CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions

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simonhill
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CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions

Post by simonhill »

I know this has been covered many times, but just a couple of points I would like clarified. I usually fly long haul with bike box so the poly Easyjet thing is new to me.

Firstly I thought these bags were a fiver, they now seem to be £12, is that right? As a CTC member presumably I can get a discount. Is that the platinum thing?

Secondly, has anyone actually had it confirmed by the Easyjet hierarchy that they accept these poly bags. Doing a search here, I find posts saying they were refused or had grief when using these bags with Easyjet. The Easyjet website just says use box or bike bag.

I am flying Southend to Jersey return (me £40 bike £70!!!).

Thanks in advance.
Bicycler
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Re: CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions

Post by Bicycler »

I can't help with those two specifics but...

The CTC advise printing out this page (http://www.ctc.org.uk/sites/default/fil ... ikebag.pdf) to prove that the bag is a "bike bag" for the benefit of any airline jobsworths

See their other advice here (http://www.ctc.org.uk/cyclists-library/ ... /bikes-air)
whoof
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Re: CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions

Post by whoof »

I have never used a CTC bag but I have carried a bagged bike (actually two) with Easyjet on at least 12 occasions. Every year I go touring and put our bikes in cardboard boxes(free if you can transport to and fro the airport) from bike shops for the outward trip. I dispose of the box on arrival (large biffa bin at the airport). On my return I buy a cheap tarpaulin from a DIY shop. I have never had any problems in either direct.
ubert767
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Re: CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions

Post by ubert767 »

I've recently flown Easyjet to and from Bari out of Gatwick using the CTC polybag method with absolutely no problems. It is worth contacting them (at customer.services@easyjet.com) to get an email confirming their acceptance, just in case you get an awkward individual at check-in.
At the same time it is worth getting them to confirm that there is no need to deflate tyres, they did this for me and it all went a treat.
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Farawayvisions
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Re: CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions

Post by Farawayvisions »

I flew Easyjet with bikes packed in CTC bags. (The bag cost just over a tenner a couple of years ago)
Easyjet refused this packing method in Gatwick at first but gave in once I’d signed a handwritten disclaimer. Interestingly, they didn’t bat an eyelid when I returned to check in at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport in July 2014.

I checked their policy five mins ago and it says yes to bike bags which is what the CTC bag is.

http://www.farawayvisions.com/flying-with-a-bicycle/
simonhill
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Re: CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions

Post by simonhill »

Just to report back that Easyjet were happy with my poly bag.

Coming back from Jersey, the security chap wasn't happy as it couldn't go through XRay. They also questioned packing, but Easyjet said poly OK so they agreed to 'handle' it. They swabbed it to see if there was anything nasty. Of course an XRay wouldn't show what was inside the frame tubes so their insistence seemed a bit pointless!!

One downside, at both ends the baggage handlers fully deflated my tyres by tearing the bag to get at the valves.

As I said in initial post, I usually box and think it is a much better way of transporting a bike. A box has handles and can be easily carried. A bike in a plastic bag is a nightmare to handle.

Finally, thanks for tip, via PM, that you can get the poly bags from bed shops. My local shop gave me 2 for free.
iviehoff
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Re: CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions

Post by iviehoff »

simonhill wrote:Of course an XRay wouldn't show what was inside the frame tubes so their insistence seemed a bit pointless!!

I used to think this too. I mentioned it to an X-ray guy at an airport once, and he showed me the screen while he X-rayed my frame, demonstrating that airport X-rays can indeed see inside a bicycle frame. Clearly they are using something a bit different from medical X-rays.
AndrewClark
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Re: CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions

Post by AndrewClark »

I flew home from Nice to Liverpool yesterday. I've done this 3 times before using the CTC poly bag with no problems.

This time an Easyjet rep came up to me in the check in queue and told me that I wouldn't be allowed to check my bike in as it was (padded with a cheap foam mat & CTC bag) and would have to use a box. He was polite, but insistent that they wouldn't take the bike.

I had to sprint down to the next level where a very helpful chap charged me €14 for a used box. I had to rip the poly bag apart & remove my frony wheel to make it fit. He taped the box up for me, but it looked very flimsy.

They then demanded to know the weight of the bike (never been asked that before!) They didn't have a problem with taking 2 rear panniers lashed together as luggage. I'd payed £10 for a seat with extra legroom and this let me take the stuffsac with my tent & some other kit as cabin baggage along with my bar bag. (I was a bit worried about the tent poles being allowed on).

I was still in lycra & the cleats on my shimano sandals beeped the metal detector and earned me a pat down.

By the time I got onto the plane I was a dirty, sweaty mess and in a foul mood.

I saw the luggage waiting to be loaded , the bike box was on its own trailer.

At Liverpool the box came through on the conveyor, I removed the bike, no obvious damage (front mudguard wrecked, but that was my fault). Removed the foam padding , pumped up the tyres & rode home.
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bigjim
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Re: CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions

Post by bigjim »

They tried this nonsense with me at Biarritz airport. The very nasty E/Jet check-in girl shouted that we would not be able to fly if we did not buy a box. I argued that we had flown in with E/jet using the CTC bags. She called over her supervisor who waddled over clutching and waving her very important walki-talkie in her very important hand. She reiterated what her humbler colleague said and added it was the last flight out so we had better buy a box each! My touring partner, a no nonsense army colonel, disappeared as I dropped out of line to unpack the bikes. He reappeared ten minutes later with the airport manager. He had been up to her office and insisted that she should look at E/jets website. We were then escorted though security by the boss, with the bikes as they were and then to the gate. No argument. The two young useless con artists were plainly in the wrong.
ubert767
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Re: CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions

Post by ubert767 »

[quote="bigjim"]They tried this nonsense with me at Biarritz airport.

I've used the CTC method on Easyjet several times now, most recently into Munich and home from Strasbourg and with no problems. Before each trip I get a confirmation email from their Customer Care regarding acceptability of using "large see-through heavy-duty polythene bag" and also there being no need to deflate tyres. I've needed to use my trump card only once and that was at the miserable place laughingly known as "Bournemouth International".
John Holiday
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Re: CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions

Post by John Holiday »

Have frequently flown from Liverpool,Manchester ,Southampton & Gatwick (& returns) using CTC poly bag & rarely had any problem.
Always try to get to Check-in early,so that any queries may be resolved, but most Check-in staff now seem to be conversent & familiar with travellers with cycles.
hillspecial
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Re: CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions

Post by hillspecial »

bigjim wrote:They tried this nonsense with me at Biarritz airport. The very nasty E/Jet check-in girl shouted that we would not be able to fly if we did not buy a box. I argued that we had flown in with E/jet using the CTC bags. She called over her supervisor who waddled over clutching and waving her very important walki-talkie in her very important hand. She reiterated what her humbler colleague said and added it was the last flight out so we had better buy a box each! My touring partner, a no nonsense army colonel, disappeared as I dropped out of line to unpack the bikes. He reappeared ten minutes later with the airport manager. He had been up to her office and insisted that she should look at E/jets website. We were then escorted though security by the boss, with the bikes as they were and then to the gate. No argument. The two young useless con artists were plainly in the wrong.



Nice one BigJim

we had no such luck at Nice Airport.

Still no reply from Easyjet to the e-mail below after about 5 weeks .

Hello Easyjet,

we are just back from a cycling holiday mostly in the French Alps; Geneva to Nice.

We have to be as lightweight as possible as we move on most days and have to carry all of our equipment, tent, clothes etc on the bikes.

I have taken my bike on over 20 return flights from the UK, with both budget airlines and 'national carriers, to various parts of Europe, both mainland and Islands and the USA without any issues.

I've also taken a coach to Europe twice, but this took 24 when things went well and over 36 hours when there we had both traffic problems and a delay on the ferry. We've also travelled by car several times to the Alps and Pyrenees with the bikes on the roof, tow bar or trailer.

We cannot take bike cases or heavy padded bike bags on these types of holidays.

But from the North-West England the best way to get to the Alps / Pyrenees with a bike has always been by plane.

Back in the 90s, we flew with the likes of BA, Swiss Air and Air France, our un-bagged bikes and {any number of } bags were included in the ticket price, ditto food and drink on board. We just used to tape a little cardboard to the frame to prevent scratches.

This year we flew to Geneva using our CTC flight bags, as pioneered by BA, as can be seen on the link below.


http://www.ctc.org.uk/cyclists-library/ ... /bikes-air


We had no problems at all with the bikes and the lightweight, thick, clear plastic CTC flight bags on the Liverpool to Nice flight.

See the link below for the type of holiday that we do.

http://www.ctc.org.uk/sites/default/fil ... -tales.pdf

Over 16 days we cycled to Nice, over a few Cols {mountain passes} and staying at some places 2 or 3 nights.

For the return flight, we arrived at Nice Airport a good 3 hours before the departure - we packed our bikes on the CTC flight bags and queued at a very busy check-in for over 40 mins.

The EasyJet staff member on the desk insisted that we could not fly with our bikes in the CTC flight bags as it was against 'EasyJet policy'. We explained how we had flow out to Geneva with EasyJet 16 days earlier - but he was having not of it.

So he sent us to the opposite side of the building, downstairs to get a box - it took us 10 mins to get there.

They charged us 22 Euros each for a thin cardboard bike box, these offered no more protection to the bikes than the CTC bags did, and of course 'customs' could not see what was inside.

We then had to take the bikes back to check in .

All in all, this took over an hour.

On landing in Liverpool we had to throw the boxes away.


So what of next year? The expense is one thing, logistics another, but also how do we know that the European airport will have boxes for sale, or if they do that they have them in stock, or it the 'office' is open ?

TVG French trains will not take bikes, slow local trains do, but these also charge per single leg of the train journey for the bike.


The bike bus is slow, has limited pick up and drop off points. See link below.

http://www.bike-express.co.uk/Availabil ... ssengers=1

So it looks like we might have to go by car and have a different sort of holiday, based in 2 or 3 places over 2 weeks and cycling each day to and from the same place.


So, in short, could you clarify the EasyJet position for summer 2016 on bikes and bags / boxes and also explain how this year we were able to fly with EasyJet for Liverpool to Nice with out a problem, but then we could not get back from Nice to Liverpool with EasyJet without a box ?

Thanks,
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bigjim
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Re: CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions

Post by bigjim »

I'm totally exasperated with flying with the bike and seriously considering giving up touring abroad. I've had enough pf the stress associated with it. It spoils the holiday.
Returned last night from Beziers. Packed bike in a very lightweight bag which was accepted without question by Ryanair. On unpacking the bike I find the bag had been torn by some dimwit, to needlessly let the air out of the tyres. My nearly new Charge Spoon saddle had also been torn in three places!
hillspecial
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Re: CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions

Post by hillspecial »

bigjim wrote:I'm totally exasperated with flying with the bike and seriously considering giving up touring abroad. I've had enough pf the stress associated with it. It spoils the holiday.
Returned last night from Beziers. Packed bike in a very lightweight bag which was accepted without question by Ryanair. On unpacking the bike I find the bag had been torn by some dimwit, to needlessly let the air out of the tyres. My nearly new Charge Spoon saddle had also been torn in three places!


Yeah Big Jim. The plane is becoming like French bread, a pain. Nice EasyJet staff appear to have a dislike for the CTC polybag. Still waiting for EasyJet to Investiage and get back to us re refusing out CTC bagged bikes, Nice to Liverpool in August .
hillspecial
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Location: Geneva, Switzerland.

Re: CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions

Post by hillspecial »

AndrewClark wrote:I flew home from Nice to Liverpool yesterday. I've done this 3 times before using the CTC poly bag with no problems.

This time an Easyjet rep came up to me in the check in queue and told me that I wouldn't be allowed to check my bike in as it was (padded with a cheap foam mat & CTC bag) and would have to use a box. He was polite, but insistent that they wouldn't take the bike.

I had to sprint down to the next level where a very helpful chap charged me €14 for a used box. I had to rip the poly bag apart & remove my frony wheel to make it fit. He taped the box up for me, but it looked very flimsy.

They then demanded to know the weight of the bike (never been asked that before!) They didn't have a problem with taking 2 rear panniers lashed together as luggage. I'd payed £10 for a seat with extra legroom and this let me take the stuffsac with my tent & some other kit as cabin baggage along with my bar bag. (I was a bit worried about the tent poles being allowed on).

I was still in lycra & the cleats on my shimano sandals beeped the metal detector and earned me a pat down.

By the time I got onto the plane I was a dirty, sweaty mess and in a foul mood.

I saw the luggage waiting to be loaded , the bike box was on its own trailer.

At Liverpool the box came through on the conveyor, I removed the bike, no obvious damage (front mudguard wrecked, but that was my fault). Removed the foam padding , pumped up the tyres & rode home.



Hi Andrew .

Much the same happen to us. Fine flying out Liverpool to Geneva , but after 40 mins we reached the front of the checkin queue for Easyjet and Nice airport for out return to Liverpool in August and like u were told to go buy a cardboard box . They took us for 22 Euros each. The box was almost a brown paper bag it was sooooo thin. So what was the point. We too only just made the gate on time . the whole procedure took us 1 1/2 hrs .
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