Taking a bike on Virgin short haul international

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georgieNZ

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Hi VA team
I phoned your call centre earlier on around taking a bike onto VA on a saver fare Short Haul international economy. I was dealt with by a very nice lady but the answer I got was not what I was hoping or expected.

There seems to be an ambiguously rule on Virgin Australia which means taking a bike on a saver fare, within normal baggage levels (ie my packed bike will weigh less than 23kg, and I will take no other bag) may incur another charge.

http://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en...nal-short-haul
Normally, if I travel with my bike on a plane, as long as I'm within normal weight limits it's acceptable.

There is some ambiguous wording at that link which says
If you are travelling on a Saver fare with only sporting goods you will be required to purchase a checked baggage allowance for each separate piece you are carrying. We advise you to pre-purchase baggage online or by calling our Guest Contact Centre. Baggage allowances added/bought at the airport will be charged at a higher fee.

If you are travelling on a Saver Lite fare with only sporting goods you will be required to upgrade to a Saver fare to receive a checked baggage allowance. This can be done at the time of booking or by calling our Guest Contact Centre.

This is odd, as most people online are saying turning up with a bike is no problem (checking at flyertalk), and it's been reported that Virgin have confirmed this is OK at http://blog.tomw.net.au/2013/09/extra-charge-for-bicycle-on-virgin.html

I specifically booked with VA because it included baggage - we'll be keeping to our 23KG PP limits for our bags, we'll have no additional luggage (ie we will have one bag each - it will just include a bike with some clothes packed around it to protect the bike).

I do hope you can assist - i would have thought that, quite simply, the first 23kg of baggage included in a saver fare is mine to allocate as I choose - to either an appropriately packed cycle , or clothes.
Thanks
 
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It will be interesting to see if you get a positive response. Baggage is not only restricted by weight but also by size and I thought a bike is much bigger than the size restrictions.
 
It will be interesting to see if you get a positive response. Baggage is not only restricted by weight but also by size and I thought a bike is much bigger than the size restrictions.

Bikes in boxes are counted as one item of your allowance.

Oversized and fragile items | Virgin Australia

A saver fare 'comes' with one piece included.
Each item of sporting equipment represents one piece of checked baggage allowance, provided that it does not exceed the maximum size and weight limits.
However, the Virgin site then proceeds to state the following:
If you are travelling on a Saver fare with only sporting goods you will be required to purchase a checked baggage allowance for each separate piece you are carrying.
 
It will be interesting to see if you get a positive response. Baggage is not only restricted by weight but also by size and I thought a bike is much bigger than the size restrictions.

The max limits on the oversized and fragile page Oversized and fragile items | Virgin Australia -ie the same page that details rules on bikes, are below, and my bike does not exceed these.
[h=2]Maximum Limits[/h]Oversized baggage can be checked in, provided each piece does not exceed 32kg in weight. Guests with baggage pieces heavier than 32kg each should contact Freight Services on 13 15 06 before arrive at the airport.
Note:

  • Please distribute weight equally between bags when travelling with multiple bags.
Virgin Australia’s fleet includes a number of different aircraft types, all of which have slightly different operational limitations that affect the weight and size of the baggage they can carry.
Aircraft TypeMaximum Length
A330, 737, Embraer3.0 metres in length
ATR721.8 metres in length
A3209.8 metres in length (depending on the flexibility of the item)
F502.0 metres in length
F1006.0 metres in length (depending on the flexibility of the item)
Virgin Australia will make all reasonable efforts to transport oversized items on the same flight as their owners, but we cannot guarantee that this will be the case.
 
Hi VA people (or anyone with experience)
Could you comment on this question please :)
Thanks!
 
Hi georgieNZ, I'd encourage you to seek clarity from Virgin Australia's Guest Contact Centre which can be reached at 13 6789. :) Sorry for not being able to assist on this occasion as this topic falls outside the realms of the Velocity team's expertise, and we're keen to ensure you receive the right information.
 
Hi georgieNZ, I'd encourage you to seek clarity from Virgin Australia's Guest Contact Centre which can be reached at 13 6789. :) Sorry for not being able to assist on this occasion as this topic falls outside the realms of the Velocity team's expertise, and we're keen to ensure you receive the right information.

if You read the op this is what Georgie did and was given information that complely contradicted the Web site (which in itself could be considered contradictory).
 
Hi georgieNZ, I'd encourage you to seek clarity from Virgin Australia's Guest Contact Centre which can be reached at 13 6789. :) Sorry for not being able to assist on this occasion as this topic falls outside the realms of the Velocity team's expertise, and we're keen to ensure you receive the right information.
Thanks for the reply
I wonder if you could give me an email address I could write to please, as I found the discussion on the phone got me an answer that did not make sense.
Thank you
 
Hi VA team. Two submissions to the general enquiries team over the past 5 days. No response yet to my email address. Could you follow up please.
 
Hi georgie NZ,

I have chased up directly with the VA team who manage this policy. Their response is that your bike can be carried in accordance with the guests baggage allowance (i.e. if you are on a Saver fare and can therefore take one bag, this can be your 1 bag) as long as:

  • It is appropriately packed in a bike box
  • It is less than 1.8m in length
  • Only bike parts are packed in the box (ie not clothes etc)

I have also asked them to take a look at our website and look to remove any ambiguity referred to in this thread.

Have a great trip! :)

Hi VA team. Two submissions to the general enquiries team over the past 5 days. No response yet to my email address. Could you follow up please.
 
Thank you - enormously appreciated. It's great to see this cleared up and looking forward to the wording on the site changing - really appreciate the flexibility in response.
 
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