Is an airline allowed to neglect the transport of my bicycle?

Yes. Bad luck? Definitely! For many airlines passenger transport is an additional business. It's easier to make money with freight / cargo. Some airlines give priority to cargo on certain routes, e.g. SAS on the route from Hamburg HAM to Copenhagen CPH. For this reason I was left in Hamburg Airport with my bicycle in the summer of 2014 with reference to some fine print saying the bike was on stand-by only. It means we have prebooked your bike but we try and see if we can earn more money with cargo. Bitter pill, especially since I had to change planes in Copenhagen and therefore had no chance to catch my connecting flight to Bergen. Not to mention the financial loss. Another version is that the bicycle has been booked, confirmed and checked in, but doesn't get to its destination. After flying from Hamburg to Nice via Dusseldorf, I was told by AirBerlin in Nice, that the aircraft from Dusseldorf to Nice had amazingly lacked space for the bicycle... It was delivered to my campsite the next day.

Am I allowed to take my bike into the terminal building?

A weird question maybe. In practice more and more airports have security checks right at the entrance, where the luggage is scanned. Not every bicycle fits into the luggage scanner though. A short notice that your bike belongs to your luggage should help you pass. At the same time we'd better not raise the issue of an unscreened piece of luggage in the terminal building...

The truth about deflating the tyres

Why is it so important to almost every airline that the tyres are deflated for the flight? A friend who is a flight engineer explained to me that if the pressure in the cargo area was low enough to result in an explosion of tyres, the passengers would die, too. In a normal aircraft the pressure sewer system of the cargo area is connected with the cabin's. Therefore it is impossible that a tyre explodes during the flight. Requiring to deflate the tyres is a relict of ignorance. However, a technical discussion with the check-in personnel will be a waste of energy. My advice: just deflate the tyres half way, so that they feel soft if the staff catches hold of them, and you'll be left alone.

Why don't you get any packing material for your bike at the airport?

Many airlines expect that your bike is packed, preferably in a cardboard box. But mostly there is no way or a hard way, to get a box to your final destination before heading home. Almost every airport offers plastic bags for strollers, so why not for bicycles? Maybe the number of bikes is too small for a logistic solution to pay off. Some airlines have started to offer boxes at some airports. 20€ each seems an exorbitant price though as you'll get them for free in any bike shop. My advice: Think twice if you are able to comply with the rules of your chosen airline. Otherwise take another airline. Usually there is another carrier on the same route.

Is there a safe cycle path to every airport?

Transport connection of airports usually occurs via principal roads. The airports of Barcelona or Athens e.g. can only be reached via motorway. By experience I can tell that the police in Athens were not interested in a cycle tourist cycling on the motorway. In Barcelona I asked them for an alternative route. Since they had none, they let me continue to the terminal... However, some cities like Zurich and Helsinki have good and safe cycle paths leading to the airport. The tourist information at Helsinki Airport even offers a free map of all cycle routes within the metropolitan area.

How to spend a night at the airport

In case your flight is scheduled early in the morning you might want to spend the night as close to the check-in counter as possible. Airport hotels are usually far too expensive, so that a cheaper alternative is in demand. At some airports (e.g. Vienna) you'll find a green area nearby. Once I camped there myself. On the contrary the security service in Antalya wanted me to remove my tent from the park area in front of the terminal. Another option is to find yourself a calm area in the terminal building and roll out your camping mat and sleeping-bag next to your bicycle with the bags. It worked perfectly in Istanbul e.g. For further field reports and advice I recommend the website http://www.sleepinginairports.net. Good night!

Airport bus

If the airport is not your starting point or final destination you might want to catch a lift. Many airports, especially those served by Ryanair - farm houses with a runway in the middle of nowhere - offer a shuttle service from the airport to the city centre. Most of the bus drivers have no problems taking your bike on the bus. It makes sense to keep the luggage tag on the bike and show that it belongs to your luggage. I have never been sent away myself, sample airports being Istanbul SAW, Helsinki HEL, Stockholm Skavsta NYO. Friends of the railway will be happy to hear that there is a metro line to Istanbul Airport IST where you are allowed to take your bicycle, same for Edinburgh EDI. There is a metro line to Athens ATH, too, but I was very close to being thrown out with my bike. On the way to the airport you can always argue that you have to catch your flight.

Flying spontaneously - book your bike at the airport

Life is what happens while you're making other plans... Besides everyone enjoys a little freedom of timing while travelling. Entering an airport with your bicycle spontaneously can be expensive though. More and more airlines charge you for declaring your luggage at the airport, up to three times the price you'd have to pay online. Even if you had to pay for the wifi at the airport, it would be cheaper to book everything online at that time. On the other hand there still are airlines that don't follow online price policy, so that booking at the airport is affordable. Another topic is capacity of cargo area. Does your bike fit into the plane? Turkish Airlines e.g. don't really care how much luggage you check in nor if your bicycle is prebooked. Booking the bike transport at the airport costs between 30 and 60€ then.