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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [Trigirl357] [ In reply to ]
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You should've taken United to small claims court. Odds are they wouldn't even show up.
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [spudone] [ In reply to ]
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My insurance company, USAA, got sick of hearing about United Airlines destroying property. They used to have a clause that said they would cover it unless damaged by a US Air Carrier. After this happened to me and the US Navy Seal, a room full of USAA attorneys called me and said they were going to cover our bike costs, change their coverage contract and they sued United Airlines. This is all in the thread I shared. It opened up to a huge discussion on which insurances cover what for bikes.


spudone wrote:
You should've taken United to small claims court. Odds are they wouldn't even show up.
Last edited by: Trigirl357: Sep 1, 18 7:37
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [Trigirl357] [ In reply to ]
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Yeah I saw that. But my thought was from the point of convenience.

a) Small claims usually handles up to $5k,
b) It is common / expected for you to represent yourself, and
c) A big company like United would probably ignore this tactic and just pay the judgment

I haven't needed to go this route myself, but I would certainly consider it if I suffered that much damage (and I don't have USAA).
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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Did the same with a windsurf board once. No boardbag, wrap or anything else. Surprisingly not a ding. I guess they handled it with extreme care since it had no protection. Quite funny
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [ In reply to ]
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Has anyone actually been turned away with a soft case on Hawaiian recently? I am flying Maui -> Kona -> Maui either side of world championships. No other options for airlines between the islands with bikes. I have a Scicon bag which is certainly my preference to use; but can also access a Thule hard sided box for the trip as well. Given I have a week on Maui before the race, it would be great to not have to dismantle and rebuild my Giant Trinity front end an extra time! Should I chance it with the soft case?
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [imdtucker] [ In reply to ]
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I haven’t tested it out but when I head to Kona in November I’ll be using Aloha Air Cargo to transport the bike between Honolulu and Kona (assuming Hawaiiian refuse to take my Scicon-style bag). It’s an overnight transfer, $50 each way, and I think they service the other islands as well.

Will be interested in hearing others’ experiences of this option.
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [irongirl101] [ In reply to ]
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I'm just looking into Aloha Air Cargo! Thanks for mentioning it - it definitely looks like it would work and they explicitly mention bikes. Would save me so much hassle with the complicated Trinity front end.
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [imdtucker] [ In reply to ]
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I am fairly certain that is the exact policy Hawaiian has had at least since 2005. I am also certain you can call Hawaiian about the policy and find that they consider a soft case the same as a cardboard box.
I am fairly certain there is data that supports damage in hard cases is significantly higher than soft cases. I will see if I can find it, and if so post it
As mentioned by others, packing is 99% of the equation. Before my bike is put into my Pika softcase, it is so well packed it could probably be run over by a car and not be damaged- for obvious reasons I have never tested this :-) it is easy to pick up free and effective packing materials from your LBS, as they are throwing it out every day from bikes they are assembling.
My top suggestions
- use a removable link on your chain and take it off (the removable link is also awesome for cleaning your chain
- remove your rear derailleur- this is super easy to take off and put back and does NOT effect shifting adjustment. I place mine in a light weight styrofoam block, that also provides additional support for the chain and seat stays
- buy the protective “skewers” for front fork and rear drop our
- put water bottles in your cages
- support fork and stays with styrofoam blocks
- strap everything with Velcro straps, (I also use some of the pile of shoelaces I accumulate by using elastic laces)
- My last “packing” is a slightly modified old blanket that covers the entire packed frame
My full disassembly and packing (and reassembly later) is typically 15-20 minutes each
Anything can be broken, but you can tip the odds hugely in your favor by doing some basic preparation
AND- be SMART and use your smart phone to take pictures of your packing masterpiece in the event of a now unlikely circumstance.
One last comment on soft cases- they are MUCH lighter than hard cases, so I can include my wet suit, pump, basic tools and still stay well under 45 lbs- total.
Good luck
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [IntenseOne] [ In reply to ]
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I would remove the rear derailleur hanger too.
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [jimatbeyond] [ In reply to ]
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Hello jimatbeyond and All,

Here are some videos and other instructions from https://www.bikeflights.com/...ck_Bicycle_Guide.pdf

https://www.bikeflights.com/pack 'BikeFlights'

It would be interesting to have more info from BikeFlights as to damage assessment for box vs. hardside vs. softside and recommendations for brand names that have best travel success rates.

Cheers, Neal

+1 mph Faster
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [imdtucker] [ In reply to ]
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imdtucker wrote:
Would save me so much hassle with the complicated Trinity front end.

Yeah, all the integrated cabling on the front end of my BMC makes me want to avoid dismantling it as well!
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [IntenseOne] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for the info on the Hawaiian policy. I think current plan is to bring my soft-sided Scicon bag. Best case scenario, Hawaiian doesn't even blink at the case and all goes to plan; otherwise, I will head to the airport early enough that I can run to Aloha Air Cargo and drop it off with them for pickup in Kona the next day. And thanks for the packing tips - I have quite a collection of extra foam and materials for packing in the soft case that I use in addition to what Scicon provides.
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [IntenseOne] [ In reply to ]
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Could just buy a P-5x....sorry couldn't resist :P

"see the world as it is not as you want it to be"
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [RBR] [ In reply to ]
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I would never fly with my bike in a soft case nor a cardboard box anyways

I'd wager I've flown bikes more than most, and almost certainly used more varied packing methods than most. Track record to date is *zero* damage with soft case use, plenty - PLENTY - of damage with hard case.
It's pretty clear that essentially all of the damage I've suffered is/was due to TSA not giving a damn about re-packing the hard case correctly, though, so if you have a hard case that's as easy to inspect as most soft cases, you'll probably be fine. These are relatively few and far between, unfortunately.

Tech writer/support on this here site. FIST school instructor and certified bike fitter. Formerly at Diamondback Bikes, LeMond Fitness, FSA, TiCycles, etc.
Coaching and bike fit - http://source-e.net/ Cyclocross blog - https://crosssports.net/ BJJ instruction - https://ballardbjj.com/
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [irongirl101] [ In reply to ]
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I just got confirmation from Aloha Air Cargo that they have no problems with taking my bike if Hawaiian decides they don't want to. Fairly standard procedure for them:

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We will be able to accept your bike in this bike bag [Scicon bag] and it will able to fly over as a general freight.
You may drop off your bike to our Kahului station. We are open from 6 am to 7 pm (Monday thru Friday) and will be able to ship your bike to Kona as an overnight shipment.

Please note, we don’t allow those C02 cartridges because it is considered hazmat.

You do not need to make a reservation for your bike. You may come and drop off your bike to us during our hours of operation and we will fly out your bike overnight. This process and the cost would be the same for when you would like to return your bike back to Maui.
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [imdtucker] [ In reply to ]
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imdtucker wrote:
I just got confirmation from Aloha Air Cargo that they have no problems with taking my bike if Hawaiian decides they don't want to. Fairly standard procedure for them:

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We will be able to accept your bike in this bike bag [Scicon bag] and it will able to fly over as a general freight.
You may drop off your bike to our Kahului station. We are open from 6 am to 7 pm (Monday thru Friday) and will be able to ship your bike to Kona as an overnight shipment.

Please note, we don’t allow those C02 cartridges because it is considered hazmat.

You do not need to make a reservation for your bike. You may come and drop off your bike to us during our hours of operation and we will fly out your bike overnight. This process and the cost would be the same for when you would like to return your bike back to Maui.

i just got this note from a reader: Received an update direct from Hawaiian Airlines operations that soft bike bags will be allowed from Oct 1-31 only. This was after I contacted them about using a soft bag to the Maui Xterra.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [Slowman] [ In reply to ]
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Someone at Hawaiian Airlines was sitting there wondering why they are getting hundreds of questions about soft sided bags in October. Do you want any business in October from the thousands of triathletes travelling to Kona & Maui for 2 world championship events?

Thanks for sharing - that is great news!!
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [Slowman] [ In reply to ]
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Dan, is there a contact at Hawaiian you can pass on who we can get in touch with about this? Ultraman World Champs in November is also affected.
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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devashish_paul wrote:
I've also rode my bike straight up to check in, takenn the pedals off, turned the handlebars, deflated and checked the bike in and reversed that process on the other side several times with no problems at all. Acutally this last approach, they treat it the best. It just gets wheeled up to the baggage pile, put on the top and then gently placed in the aircraft!

My bike flew this way once - the airline had said it would provide boxes (this was decades ago) for our collegiate cycling team, but didn't. So we're sitting on the plane and see them rolling the bikes out.


http://www.jt10000.com/
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [irongirl101] [ In reply to ]
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irongirl101 wrote:
Dan, is there a contact at Hawaiian you can pass on who we can get in touch with about this? Ultraman World Champs in November is also affected.

i sent them an email yesterday, no answer so far. i'll try to talk to them today.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [imdtucker] [ In reply to ]
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Do you want any business in October from the thousands of triathletes travelling to Kona & Maui for 2 world championship events?


The problem with this is very few people give this any consideration when booking tickets. Most airline tickets are booked/sold these days through 3rd party sellers like Expedia. And most people, as is human nature pick the lowest price that pops up in the selection - giving very little consideration to other factors like connections, baggage charges, the airlines reputation etc . .

I use Expedia regularly - but I always check, the connections, what will the baggage charges be (for bikes in particular), and generally the airlines rep, and then make a decision based on my particular needs. Example - when traveling with bikes, from our home destination (Toronto) we ALWAYS choose one of our Canadian Carriers, either Air Canada or West Jet, because they have a set bike fee of $50. Often, the destination we are trying to reach can be done a bit less if we go with one of the American carriers up front - but then we are paying often $150 or more each way for the bikes, and as is often the case with the US Carriers there are often more connections to get from A to B. I'll gladly pay a bit more for a direct flight or less connections, know with certainty that my bike fee is $50, and support that business with my business!


Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [irongirl101] [ In reply to ]
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irongirl101 wrote:
Dan, is there a contact at Hawaiian you can pass on who we can get in touch with about this? Ultraman World Champs in November is also affected.

I contacted Hawaiian Airlines both by email, and I spoke a supervisor, and no, they will not be accepting soft bike cases. In both cases the answer i got was no.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [Slowman] [ In reply to ]
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Slowman wrote:
irongirl101 wrote:
Dan, is there a contact at Hawaiian you can pass on who we can get in touch with about this? Ultraman World Champs in November is also affected.


I contacted Hawaiian Airlines both by email, and I spoke a supervisor, and no, they will not be accepting soft bike cases. In both cases the answer i got was no.

Most of the experience from locals has been that if you call the office, they will tell you that it is a strict no soft case policy. But people who have recently asked the airline employees at the check in counter when you show up to the airport all say that they have no idea the policy changed. A friend of mine took his soft case and taped a bunch of cardboard around it last weekend to fly interisland. When he checked in, the airline people were like...WTF? He got too and from Kauai/Honolulu no problem through Hawaiian and I think he didn't bother with taping the cardboard on the way back.

Don't take this as proof that the policy isn't enforced...just that it is *my belief* that this is Hawaiian's way of instantly throwing out any soft case damage claims. They probably talked to a lawyer that advised them if they have a no soft case policy in writing but still let you check in your soft case that they are not liable. As compared to the effort for each customer with a soft case to sign a waiver...because you would depend on the check in staff to enforce it. If they forget, or lose the waiver...then you can claim damages. And as already mentioned, if you are on connecting flights from different airlines, Hawaiian can depend on someone like United to get their waiver signed when you check in. Again...this is only my opinion.
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [Jason N] [ In reply to ]
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Jason N wrote:
Slowman wrote:
irongirl101 wrote:
Dan, is there a contact at Hawaiian you can pass on who we can get in touch with about this? Ultraman World Champs in November is also affected.


I contacted Hawaiian Airlines both by email, and I spoke a supervisor, and no, they will not be accepting soft bike cases. In both cases the answer i got was no.


Most of the experience from locals has been that if you call the office, they will tell you that it is a strict no soft case policy. But people who have recently asked the airline employees at the check in counter when you show up to the airport all say that they have no idea the policy changed. A friend of mine took his soft case and taped a bunch of cardboard around it last weekend to fly interisland. When he checked in, the airline people were like...WTF? He got too and from Kauai/Honolulu no problem through Hawaiian and I think he didn't bother with taping the cardboard on the way back.

Don't take this as proof that the policy isn't enforced...just that it is *my belief* that this is Hawaiian's way of instantly throwing out any soft case damage claims. They probably talked to a lawyer that advised them if they have a no soft case policy in writing but still let you check in your soft case that they are not liable. As compared to the effort for each customer with a soft case to sign a waiver...because you would depend on the check in staff to enforce it. If they forget, or lose the waiver...then you can claim damages. And as already mentioned, if you are on connecting flights from different airlines, Hawaiian can depend on someone like United to get their waiver signed when you check in. Again...this is only my opinion.

why would you fly hawaiian and take your soft case if this is what you're hanging your hat on?

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman
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Re: Hawaiian Airlines no longer accepts bikes in soft cases [Slowman] [ In reply to ]
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Is the Armored hen house bag considered a soft case? I was considering purchasing one of these bags because my friend has one, he said it is "Hard casing" but to me it looks like a soft case.
I'm small, so my bikes are 50/51cm, plus I feel confident enough to be able to rebuild my bikes.

https://rustersports.com/...ct/armored-hen-house

Thoughts ?

Grow with data: Dynamic Sports Data | eBay store
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