Call

Blog

Law
02

Blog

Flying With a Bike: A Way Around Excessive Fees

Flying these days, with or without a bicycle, is a frustrating endeavor. Along with all the traditional hassles and stressors of flying, there is a new trend of hidden or additional fees – $25 to check a bag, $35 to check a second bag, $11 for an extra six inches of leg room, etc…. Some airlines even charge for a carry-on bag. I recently saw a family blown away when they were told that it would cost them an additional $600 for their luggage to travel one-way!

So, imagine my anxiety when I recently traveled from Detroit to Austin, Texas with a big bike box. I traveled to Austin to attend a Bike Law Summit where bicycle lawyers from around the country met to share information and help each other better represent cyclists. Of course, there would also be group rides at the Summit and, since the Summit corresponded with the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships, it was also an opportunity to race. So, rather than rent a bike, I decided to bring my bike with me on the plane. In the process, I learned something worth sharing with others who are planning or considering a trip with their bike.

20150115_215440

The day before my flight, I received an email from the airline – “It is time to check-in for your flight to Austin.” I logged on and was given a birds-eye view of the plane’s seating chart. Most seats were jammed together making it appear as if there would be no leg room (an accurate depiction) – with the seat I had been assigned highlighted in red. You guessed it – back row, center seat! So, I searched for other options and saw there were open seats in first class. I thought, “Maybe this is an opportunity for a free upgrade.” I clicked on the big, plush seat and a message popped on the screen “$90.” No way was I giving the airline another $90!! So, I kept searching and saw there was an exit row seat (aka “poor man’s first class”). I clicked on the seat – “$11.” Hell no, I wasn’t going to give the airline another penny!

Still, in the back of my mind, I knew I would be paying more. I had this huge bike box sitting on the floor next to me and knew there would be a hefty charge to check it. I took a quick look at the baggage fees and learned it would be $150 (each way) for the bike box. But wait – I recalled seeing something from when I clicked on the first class seat. I went back to the seat and was right – “3 free bags.” Could this really work? Could I be allowed to make the bike box one of my free bags? Quickly, I navigated back to the airline’s baggage policies. I read laws, rules, policies and contracts every day, but there was absolutely no way I could make sense of the airline’s policies to determine if my bike box would be considered a free bag with a first class ticket. Still, I decided to give it a try.

The next day, I arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, schlepped my bike box from the parking structure to the terminal, and saw a huge line snaking from the check-in counter. As I approached the line, I was pleasantly surprised to see that there was a separate line for first class passengers! I forgot about that perk, but now recalled seeing “those people” cut the line and secretly hating them! However, this time I was on the other end of the equation. I walked straight past the line and could feel the proletariat scowling at me, but I didn’t care – it felt too damn good being one of “those people.” Better yet, the ticketing agent informed me that there would be no charge for my bike box because was flying first class!

From there, it was smooth sailing. I boarded the plane with the other first class passengers, enjoyed free snacks and beverages, more leg room than I ever could have imagined, and when I arrived in Austin my bike was waiting for me at baggage claim. Lesson learned, right? Not quite.

At the end of my stay in Austin, I received the standard airline email telling me it was time to check-in for my return flight to Detroit. I logged onto the airlines site and, of course, saw I was again seated in a middle seat toward the back of the plane. No worries, I knew what to do and clicked on one of the many available first class seats. But, this time, I received a message stating that I was unable to change my seat online. I would have to try to make the upgrade at the check-in counter in the morning.

The following morning, when I arrived at the check-in counter, the agent looked at my bike box and said “Is that a bike? It will be an additional $150 for the bike. How would you like to pay for it?” I replied, “I think I want to upgrade to first class, but just for the first leg of my flight – Austin to Dallas.” With a smile, the agent said “Sure, that will be $40 and there will be no additional charge for the bike – you just saved $110 by flying first class.” Presumably, the upgrade for a 40 minute flight from Austin to Dallas is in lower demand and therefore, significantly cheaper than a first class seat on a longer flight. But, once the airline has your bike box in their possession, it is going to your final destination without any additional fee.

So, what did taking my bike to Austin teach me? First, fly first class and you will save some money and enjoy all the extra privileges granted to the traveling elite. Second, if you can arrange your travel so there is a short connecting flight at the beginning of your journey, your bike will fly free and you will join the bourgeois in the front of the plane, for even less cash.

Safe travels!

Comments

Ann Groninger Jan 04, 2024

Many of our cycling clients find themselves having to interact with the criminal justice system. Typically, it’s because the driver who hits them (or their family member) is charged with a crime or traffic offense. Occasionally bicyclists themselves are charged with traffic offenses! Every state’s criminal laws are different, but there is a lot of […]

Read More
Bike Crash Road Defect Georgia
Peter Wilborn Jun 14, 2023

We recently shared the story of a trial victory from the State of Texas where a bicyclist was injured due to a defect in a road maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation. Texas Road Defect   We now can tell the story of another huge win in a road defect case, this time from […]

Read More
Road defect dangerous to cyclists
Charlie Thomas Mar 14, 2023

Recently, attorneys with the Bike Law network took a case to a trial against a titan of a defendant: the Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT was represented by the Attorney General’s Office, one of Texas’ largest legal teams. We had a great client, but it was a tough case to prove. So tough, in fact, […]

Read More
bike path charlotte
Ann Groninger Jan 13, 2023

  2023 got off to a rough start for Charlotte, North Carolina, particularly in the context of road safety. Within about a week, we lost a young woman who was riding her bicycle, a pedestrian killed in the same area of town, and four people were killed in a car wreck on I-85 in the […]

Read More
North Carolina Bike Crash
Ann Groninger Dec 06, 2022

Unless you’re a very recent follower of ours, you’ve heard us talk before about “contributory negligence.” To recap: “pure contributory negligence” is the law in North Carolina and only 3 other states (Alabama, Virginia, Maryland). In pure contributory negligence states, if a person is injured by someone else’s fault and the injured person contributes even […]

Read More
Is It Illegal to Ride Your Bike on the Sidewalk bikelaw
Peter Wilborn Aug 01, 2022

The laws dictating whether you can ride your bike on the sidewalk differ depending where you live. Different states have different laws on this matter, and local ordinances also vary. Let’s take a look at the legal framework behind various state laws related to cycling on sidewalks. The laws of sidewalk-riding can be very complicated […]

Read More
Ebike crash
Bruce Hagen Apr 26, 2022

DRIVER ON METH KILLS 17 YEAR OLD BICYCLIST, BARROW COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY REFUSES TO CHARGE DRIVER WITH FELONY.   On August 23, 2020, at approximately 8:40pm, 17-year old Obianuju Osuegbu was on her way home from her summer job working at a grocery store. She had earned enough money that summer to buy herself a […]

Read More
Stop as Yield
Brian Weiss Apr 25, 2022

Finally, “Stop As Yield” (the much sought after common sense traffic law for bicyclists) is coming to Colorado in 2022, likely July 1st.   Stop as Yield, aka the “Safety Stop” After the Governor Polis signs the law and the Safety Stop becomes effective, anyone who rides a bicycle or scooter on public roads will […]

Read More
Contributory Negligence
Ann Groninger Apr 25, 2022

It took losing at trial and a long appellate process, but it ended in a blow to contributory negligence in North Carolina. We just won an appeal on a bicycle crash case that happened in 2016 and came to us in 2018. The case went to trial during the spring of 2021. Our client was […]

Read More
Load More