Hello Bob,

You are reading it correctly, fees are each way and each bike.  Technically fees are per flight, but I have never seen an airline impose that aspect (I am guessing they hold that in reserve for really really obnoxious customers).

There is no way around this if you are taking your bikes ... unless you have Bike Fridays which fit into a suitcase.  My approach at check in is to chat up the counter agent, keep them slightly distracted and sometimes they check the bags through, forgetting to charge the fee.  And once they are in the system ....

You can ship your bikes by UPS or FedEX.  Both should be able to get them to NY within your time window, without having to do their expensive overnight services.  Costs will be lower than airline baggage fees, but you will need a drop point in NY or transport to go fetch them from the FedEX or UPS office.

In 25 years of guiding bike tours, I have seen all three methods used frequently and they are all about the same in terms of reliability and risk of damage.  Pack the bikes well and they will survive the travel just fine.

Tom


On 2/14/2012 7:03 AM, Bob Newman wrote:

I’ve never done this before but I’m considering  taking our bikes with us to New York.  Below is the rates I’ve copied from the web.  Am I reading this correctly?  Should I be planning on $150 each?  Are there any feasible alternatives?  The bikes must get there within 5 days of shipping.

 

Thanks in advance… Bob

*************************************

From Delta’s web site:

 

Bicycles

Non-motorized touring or racing bicycles with single seats are accepted as checked baggage on most flights with the exception of some Delta Connection® carriers and aircraft that may not accept bicycles as checked baggage, and may have different limits due to cargo constraints. Linear dimensions must not exceed 115 linear inches (292 cm); no oversized fees apply. Bicycles weighing over 70 lbs will be charged the applicable excess weight fee; bicycles weighing over 100 lbs will not be accepted.

Bicycle Transport Fees

Destination

Fee

Travel to all regions (excluding Brazil)

150 USD/CAD/EUR*

 

 

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