FedEx was cheaper when I went to Minnesota last month. The key to keeping the price down with FedEx or UPS is staying out of the OS 3 (Oversize 3) category. You need to stay under 130 inches combined girth and length. Any fraction of an inch is rounded up. At that size weight doesn't matter unless you go over 70 lbs. I shipped in a Cannondale roadbike box which is designed to maximize those specifications. Those boxes are 52x8x31. If you, or a bike shop, arranges the shipment over the phone, you give them the measurements. That assures that the clerk at the counter doesn't add a quarter of an inch and mess up the plan. My bike shipped for $55.34 to Minnesota ...not including insurance. One more inch (or fraction of an inch) would have added $45. I've argued with a clerk who put me over the limit because of a bulge in the side. It was just air. The box hadn't gotten any bigger. It just wasn't quite as firm on the way home. I won ...but he let me know he was doing me a huge favor by bending the rules for me.

Actually Delta and United are up to $175 now. So FedEx Ground and UPS beat them hands down cost wise, but you do need a receiver at the other end and have to send your bike out a week ahead.

I frequently travel with my bikes and usually use my Bike Friday, it folds into a standard suitcase, so the airlines have no clue what is in there. The S&S system is nice, but their case is a dead giveaway that it doesn't have clothes inside. I have had a few guests on our tours tell me they use the excuse that the S&S case has worked related equipment in it and the airlines seem to buy that.

But I have to disagree with you claim of FedEx being lots safer. Having guided bike tours for 20+ years and having dealt with several thousand guests bringing their bikes from home, I have seen that the ratio of damage vs no damage is the same for airlines, UPS or FedEx. The majority come through just fine, but all have dropped kicked a bike or two.

Tom

Brian wrote:

Yes ... you can't believe the arguments I had last time I traveled. I couldn't believe it. My logic was that if it was golf clubs they wouldn't charge ... but in the end I lost the battle. they have a SPECIFIC policy about bikes, and get this ... at the time my bike was broken down (S&S couplers) to fit into an AIRLINE LEGAL 26x26 x10 suitcase. It is a specific policy about bikes. I'll never fly my bike again if I can help it (and I can!).

MrBicycle wrote:

$100 each way? That is outrageous! That certainly shows that the airlines don't want to handle bikes! BTW---- UPS might be even cheaper than FedX.

--- On Mon, 8/17/09, Brian <brian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

From: Brian <brian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Fwd: Re: GCCMail: Can anyone help Tucker with this?]
To: GCCMail@xxxxxxxxxx
Date: Monday, August 17, 2009, 4:24 PM

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