Air Freight With Full Panniers
 

So the shipper we are talking to about shipping my bike to Chile from Vancouver B.C. say that shipping the bike with the panniers full of personal items will cause issues at customs.

Has anyone experienced this ?
Can't these items be included in the air freight manifest ?

Max

Well, I shipped my bike from Oz to Frankfurt, then also from Ulan Batar, Mongolia to Bangkok, both time my bike was fully loaded and I never had to supply a manifest.

I am not sure that helps, but it will give some indication that it can be done without.

Cheers
TS

Pressure.
 

Not a direct reply, but don't leave anything such as an aerosol or any instrument that's pressure sensitive inside due to the huge loss of pressure. Lindsay.

Panniers full . . . a problem
 

Yes, I have experienced this firsthand, twice.

Shipments in/out of north America seem to be a consistent problem. Canada is less of a problem but the warnings on panniers remain.

My KTM, without panniers, sat in Customs at LAX for over a week. Eventually, with no date provided, I gave up and rode to Vancouver and shipped it to Frankfurt.

Shipments otherwise seem much less problematic.

There's only one country that could effectively embargo America(n airspace) and it has . . . that would be America.

I've shipped with full panniers a few times.

Just use common sense.

Drain your stove, don't pack anything flammable or anything that would make customs nervous.

And take anything valuable in your hand luggage.

Van to Chile
 

Maxvert
what is your Vancouver to Santiago plan? when is the boat or container leaving? room for one more?
I am ready to go around December 20. LA is a 3 day trip and Vancouver is closer to me in Seattle.
Jim

Some weeks ago we shipped five bikes (all with full panniers) from Kathmandu to Bangkok without any issues.

When air freighting out of Australia with a shipping agent with no experience with moving bikes I was told the same. Since then I've found lots of others who used different shippers, who possibly were more used to shipping bikes, where this was no issue. So my advice would be to try a few shippers and see if they vary in their attitude.

Good luck