Bicycle Shipping..and TSA (Airport Security)
(1 Articles)
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7 Jun 2008
Len
(ultrarunner@yahoo.com)
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| KeyWords: Airports, Since, 9,11, Boxes, Other, Asia, China, Viet, Nam, Bangkok, , Beijing, , USA,West, Denver, , CO |
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I have had very bad experience shipping my bicycles as baggage on an airplane internationally (to Bangkok). Both times, the bike went on Northwest. The problems, however, weren't due to Northwest baggage negligence. The problem is with TSA, the airport security people. I have a bike hard case and have the TSA approved locks on the bike case. Each time I've shipped the bike, the locks have been removed, some not put back on, the clasps on the bike hardcase are now all broken (thanks TSA!) and I have to strap the top of the box together to keep the top in place. They will remove the straps, not tighten them tight again, and as a result, there is damage to the bike inside. I shipped a brand new Surly touring bike to Bangkok from Colorado last January, and upon arrival, the handlebar tape was completely off, the front and rear deraillers were bent, and you could tell that they had taken the bike completely out of the box and had no idea how to get it in there again, as it was more or less pushed in, with paint rubs everywhere. I tried filing a claim for damage, but the airlines said it was TSA damage...ever try getting anything out of TSA..those bastards are just worthless. So I've had very bad experience shipping my bikes on the plane. I've not tried shipping a bike internationally say with FedEx or UPS and don't know how expensive it is. But it is becoming very expensive to ship a bicycle through as baggage. Northwest now charges $130 one way from destination in US, then another $130 after you connect to your international destination...and that is ONE WAY EACH TIME!!! Funny thing is that when I get to Asia, and connect with say China Air, Thai Air, Philippines Air, or almost ANY OTHER ASIAN AIRLINE...there is no charge for shipping the bike...and..best of all...they don't open the bike box. You tell them what's in it, they run it through the xray and it's on the plane. None of this stupid ridiculous opening of the box in the U.S...after they run it through their billion dollar xray scanning state of the art equipment. I'm just disgusted with shipping a bike in the U.S. through an airport. They don't give a damn about your bike or your baggage. |
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