How to pack for airline?

[KittyOnMyFoot]

...not the bike (got that all boxed up), but the actual luggage? I don't want to bring a suitcase full of my bike bags and other things, as then I'll have to drag that around. The bags are small and numerous enough to be awkward on their own. A second cardboard box maybe (that can be disposed of and replaced without much issue) at the destination?

[black_labb]

I usually pack as much gear with the bike itself as I can while keeping it under the weight limit. If you have an allowance for 2 free bags you can split the bike into 2 pieces and pack gear with both halves so it isn't obviously a bike. The trick is to take the fork out of the steer tube to reduce the size quite a bit. Call it outdoor/camping equipment if they ask when you check in and avoid the bicycle charge even if it is over the max bag size. The airlines never charge for something being a bit oversize, but if it is a bit oversize and happens to be a bicycle they charge a big fee. I've never paid the bike fee and use this method when flying 

 I try and put the gear in places that provide extra protection for the bike where it needs it.

[JoePavlik]

Black Labb is very correct. DO NOT CALL THE BOX A BIKE BOX!

They will charge you an arm and a leg for it. Just say it is an oversize box and pay that smaller fee.

[Adam Alphabet]

Black Labb is very correct. DO NOT CALL THE BOX A BIKE BOX!

They will charge you an arm and a leg for it. Just say it is an oversize box and pay that smaller fee.

This has never once worked for me. I fly with my bike on average 2 or 3 times a year for the past 6 years.
I could've bought a few bikes on the amount I've spent on the ridiculous bike fees airlines charge.

[JoePavlik]

This has never once worked for me. I fly with my bike on average 2 or 3 times a year for the past 6 years.
I could've bought a few bikes on the amount I've spent on the ridiculous bike fees airlines charge.

When I flew on US airways to canada and was checking in my bike. If I didnt open my big mouth and say it was a bike I would have gotten away with it. It never hurts to try and a lot of people do get away with checking in their bike as "an over sized box."

[black_labb]

It helps if the bike isn't in a box. Wrapping it in bubble wrap, camping gear, bits of cardboard and all taped together just makes it look like a mess of stuff that could be "outdoor equipment" (think of all the random poles, tarps, tables etc that people take car camping). Make it smaller than a complete bike by taking the steertube out of the frame helps a lot as well.

 If it is in a nice looking box that looks well looked after or with bike branding on it then you will have more trouble pulling the wool over their eyes. 

[RonK]

...not the bike (got that all boxed up), but the actual luggage? I don't want to bring a suitcase full of my bike bags and other things, as then I'll have to drag that around. The bags are small and numerous enough to be awkward on their own. A second cardboard box maybe (that can be disposed of and replaced without much issue) at the destination.

Regular travellers will have seen these checkered storage bags often on baggage carousels. They come in a variety of sizes and can be found at discount stores around the world.

They are light enough to carry if you really want to and cheap enough to dump if you don't.

[KittyOnMyFoot]

Well, I'm having the local bike shop pack the bike for me, so it'll probably have some giant "Trek" or "Specialized" logo all over it (which will make it tricky to "disguise".

Those thin plastic "suitcases" of the sort that blankets come in might do the trick for whatever I can't stuff into the spare space in the bike box.

Thanks for the replies!

[Adam Alphabet]

I'm going to try to track down one of those checkered bags. Thanks for the inputs everyone. Anything helps to try to save a couple (hundred) bucks.

[black_labb]

Here is an example where I went overboard, but I was quite content sipping beer and disassembling the bike leisurely.  Having said that nothing was challenging to remove and the process was pretty quick. The Fork and wheels were in the second package in a similar manner.

[RonK]

I'm going to try to track down one of those checkered bags. Thanks for the inputs everyone. Anything helps to try to save a couple (hundred) bucks.

Easy to find on eBay or Amazon, or try at your local discount store.

[Adam Alphabet]

Easy to find on eBay or Amazon, or try at your local discount store.

Thanks Ron. Quick check online shows them quite readily available. Cheers.

[Wandering by Bicycle]

Another possibility, if you have the option, is to pick an airline with "cheep" bicycle fees. Jet Blue is $50 for a boxed bicycle up to 99lbs and Alaska Airlines is $75 for the same. I've flown both carriers with bike boxes close to 99lbs without a problem. As for packing, I put everything inside the bike box except for some clothes, sleeping bag and tent, in case the bike doesn't make it to the destination, which I've had as well. If possible, I also mail my stove to the destination instead of flying with it, so I don't risk having it confiscated by some some TSA agent who doesn't understand the rules for flying with a stove. I lost a Trangia alcohol stove due to this.

[Adam Alphabet]

Airline selection is key if the option is there to your destination. The ranges are huge and often inconsistent. One thing I've done (sometimes allowed sometimes not) when flying to and form the States from Canada is paid the bike fee for the return right off the bat in Canadian dollars when ours isn't as strong compared to the USD. This saves me at least the conversion difference and often times a cheaper fee on partner/affiliate carrier instead of the main airline. Air Canada Rouge for example, a United affiliate is $50 or $75 CDN. United usually charges $150 USD. That's a bunch.

[sfuller]

Late to the convo, but when I last flew with my bike, I put the bike and all of my gear, in bags, in one box and still came in under the airline combined weight/size limit. This will, of course, depend on your bike and what you're bringing. Based on your description,  it sounds like standard bikepacking bags.