flights and €55 for flights from US.
Swiss International Air	€70 - 250	23kg	Lower price for flights within Europe; higher price for trans-continental.
TUI Airways	£30	-	Limited space - advised to book well in advance (more than two months)
Turkish Airlines	€30 - €60	23kg	Higher charges for travel outside Europe
Virgin Atlantic	Free*	23kg	Free as part of your baggage allowance, otherwise £65.
Vueling	€45 - €55	-	In a box with maximum dimensions of 270xm. Lower fee applies if paid in advance, higher fee at the airport.
Wizz Air	€40 - €60	-	Lower fee applies if paid in advance, higher fee at the airport.

Always check with the airline to confirm the policy before booking and to make sure that they have space for your bike on a particular flight.

Also check what you will do with your bike box when you arrive. Nowdays many hotels are reluctant to store large hard-case bike boxes for long periods of time, and some tour operators may also not have space to transport them across the length of the tour.

In this case you may have to arrange to have your bike box shipped to your departure point when you arrive in the country, which is an additional cost to consider.

Preparing Your Bike for a Plane Journey

This is really beyond the scope of this article, and we recommend searching some videos on Youtube or visiting your local bike shop for tips on how best to pack the bike.

Hard cases are often recommended, but a cardboard box is usually more than sufficient to protect the bike as long as you add a bit of padding inside.

Some touring cyclists even recommend placing the bike in a clear plastic bag with very minimal padding. The belief is that luggage handlers will treat it more careful if they see a delicate bike inside! Be aware though that many airlines won't accept bikes packaged so minimally any more!