Bike Flight

I'm curious if anyone can share stories of traveling with a bike, specifically via Southwest Airlines. Others on the internet insist it ain't no thing, some say it's a huge hassle, and I don't know, but I think it shouldn't have to be so hard. I don't have access to any road bike-like machine out there, I'm still honeymooning with this one and there's a lot of hills and car-free areas in Northern Arizona which sound like great fun for me and new bike. Riding is keeping me sane and I'm a little obsessive about sticking with this. 10+ days without a bike may drive me completely bonkers. I just started a kickass apprenticeship with a frame builder/mechanic and feel pretty confident about my ability to reassemble anything I'd take apart for ease of transport. Poor college student life means I'll probably get a cardboard box from Cycle Smithy - have any of you found this to be a reliable method (if packed properly)?

Thanks!

PS If someone has a hard case that could fit a 56 road bike, I'd pay to borrow it. PM me. I make delicious cookies.

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Permalink Reply by Shawn C. on June 5, 2013 at 8:21am

This thread may be helpful:http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/flying-with-bikes?id=22114...

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Permalink Reply by Alex Marple on June 5, 2013 at 8:40am

I flew with my Surly Crosscheck from Seattle to Phoenix and then Phoenix to Albuquerque with my bike in the cargo hold. It was no big deal. A couple of extra fees and the problem of assembling the bike at the airport (or in my case, throwing it in a taxi and building it up at my friend's house) but that's about it.

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Permalink Reply by Dovah Cat on June 5, 2013 at 8:44am

Thanks, Shawn. Should've searched before I posted. Oop.

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Permalink Reply by Niall Munnelly on June 5, 2013 at 10:09am

A sturdy, well-packed cardboard box (like those they ship mostly-assembled bikes in to your LBS) made it from Chicago to Dublin in fine shape. Reuse may not be an option, because stowing a big, heavy box somewhere for ten days isn't trivial. When I flew back, I had no choice but to strip and tie as much as I could and just cross my fingers. The derailleurs needed adjustment, but the bike was fine when I took it from Ohare. I don't endorse that kind of flight. Most of the headaches seem to be unrelated to the actual transport of the bike - arbitrary airline fees, calling it a "massage table (not easy on the return flight)," &c.

In the end, I'll go with S&S couplings and a backpack. Someday. Until then, there's Frontier, who seem to have a lot more sense about bicycles than most other airlines.