Flight Tickets…
So, I have finally put my ‘flight’ money down and bought the tickets. Now, I know my travel dates exactly: I’m leaving for Delhi on June 28th from the JFK airport and coming back to NYC just before the Christmas, December 21th. This time, I have decided to fly the Atlantic route via Heathrow in London using British Airways. I couldn’t find any good deals flying over the Pacific through Bangkok, as I did on my previous two visits to the Subcontinent and South East Asia. Flying west has always been my preferred route and I have enjoyed short stopovers in Bangkok every time, especially on my way back to the States. Not only for its culture and people but Bangkok (and Thailand, in general) also allowed me easily to re-adjust, or re-integrate, if you will, back to the ‘Western’ ways ;)). Very important after spending many months in the rugged Himalayan regions of India, Nepal, or Tibet…
Flying with bikes on intercontinental routes is always huge hassle but British Airways seem to have decent policies towards bikers. With many carriers additional charges for excess luggage are often extreme, so it pays off to read the fine print, check the policies and call the airlines!!! Just to make sure that a bike is even allowed on a plane… Some of them charge upward of $100 for each leg of a journey, even if the bike is well within the weight limit for checked-in luggage. This can amount easily to hundreds of $$$, wiping off any potential savings trying to fly budget airlines. Enter British Airways here: Bike flies for free, as long as it is within the total weight limit: READ HERE… A printed copy will be with me at the check-in, just to avoid possible disagreements;)
Plus, British Airways seem to be liberal with packing requirements too, allowing just to loosen a handlebar and turn it in, remove pedals, slightly deflate tires and put it all in a big plastic bag. Sometimes, they require the bike to be boxed, depending on an airport. But I prefer the ‘bagging’ method as airport handlers can see that it is a bike and seem to be more careful when handling it. I seriously don’t want to arrive in Delhi and find my bike flattened like a pancake because some ‘idiot’ loaded twenty suitcases on top of it. Believe me, it has happened before!!!
