I’m looking at options for flying with my bike to IM W Australia. On the Quantas website, they list permitted bike box dimensions to be:
Qantas bike pack dimensions are:
Length: 140cm (55in)Width: 30cm (12in)Height: 80cm (32in)
The size of my Tri All 3 custom case is:
Length 50.5"
Width 15"
Height 15"
So, I’m over by 3" in width. Does anyone have experience with flying Quantas? Are they rigid about their dimensions? I don’t want to show up and have them refuse my bike. I also don’t want to pack my bike in a cardboard box or soft case. I’d use it as an excuse for a nice new Scicon hard case, but their dimensions also don’t fit. I don’t see a way to contact Quantas to ask the question.
My husband and I flew over for IMWA in 2010 and connected with Quantas after landing in Sydney to fly to Perth. We had our bikes with us (we have soft shelled bike bags but they aren’t the smallest version) and we didn’t have an issue when checking in. I don’t recall them measuring the bag - they will weigh it. We paid extra (but we pay extra on virtually all airlines)…
I’d probably fly American Airlines to California, then Quantus to Sydney, and then Perth, or something close to that. I’m working it out now.
I think American Airlines is pretty OK with anything that is a legitimate bike box. I’d be under the total dimensions listed on the Quantas site (99" vs 97.5"), but I hate to base this on an assumption.
I live in Australia and have flown Qantas with a bike quite a bit. They have never once measured the dimensions. Just tell them it’s a bike and they will weigh it, as long as it’s not stupidly oversized they won’t measure it, and based on your dimensions they won’t bother. I’ve heard some horror stories about flying in the US with a bike, but you won’t have those sorts of problems on Qantas.
Traveled on American JAN-DFW-LAX, then Qantas LAX-SYD-PER.
Used the narrower, 12" Tri All 3 Sports case.
No luggage charge on American. At LAX, the luggage was transferred to Qantas without collecting it at baggage claim, and there was no charge from Qantas at check-in.
On the return trip starting in PER, again no charge for the bike and the case was not measured. The bike was weighed, though, and the weight was added to the total weight for my family’s luggage. We didn’t exceed the aggregate limit, so there was no charge. At LAX, after collecting the luggage from baggage claims and clearing customs, there is a baggage re-checking area (for onward domestic flights) and the bike case wasn’t measured or weighed. No charge on American for the LAX-DFW-JAN flights.
That is very reassuring! I’d rather not have to purchase a case just to lose a few inches. I’d feel better if I could get them to give it to me in writing, but I doubt there is any chance of that. It sounds like a small risk, though.
I imagine I’ll ship some stuff to my aunt, who lives close to the race site, but I know I’ll still have a couple of large bags in addition to the bike. I imagine I’ll have fees, but I’m used to that, so long as they take me and all my gear, and don’t leave any of it or me sitting on the side of the tarmac!
I’ll be glad when I’ve figured all the particulars out, can get to Australia, and enjoy the trip! I’ve wanted to do this for years!
I fly Qantas regularly within Australia and Internationally. I travelled around 10 times with a bike in the last 12months and have only been weighed - never had it measured. They are usually pretty strict on weight for international flights.
I’d probably fly American Airlines to California, then Quantus to Sydney, and then Perth, or something close to that. I’m working it out now.
I think American Airlines is pretty OK with anything that is a legitimate bike box. I’d be under the total dimensions listed on the Quantas site (99" vs 97.5"), but I hate to base this on an assumption.
Shop around for airlines as Qantas isn’t the only one flying to Oz but they can be the least flexible… and why are you taking so much stuff?
There is a $800 surcharge for referring to them as Quantas. Double for Quantus. Seems only fair.
No risk on bike box at all. They’ve never measured my hard case (nor have I), and I’ll bet they never measure any standard case. The measurements on the website are for their cardboard boxes - about the same as the boxes used to deliver bikes to retailers. All hard cases are bigger than that.
Unlike in the US, there is no charge for a bike box per se. It is treated as part of your checked luggage (although it will be handled as ‘oversized’). If you meet the limits for weight and number of bags you won’t pay extra, but it sounds like you might struggle with that. If you are sure to be over, it is cheaper to purchase additional baggage allowance in advance than waiting until you hit the airport.
I work in Perth and travel regularly back home with my bike in either a Trico hard case or a Tri All 3 case via Qantas from Perth to Sydney and return the same on my way back. As others have said, Qantas has never checked the dimensions, but they will weigh it. It’s not expensive when compared with US-domestic airlines. I think last time I paid $50 but their website can tell you exactly how much.
Here though is something to be wary of when flying to Perth via Sydney and back. If your international airline is different than the Australian domestic airline, say you fly United from San Fran or LA to Sydney and return the same way and the international flight is NOT on the same itinerary as the Qantas flight, the ticket counter in Perth is a stickler for not checking the baggage all the way through to the US. You have to pick up the bags in Sydney and transit to the international terminal, no small feat. If flying United to LA from Sydney and you are doing it the same day, allow yourself at least 3 hours between the landing time in Sydney and departure time for the US. If you’re staying in Sydney for a few days, no big deal. Good luck.
Nothing to add except reaffirming that flying to/in Australia with bike boxes is never a problem of dimensions, but all airlines are very strict about weight.
And that I’m doing IMWA as well and am up for meeting up if you’d like!
Thanks, everyone! I’m not going to sweat the dimensions of the box. It sounds like I’m good. Weight is going to be a problem. My box loaded will be about 50#, then 2 more bags. I’ll buy the additional baggage allowance ahead of time. I’ll also be sure to spell it “Qantas”, lol! I need the extra baggage b/c I’m going several weeks early to hang with relatives and finish my training, and then several weeks afterward to play tourist. I doubt I’ll ever have this chance again, so I want to take advantage of it! Besides, I’m not a light packer on a good day.
Scooter58, if I fly American to LA, then Qantas to Sydney, then Perth, does that create the problem you are talking about?
I’m looking at Qantas over other airlines b/c I know someone who went this route, had no bike charges, and was impressed with the service on Qantas.
I have never done an international triathlon. I’ve waited years to do this one, finally decided to go for it, and then got the chance to do Kona this year as well, so now I am planning 2 big trips at once, and I’m overwhelmed. Not complaining, mind you!! I am just in a little over my head.
I did the Asia-pacific championship in Melbourne in march this year and I flew quantas and used the same case as yours.
Flying there, there was no problem, the ticketing agent checked and price quantas charges and charged me $200 something to fly there.
On the way back was a different story. The quantas agent and her supervisor flat out refused to accept my bike case, stated it was over 44 kg and it needed to be shipped via freight airline and I was on my own to arrange that. When I pointed out that there were more than 1500 athletes in the race and I can’t be the first one with this bike case, plus I got it there via quantas from the U S. I told them there is a written policy by quantas regarding bike cases and sporting equipments, but they seemed to have no idea about it and insisted on me shipping it via freight airline. They said when the bike case was shipped from the U S, it was under the U S regulation, but now, the Australian law applied, they said they have to protect the workers…
I took everything out of my bike case except the bike itself, plus a huge dose of begging, (they didn’t care about the size but the weight), they let it get on the plane with a fee…
Scooter58, if I fly American to LA, then Qantas to Sydney, then Perth, does that create the problem you are talking about?
I’m looking at Qantas over other airlines b/c I know someone who went this route, had no bike charges, and was impressed with the service on Qantas.
I have never done an international triathlon. I’ve waited years to do this one, finally decided to go for it, and then got the chance to do Kona this year as well, so now I am planning 2 big trips at once, and I’m overwhelmed. Not complaining, mind you!! I am just in a little over my head.
No, because you are still on Qantas (no ‘u’ ppl). I live in Perth and have experienced the situation referred to, but it was no different to my LA experience. Pick them up, walk through a gate and put them back on a conveyor. You don’t take them with you to int terminal, at least you never used to.
Another option is Air NZ. They have taken care of my bike well and even as an Aussie can say their service and the experience is much better. Jet Park airport hotel in Auck recommended as a transit rest stop
If you fly Qantas the international and domestic flight, there will be no issues. Even if the international Qantas and the domestic Qantas are on different itineraries (although I don’t know why one would do that), Qantas would still check your baggage all the way through. Won’t be an issue. And it’s really the reverse journey to be concerned with if and only if you are flying a different international carrier than Qantas from Sydney to the US.
