*Story compliments of Eco-Space.cc*

Once you have chosen the bike tour that’s right for you, often the next question is - can my bike fly? Up until last year flying with your bike was not much of a problem.

Although airlines some times charged fees for domestic flights, bicycles were permitted on trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific flights for free (some times included as one piece of the two-piece checked baggage limit).

Currently if you are eager to have your own personal bike with you along for a tour it is worth doing some research in to which airlines are bicycle friendly.

As of February of 2007 many airlines for trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific flights began charging a fee. Currently the charges range from $80 to $160 each way and $160 to $320 roundtrip! Airlines in the United States are charging some of the steepest rates for cyclist on both domestic and international flights. British Airways and most Pacific/Asia airlines remain bicycle friendly, allowing bikes on without any surcharge and often in addition to two pieces of checked luggage.

With so many airlines advertising their green business practices it is fascinating that they have enlisted such strict mandates for bikes on board, especially when we consider the small number of customers seeking out this service. Financially the surcharge numbers are too small to make a difference in revenue and bikes can pack up in to reasonable sized boxes, making handling a non-issue.

The International Bicycle Fund offers an excellent online resource for current airline regulations http://www.ibike.org/encouragement/travel/bagregs.htm for bikes (including baggage allowances, surcharge amounts, and weight specifications) for most major airlines around the world.