How to fly with your Brompton? In a previous video, we discussed the three ways we have
packed our bikes for overseas touring. In a hard case, either the B&W or a secondhand Samsonite,
in a cardboard box and in an IKEA Dimpa bag. Today, we'll do a quick
review plus include two other methods: the Vincita Sightseer case and Cabin Carry-On.
When selecting a packing strategy for air travel with your Brompton, your decision may come down
to a compromise between price and robustness. However, additional factors may be important to you.
Do you want to cycle to and from the airport to save the expense and hassle of
ground transportation, in which case the empty luggage would need to be attached on the bike?
Once at the airport and packed, can it be easily handled without a luggage cart?
Another issue is whether it meets the airline's size and weight regulations.
The B&W hard case with its padded interior, extendable handle and wheels wins big and
robustness and handling. It is however quite heavy at 8.5 Kg [18.7 lbs] and cannot easily be
carried on the bicycle. Furthermore, it exceeds the maximum allowed check-in linear dimension
158 cm or 62 inches, which can result in an oversized surcharge. It is also the most
expensive solution at around $400 U.S. A viable hard case alternative is an appropriately sized regular
suitcase, like our secondhand Samsonite 29-inch Epsilon lighter, at 5.7 kg [12.5 lbs], its dimensions
are within airline regulations, thus avoiding a surcharge. We paid about $20 for ours.
Note that both types of hard case will require ground transportation to and from the airport
as well as storage at your destination as they are impractical to cycle with even when empty.
The cardboard box provides the best survivability to price ratio. It may be awkward to handle however
if no luggage carts are available at the airport. Like the hard case, it's not really practical to
cycle with, so unless you discard it upon arrival and find or build a new one prior to departure,
you'll need ground transportation when leaving the airport and storage for it while cycling.
For many years, we've been using Dimpas and folded corrugated plastic sheets to pack our Bromptons.
While not as robust as the previous solutions, this setup allows us to start touring directly
from the airport, carrying our packing material with us. Dimpas however, do not provide the level
of protection of a cardboard box or a hard case as this damaged to Gilbert's rear rack shows.
They can be used as bike covers when using public transport (in Japan for example) but it
can be awkward to carry your bike in a closed bag over much of a distance.
To increase protection during air travel while still being able to carry the empty luggage on
the bike, we recently tested the Vincita Sightseer. Designed specifically for the Brompton, it's within
the airline maximum linear dimension to avoid airline surcharges. It weighs 4.2 kg [9 lbs] empty.
Built around a 16 cm high and 10 mm thick corrugated plastic rectangular
base and 5 mm padded weather resistant soft side walls, it can be easily folded down and
attached to the rear rack or the front carrier block while transiting to or from the airport.
A provided garment bag wraps around a folded bicycle to protect it from side and top impact.
Its three zippered compartments can store a total of 20 liters of clothing or padding material.
It comes with a shoulder strap.
The sightseer is big enough to accommodate the bike without removing the seat or pedals although,
to be extra secure, we did remove the seat. We also removed the two hinge clamps and stored
them in the internal zippered pocket. We use that pocket to also store items that are not permitted
in the airplane cabin like knives and some tools. The removable caster wheels enable easy handling
around the airport. They are robust and provide a very smooth ride. They even easily supported
the added weight of a second Brompton. This is practical when luggage carts are not available.
When not in use, the wheels are easily removed and stored in a provided padded pouch.
The sightseer can also be carried using two shoulder straps that are hidden on each side
of the bag. A quick release buckle attaches them together when in use.
A grab handle is located on one side of the bag to further facilitate handling.
The bag closes using two heavy duty YKK zippers and the load is further
secured with two compression straps, one of them serving as a padded handle to pull the wheel bag.
When checking-in, we suggest attaching the airline luggage tag around the bottom grab handle instead
of on a compression strap, as these could unlatch during rough handling, causing the tag to fall off.
Also a good reason to include your identification in the Sightseer's label pocket. The bag features a
sleeve for a Brompton S-Type frame to load the Sightseer on the front luggage block.
This is the same frame used with the Vincita Birch bag, so when we switched the frame to the
Sightseer, we use the rear bungees to attach the Birch to the rack. We probably would not attempt
a multi-day tour with this setup, as accessing the rear bag contents while cycling was awkward, but
it was perfect to travel to and from the airport, a 31 km [19 miles] ride in our case. For longer rides, we
would probably prefer having the Sightseer at the back, ideally positioned vertically on the
rear rack. We'd like to hear if you have experience with such a vertical setup and how you secured it.
The sightseer is a good compromise between the simplicity and fragility of the Dimpa
and the robust but cumbersome B&W hard case. At $200, it's priced halfway between these options.
Finally, let's talk about bringing the Brompton in the aircraft as
carry-on. With recent news reports of lost luggage, the solution is very appealing.
Brompton has even released a video about this carry-on scenario.
At first glance, it ticks all the advantages. It's secure, easy to handle and free of charge.
But will it actually comply with airline policies? It would count as your carry-on, leaving you only
one small personal item if you don't want to check a bag. IATA, the International Air transport
Association recommends a maximum of 56 by 45* by 25 cm for carry-on luggage and many airlines
impose even stricter rules. A Brompton exceeds the IATA recommended size by about 15 cm.
The Brompton will fit in a standard X-ray machine and could fit in most overhead compartments
despite being too large for the luggage gauge that the check-in counter. If it exceeds the
airline policy, it will be at the discretion of airline agents whether to allow it on board.
Many airlines are becoming stricter about carry-on because storage is at a premium.
While some cyclists have managed to carry-on their Bromptons, our recent flight experiences
usually involve full planes and we've had to shove our bags under the seat in front of us
as no more space was available in the overhead bin. Successfully traveling with a carry-on Brompton is
certainly worthy of an Instagram post and offers some bragging rights to the lucky passenger, but
we wouldn't rely on this strategy to begin a long- planned vacation. If you decide to go this route, we
advise you to have a backup plan, possibly bringing a Dimpa or straps if you have to gate check.
We've not found that baggage handlers treat naked bicycles with extra care, but your mileage may vary.
What type of luggage, if any, have you used when flying with your Brompton?
Have you brought your Brompton as carry-on? Which airline did you use? Let us know in the comments.
If your trip is still in the planning stage, check our video on 3 Ways to Fly with your Brompton.