All currently available flight cases suck donkey dick for video change.
I would pay $1000 for a high end, bombproof, compact, easy to pack, well designed flight case.
Have you guys ever seen Pelican cases? They rule. Everyone form the CIA to Delta to the Navy SEALs and the Secret Service use them. They never break or wear out. Why doesn;t Pelican make a flight case?
My current maximum life span with any flight prior to significant damage: Three trips.
Does anyone actually take their bikes on the flight with them? (I assume you are talking about a bike case)
A few months ago I had to fly to a ride I was going to do and the airline wanted to charge me $150 round trip for my bike. That was more than the price of my ticket. I Fed Ex’d the bike to the hotel, then had Fed Ex pick it up after the ride. I didn’t have to cart the bike to the airport, then try to get it into a rental car, then get it to the hotel. All this and I saved almost $100. It was about $30 each way to ship it.
I know this is off topic, but the bike case I used held up great. (I don’t know what type it was, it was from my lbs.)
Jeff
Tom,
I have an IronCase, and I have traveled with it to races in Europe, the U.S., and western Canada, and neither it, nor my bike, have ever been damaged. I don’t know what flight cases you’ve been using, but I would recommend the IronCase.
mp
I’ve been using the same Trico case for ten years, never a problem. The case itself is a little worse for wear, but the only thing thats happened to the bike has been a scratch on the paint because I didn’t pack it properly.
Many non-US airlines still allow bikes to fly free, as long as you are under the total baggage limit.
Anyone get ripped for an overweight bike case? I usually pack extra stuff in the case (clothes, running shoes, etc) and the ticket agent blasted me for the case coming in too heavy.
She almost refused to accept it, but let me slide. I think the limit is 75lbs? I guess I put too much crap in there.
On the way to Hanoi and Hong Kong I got busted. $255.00. It sucked donkey dick.
No, but returning from a race in Cuba I had to bribe the ticket agent.
USA cycling used to have a deal with United that with membership you received two free bike vouchers. I dont know if it is still going on but since it costs like $35 to join and the vouchers are worth $80 each I would sign up and sign my wife up and my dog and …
I also found out, and you didnt hear this from me, that Members of the national teams bikes go for free on United. Most baggage check in personnel dont know a standard USA cycling license from a Iraqui passport. Try flashing your Cycling license and maybe mention something about " our bikes fly free" …I have heard:-) that after some confusion amongst the counter persons that your bike may end up on the plane for free
Was that for an overweight case? Might as well went fedex!
Normally I would not advocate “cheating” like this but the airline charges for bikes are total BS. I called the airline once after watching some guy load 3 times the total volume of my bike case onto the belt and walk away free while I got jacked for $80. What the person told me was that once upon a time, people would wheel their bike into the airport fully assembled and check it in. Because it required special handling and couldnt be stacked up with other suitcases in the cargo hold they instituted a surcharge. So even if you show up with a case, it is considered a “bike” and you are charged “special handling” for it. Mind you that gets you no more insurance or even slightly more care with the case. I have seen them dropped off the belt from 10 feet in the air loading and unloading planes. I returned from Hawaii one year to find my bike pro case badley damaged , the steel plate inside snapped off and the derailer hanger broken off my frame. The airline told me I should have packed it better? It has gotten worse since 9/11. I dont know if any of you have experienced the new inspection process yet? After carefully packing my new P3 in a trico case for a trip back east I arrived at the airport and was told I needed to take my bike case to an inspection station. Some guy finishing off his microwave corndog, opened my case, pulled everything out scattered it around the floor and then determined, somehow, by looking at it that it was safe. He then “repacked” it. I offered to help but was told that if I touched anything it would have to be re-inspected and the process would begin again. This guy crammed everything into the box with no regard to my original pack job, and actually started using his ample body weight to compress the bike to make it fit. All that and I got to pay $80 for the pleasure!
Having lived and raced in Hawaii for a long time (not much these days), my hubby and I used to travel interisland with bikes in cases and a wheel case quite a bit. Everytime I would get into it with the check in clerk over why was I being charged $50 per bike yet was being forced to sign a waiver saying it was checking in something “inadequately packed”. Heck, our bikes were better packed than anything else we ever saw go by with the exception of those hard golf cases (who weren’t charged anything, thank you).
The explanation we always were given was that the bike cases were too large to fit through the opening that the belt traveled so the bikes had to be handled personally by a baggage handler. I always refused to sign the waiver saying I was checking in something “inadequately packed” or would write on it “Bike in hard case”. Of course, our cases were manhandled terribly…we would watch it from the window. The Kona baggage handlers were always great, it was the Honolulu ones that made me cringe.
Keep in mind that other athletes are similarly penalized…surfers get zapped )and they have very precious cargo), windsurfers, polevaulters.
ACK - you’ve stirred up some really nasty memories of traveling that I had buried.
Hey tritoronto,
I’ve used them all. Trico, Serfas, Tri-all 3, etc, etc. My bike comes through OK but the case gets damaged after three or four trips: Latches torn off, wheels missing, straps gone. It just seems like they could do a better job designing them.
The Pelican cases I mentioned are so much more durable. They are injection molded. How tough would it be for them to make a big, lightweight, injection molded bike case?
I presumed Deepak Patel had taken care of that… I hope. Thank you for the reminder. I better follow up on that.
By the way, I got your e-mail. Thank you!
In the interest of maintaining operational security for assets traveling abroad I have sent a personal message with my flight info.
I know the Pelican folks. I will ask them if they ever considered a bike case. My guess is that the mold size would be prohibitive.
The more I hear about all this airline crap, the more this interests me. Tom - you have any experience with these? Might be worthwhile…
Tom,
I certainly agree that they could be designed better. However, I have had pretty good luck with my tri-all 3. I always Duck tape over case latches, strap latches, and the locks (which I do put locks on) at the ends. The tape is always heavily scuffed, but it protects the case.
Now, on sneeking by the agents, I do have a fairly high percentage of wins. I always wear “team sponsorship” clothing, act like I am going to the Olympics, and try to engage them in how cool all of this is. Then, I bluff that I never pay since I get a world class athlete representing my country exemption. Believe it of not it works. I also get an 800 number in advance to give to the agent to tell them who I talked to who told me I get a waiver. Of course this is one of those 800 call centers where gettting a live person is impossible. Also, make sure there is a long line of impatient people behind you to whom you have been super nice and have already engaged in your world class status. They will actually help argue your case.
Note, I do not believe in dishonest. I may be a hypocrit, but I do have a flying with my bike exception. Not to start ANOTHER religious thread, but I’ll just ask for a little forgiveness on this one.
BTW I did not pay to go to IMNZ!
"Have you guys ever seen Pelican cases? "
Have one. It carries my underwater housing and video gear for scuba diving. Unfortunately it’s too small to carry a bike.
Tom,
Passed along to Pelican, Feb. 20, 2004, your suggestion that a bike case that met their manufacturing standards would be welcomed by traveling bicyclists. Also passed along the URL for this thread as well as my positive experience with their products. Asked for a response to this suggestion. Is a bike case out of the question? Would it be cost prohibitive? Too small a market? Were they already considering manufacturing a case of this type?
As of this date, I have still received no response from Pelican. I take this to mean they are not interested in manufacturing a product of this type. They also don’t appear to be interested in feedback from satisfied customers. They must believe anyone who would buy a Pelican case would be satisfied with their product. I guess in most ways they would be correct.
Last thought, don’t hold your breath hoping Pelican will come to our rescue, unfortunately.
Would be nice if they made a bike case. I’ll testify that the Pelican case for my scuba stuff is first rate.