Delta Airlines new baggage policy re: sporting goods

Triathlon Forum
1

Just saw this in a news feed today:
The Atlanta-based airline (Delta) said Tuesday it would remove the special checked bag fee for sporting goods.
As of Tuesday, passengers will no longer have to pay an extra $150 specialty sports bag fee if they bring sporting equipment onto a flight. Instead, customers can now check sporting equipment as part of their standard baggage allowance and will pay a normal checked bag fee.
That would possibly make a difference in carrier choice for some triathletes. Hopefully (but unlikely) other carriers will follow Delta’s lead.

On a humorous note, we were considering changing the date of the reservations we made months ago for our trip from SFO to Nice 70.3 WC. Plugged in the new dates on the airline’s web site. Not counting the fee for reservations change, the new price for two Business Class round trip tickets on that date would be approximately $21,000. I think we’ll stick with what we have!

2

American Airlines made this change earlier this year. So Delta is actually following their lead.

I’m still waiting for all the airlines to follow Virgin Atlantic where sporting equipment flies free.

3

Just saw this in a news feed today:
The Atlanta-based airline (Delta) said Tuesday it would remove the special checked bag fee for sporting goods.
As of Tuesday, passengers will no longer have to pay an extra $150 specialty sports bag fee if they bring sporting equipment onto a flight. Instead, customers can now check sporting equipment as part of their standard baggage allowance and will pay a normal checked bag fee.
That would possibly make a difference in carrier choice for some triathletes. Hopefully (but unlikely) other carriers will follow Delta’s lead.

On a humorous note, we were considering changing the date of the reservations we made months ago for our trip from SFO to Nice 70.3 WC. Plugged in the new dates on the airline’s web site. Not counting the fee for reservations change, the new price for two Business Class round trip tickets on that date would be approximately $21,000. I think we’ll stick with what we have![/quote

Business Class, fancy.

4

What will the excess baggage fee be though for having a large bag (bike bag)? They may just be replacing one fee with another!

5

This is good news for those of us living in Delta hub cities! This changes my planning for races next year and where to go!

6

Straight from the Delta website:

Bicycles

Bicycles, non-motorized touring or single seat racing, are allowed as checked baggage on most flights, with the exception of certain Delta Connection® carriers.

Standard baggage allowance and fees based on cabin and travel region apply
Bicycles weighing over 50 lbs. will be charged the applicable excess weight fee
If the outside linear dimensions (length + width + height) exceed 115 linear inches (292 cm) or exceeds 100 lbs, the item will not be accepted
Items in excess of baggage allowance will be subject to additional or overweight baggage fees
A limited liability release form must be signed by the passenger in the case that the bike is not properly packed
If the bicycle is packaged in a hard shell case specifically designed for transporting bicycles, then a limited release form is not required
If the bicycle is packaged in a soft sided travel bag or anything other than a hard shell case, a limited release form will need to be signed
Delta is not responsible for damage noted at the time of check in or damage due to over packing the bag.

7

This can’t be good for TBT. In the past, the TBT fee usually was cheaper than paying Delta for a two way trip, plus very convenient. Now as a Delta medallion member, it’s free. Makes the slight aggravation of reassembling the bike worthwhile.

8

What will the excess baggage fee be though for having a large bag (bike bag)? They may just be replacing one fee with another!

My experience mainly is with a scicon aerocomfort bag, which is on the larger side for a bike bag. If its under 50 pounds there are no additional fees. I have never had the size questioned only the weight. I have always paid the standard bike fee which has been anywhere from $0 to $150.

I’m flying American on Friday with my gravel bike in an Evoc bag. I’ll report back if I have any issues, but I expect it to be accepted with no additional charges.

9

American Airlines made this change earlier this year. So Delta is actually following their lead.

I’m still waiting for all the airlines to follow Virgin Atlantic where sporting equipment flies free.

These policy changes just sound like they are matching united s policy that had been in place for almost three past decade. The key is most bike bags or boxes are over 62 linear inches so you end up paying the 100 or 150 fee instead of it counting like a regular checked bag. They’ve always considered skis or golf clubs as standard. I remember reading conrad stoltz writing about doing a custom bike pack to get the bike to be smaller than 62 inches by basically using two boxes. These days that doesn’t help much unless you get one of those free instead of paying 50 for each checked bag. Im not sure there is a hard case out there that is under 62 linear inches.

10

They will get you with the oversize. This is to simplify their systems as will not have all those little categories. They Don’t care what it is but if over 50 lbs and/or over their linear inch limit then overweight/oversize apply. United did this. Flat bike fee was $150. EVOC bag is $200. United employee says this is so they won’t need staff at baggage check - just use the contractors and flyers can self check. Flew to Spain through London on British Airways and split trip on connection. Only had to pay £80 for bike as extra bag between Gatwick and Bilbao. Flew to Colorado and it cost $400 on United - and I am a million mile flyer with them so status does not help.

The real benefit is if you can break the bike down to a container under the linear inches then they do not count it as a “bike” so the bike fee would not apply.

11

True, but I agree with the above post that I’ve never been questioned about the size of the bag - only the weight.

I use a Pika Packworks (soft shell) and it’s very much like a suitcase, so I have never been questioned when I use that one.

Additionally, when I use a hard case, I usually just say it’s a wheelchair and skip the fee. I would say it’s about a 70% success rate.

As of late, I have been using BikeFlights and I much prefer that if you don’t mind not having your bike for a few days before the race or travel destination. :slight_smile:

While the new initiative by Delta isn’t exactly revolutionary, it is a good step in the right direction…

12

Yep way I read it as well. The linear inch is 62 inches so my guess is that will trigger the fees for most bikes/cases.

13

True, but I agree with the above post that I’ve never been questioned about the size of the bag - only the weight.

I use a Pika Packworks (soft shell) and it’s very much like a suitcase, so I have never been questioned when I use that one.

Additionally, when I use a hard case, I usually just say it’s a wheelchair and skip the fee. I would say it’s about a 70% success rate.

As of late, I have been using BikeFlights and I much prefer that if you don’t mind not having your bike for a few days before the race or travel destination. :slight_smile:

While the new initiative by Delta isn’t exactly revolutionary, it is a good step in the right direction…

Lol! The agent I talked to said that one of the reasons for the change is people were not being honest about it being a bike to avoid fees. So easy to go by weight and measurements - don’t care what your shopping. Golf clubs and skis pretty easy to not look like a bike.

14

Lol 110% me. Things I’ve said my bike is:

  1. Wheelchair
  2. I’m a phys graduate student, and it’s my ergometer for my dissertation.
  3. I’m an art student, and it’s my easel and art equipment.
  4. I’m a carbon manufacturer, and I’m on a sales trip, and these are my samples.
  5. I’m a band equipment manager, and this is the band’s equipment.
  6. I’m a news reporter, and it’s a camera and news equipment.
  7. I’m a professional gamer, and it’s my gaming equipment.

There might be more, but that’s all I can think of. Haha

A lot of times they’d ask me to open it, so I started locking it and told them I didn’t have the key because my “boss” has it at my destination. They technically can’t open it, only TSA can. I suppose they could go get TSA, but no one has ever done that.

15

Yep way I read it as well. The linear inch is 62 inches so my guess is that will trigger the fees for most bikes/cases.

Read it again. Over 115 linear inches or over 50lbs. Basically any bike box pretty much fits this as long as you don’t over stuff it.

16

Yep way I read it as well. The linear inch is 62 inches so my guess is that will trigger the fees for most bikes/cases.

Read it again. Over 115 linear inches or over 50lbs. Basically any bike box pretty much fits this as long as you don’t over stuff it.

I had my husband go measure one of our bike boxes (BikeBox Alan which is a big hard case). And it was 37 inches high and 48 inches long. Way below the requirement. Most bike cases should be fine.

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That’s not what it says. Anything over 115 will not be allowed at all. Anything bigger than standard size can be subject to oversize fee.

18

Yep way I read it as well. The linear inch is 62 inches so my guess is that will trigger the fees for most bikes/cases.

Read it again. Over 115 linear inches or over 50lbs. Basically any bike box pretty much fits this as long as you don’t over stuff it.

I had my husband go measure one of our bike boxes (BikeBox Alan which is a big hard case). And it was 37 inches high and 48 inches long. Way below the requirement. Most bike cases should be fine.

Yep, at this point it is just keeping the weight down. That can be tough for hard cases, but should be doable.

19

So the more accurate measurements of our hard case (which I think is standard as I haven’t seen other hard cases bigger than ours when flying to a race) are:

Length: 45 inches
Height: 38 inches
Width: 14 inches

Total: 97 Linear inches
.

20

I am happy to be wrong but per their website excess baggage fees are related to weight and dimension. I just don’t want people to show up and pay hundreds of dollars because they think airlines felt magnanimous and decided shipping thousands of dollars of bike equipment suddenly became low risk and was a competitive advantage for growth.

https://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/baggage/before-your-trip/excess.html

I agree, when the flat fee was $150 it was all about the weight. They waved the oversize for sports equipment and would only charge additional if over 50 lbs.

At least with United, once the bike fee was “dropped” the tape measures came out.

If the company employee at the desk checks you in without charging you, bonus, as sometimes even they don’t know the rules. However, I suspect there will be fewer and fewer company staff working baggage and will be outsourced even more, and when you do that you want simple rules. Weighs more than this, charge this amount. Measures more than this, charge this amount. Golf clubs and skis, you’re good.