update,
 

Just another update on the Air Canada deal.
Spoke with a representative with the Cargo department. He stated that they defiantly are going to be offering the transatlantic motorcycle shipping deal again this year. But, was uncertain when Air Canada would advertise it.
I’m watching closely, will update you if anything new comes up.

I just called Air Canada (15 Feb) and they were uninterested in working any kind of deal before the "season" starts. They did not know if the deal was going to happen this year. Unfortunately for me, I need to ship my bike the first week of March and so far the quote was $1600.

Still waiting
 

The guy I spoke with didn’t commit, or know when the deal will be offered. Might have to wait till May 1st. I’m hoping to ship early May.

AC to Europe 2017
 

I've had a couple of pretty clear positive email replies from AC cargo rep who's encouraged me to go ahead and book my seat now from Van to Dub/Ldn/Paris for early May and that they will honour last years prices even though this years (2107) program not announced yet.
There seems to be some extra bureaucracy to go through now for UK bound bikes - see attachment (I hope) plus link
https://www.aircanada.com/cargo/en/s...tab_motorcycle
cheers from the left coast of Canada

Evil, since you're in LA, why don't you use Lufthansa myAircargo service?

More info here: https://www.myaircargo.com/home

We worked closely with them to bring better product for this year considering the rising interests and new trends in the future years.

Let me know if you need any help from my side bier

cheers
Dooby

Canada to Bogota
 

I just talked to an Air Canada's customer service rep (in French in Montreal) by calling 1-800-387-4865

He explained that they quit shipping to South America because people had problems bringing the bikes back on the plane when it was time to come home. They quit offereing the service for that reason.

After I told him I needed transport one-way only, he said it was worth sending an email to the sales dep to inquire.

I was informed that Air Canada is responsible for the shipping only and that all customs issues were between me and the country I was going to.

The email address of the sales team that was given to me is cargo.salessmb@aircanada.ca

I am going to let you guyz know what they have to say about this.

jfman

Well it looks like I will be able to use AC to ship to SA one way.

Thanks for the offer! I called again and finally talked them into honoring the deal. The regular freight was going to be $3300!


So, I'm in!

Screening
 

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is "screening?"

jfman they (Air Canada) had problems in previous time . And it was the same reason why they stopped with their services, or should I say paused them. Money extortion, and the forced bribing is bad, and the whole community is always pushing everyone not to pay if it's possible in any case. This will cause less damage to the ones arriving after you etc etc.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you to go through as smooth as possible, and let us know how it goes ;)

Cheers
Dooby

Quote from mtAirCargo Motorcycle service
 

Just got off the phone with a sales rep at myaircargo.com.
I was quoted and emailed an offering of their air freight services and a price for a bike from Chicago to either Germany, Switzerland, or Austria. Apparently all shipments go into Frankfort, then are shipped to your preferred address in Germany, Switzerland or Austria. The price is the same, no matter where you pick up your bike.

They provide some sort of "rack" that your bike is strapped to, then this rack is attached to a pallet. Bike is not crated and is exposed. This of course wouldn't bother my trusty 2007 KLR but may bother others with fancier bikes. They also provide an "equipment box" for all your gear, and perform all the paperwork for customs on both sides. 50,000 Euro insurance is included. They want 4-5 weeks advance notice on shipments, and say to allow 10 days for the total transport time.

Price all in is 1,900 Euro, which translates to $2,020 USD in March 2017.

I'm just passing this info along to others. I have no affiliation with this company or any other company.

Good luck with your plans, hope this helps you with your adventure decisions.

Shipped via AirCanada on March 10th, 2017
 

I shipped my GSA from Toronto to Frankfurt via Air Canada cargo on 10 March. I was the first bike of the 2017 season (so they said). The process is fairly straightforward as mentioned here.


I did have a company called DGC Academy do the dangerous goods paperwork. The guy at AirCanada said I had to have a company do it and I wasn't going to argue. The DGC guys were great, stuff was ready when I got there. One problem I had was that I didn't have the exact weight as the bike was going to be shipped so I estimated. That wasn't good enough. When I got to the AirCanada cargo place they asked me to weigh it but it had to be exactly how it would be shipped. Since it was 23F and snowing I had a lot of gear I was wearing that was going in the bike and my carry-ons for the flight needed to come out of the bike. They were nice and let me change in the warehouse and pull all my crap out of the bags to repack it. Once I got changed and got everything in the bike it weighed in at 14kgs more than my estimate - back to the CDG guys to get the paperwork fixed. Incidentally the cargo shipping place is on the west side of the airport. The CDG guys gave great directions, not sure I could've found it without them. You need to go to the ramp labeled G46 at the far end of a huge warehouse. If it's closed there is a entry door by G50 that says live animal shipping or something.


RECOMMENDATION #1: Prep the bike so that it's easy to configure it for shipping - if you are riding in from very far plan a stop to organize all the stuff on the bike (will be easier when it's not freezing outside). I imagine when it's busy they won't have as much flexibility with unloading the bike and taking up room in their warehouse.


RECOMMENDATION #2: Take your easily-reconfigurable bike to AirCanada cargo and have them weigh it, then take that number to CDG to get your paperwork done. It's about a 6 min ride from one to the other - just make sure you don't run out of gas. The other option is get the dangerous goods guys to leave the weight blank - not sure if you can work that out with them.


After the paperwork and weight issues were solved the security folks had to look through all the bags, etc. Liquids were ok as long as it wasn't flammable; he said engine oil was ok if you have some spare on the bike. They took dimensions - he said it didn't matter with the motorcycle deal but they still took them for their records and for packing purposes. I wasn't sure what all could be on the bike so I went for broke. I had hippo hands on my handlebars, a windscreen extension, lockable GPS mount, tank bag, all three hard cases and a dry bag strapped to the back seat. No issues - bike was good to go as-is.


Next he wanted to see how much gas was in it - he did this by just turning the key on and looking at my (mostly unreliable) BMW fuel gage. He was happy with what he saw so he told me to disconnect the battery and tape up the terminals. After all that I paid with a US Visa and he was like "thanks, have fun." I'd never heard where to go in Germany, phone number to call, how to get to the Toronto airport - nothing. I asked about that and he was very helpful giving me an address and phone number for Frankfurt (both turned out to be wrong but I didn't know that at the time) and he walked me across the huge warehouse to a local phone and they had a taxi number after a lot of searching.


RECOMMENDATION #3: If you don't have a Canadian phone/data plan have a local taxi number with you when you arrive.


I left Toronto that day, stayed one night in New York City then on to Frankfurt to arrive on Sunday morning. A friend of mine picked me up at the airport, we spent about 45 mins looking for the address that the guy in Canada gave me. After a while we gave up and went towards the cargo area looking for Air Canada. You can't see it from the road but it's in gate 26. I understand there is a bus from the terminal but I didn't use it so I'm not sure how it works, but it has to be easier than what I ended up doing. After producing my passport and getting registered in the system we were allowed into the cargo area and found the Air Canada cargo office.


The guys in the office were great, very helpful and knowledgeable. They asked me for my receipt, my ID and that was it. We were on our way up to customs and he asked if I had my proof of insurance. I had forgotten to get insurance squared away early enough and it was arriving to my friend's house on Monday. No way to get the bike without it. He printed out directions to the closest German auto club where I could buy insurance if the other one didn't show up on Monday. Of course no one was open on Sunday that could sort out insurance on a short notice basis. So, off we go to my friend's place for the night with no bike.


RECOMMENDATION #4: Make sure you have your green card insurance sorted out early enough.


Monday my buddy had to work so we were delayed getting back to the airport. In fact, we didn't get there till about 1600 - which is when the AirCanada customs guys leave for the day. Thankfully I was lucky and they weren't busy so one AirCanada guy took pity on me and drove me over to the Lufthansa customs office (he says they are real sticklers) and walked me through the process there. My insurance had not arrived, but it had been emailed to me and I had two copies. The customs guy wanted to keep one copy.


RECOMMENDATION #5: Have a copy of your insurance documents ready for the customs guys to keep.


After customs we went back to AirCanada, checked the computer to make sure the bike was released then went to the warehouse. After a quick registration to be in the warehouse complete with badge and reflective vest we walked to the back of the warehouse where my bike was patiently waiting in the exact same condition I left it in Canada. I gave it a good look over and then pulled the seats to connect the battery. The guy there was upset that they asked me to disconnect the battery and said I shouldn't have done it. (yeah, right). So he had me take a picture of the packing direction for future reference so that I could show it to the guys in Canada. Personally I'd just do what they recommend, but that's me. Shortly I was ready to roll and off I went - free and clear to Europe.


I failed to get the number back in Germany for booking the return trip but I'll work on that and post it here when I get it. Good luck to anyone doing this - it really was pretty easy even though I tried to screw it up for myself all along the way!

Thanks for the Info.
How much total shipment ?

Id like to ship my bike to Calgary from Spain.
Is it posible from any spanish airport ?

F&H

Hey EvilE, thank you so much for the excellent information! I will be following your 'track' Toronto-Franfurt in early May with my 800GS for a 2 month tour mostly in Eastern Europe and the Alps. Your tips are well presented and appreciated.

I've been a bit concerned with getting the original "Green Card" insurance document in time after booking the flight (Planning on Using MotoTouring in Milan). Glad to hear that a 'copy' is acceptable in Frankfurt. I have not had bike shipping pricing quoted from AC yet as they have not announced dates/pricing to date. Could you please share your costs?

Brian
(Just found this site the other day and signed up...Hoping this first post works!)

AC to Europe 2017
 

Thanks for description EvilEye - hope your tour goes well.
Brian - I'm shipping from Van to Dublin w AC in early May.
while details of AC FlyyourBike for 17 not out yet, I've been told they'll match last years price if I book before this year announced ($1200 o/w)
Like you I'm planning to get Green Card ins via MotoTouring in Milan.
cheers

Hopefully it helped everyone!


Total cost for me was $1140 I believe but I'll have to look at my receipt. They said I got last year's deal.


Vehoriding: I'll be leaving Holland the first week of May going towards Bulgaria as well, maybe we'll cross paths?

EvilEagle, I'm targeting May 3 arrival Frankfurt, then 1 week to get to Athens via Italy (Ancona-Patras ferry). Touring Athens for couple weeks with family, then north through Bulgaria/Romania in early June, then west into southern Germany/Austria/Italian Alps and a Concours Owners Group rally. Finally back to Athens via Croatia/Albania end of June were I will leave the bike for further adventures in 2018. Never know, maybe we will x paths!

Best Travels.....Brian

.....and thanks for the info Evil. I was quoted about $1000 CDN + the Dangerous Goods papers ($125 each way). Official rates and dates not announced yet. I'll get on their case this coming week.

Brian

program 2017
 

I called 3/31 and was told updated info will be available in a week or so.

$1000.00cad one way is a great price considering I paid $800.00cad and $900.00cad for shipping two bikes from France to Montreal by boat.

I too will be touring Europe this summer!

Just got off the phone with AC Cargo. Here are the highlights:

* 2017 pricing still yet to be released but if you want book now, they are honouring 2016 pricing

* Not all routes are open to Europe yet; from Toronto, the options are (bike-only / bike+passenger ticket pricing pricing in CDN):
- Frankfurt ($1350 / $1000)
- Paris ($1350 / $1000)
- London ($1200 / $950)
- Dublin ($1450 / $950)
- Brussels (forgot to ask for details)

* On top of those fees, AC Cargo charges:
- $75 Restricted Article (charge to accept a dangerous goods item)
- $17.70 Security Fee (X-ray of your cargo)

* There are additional charges to ship into the UK:
- Import Handling fee (£0.15/kg)
- Freight Forwarding company required, £100-200

As for paper work, spoke with Dangerous Goods Consultants. They charge $97.50+tax to do the inspection & paper work. As EvilE previously mentioned, know the total weight of your cargo.

Insurance in Europe
 

Most tour outfits provide the liability-only portion of the Green Card coverage. What are you guys doing for moto theft/damage insurance? Im looking at TourInsure.de

Riding a cheap bike...

Lee: I wish they had similar pricing to South America :scooter:

I booked passage for 'Gherkin' my 800gs yesterday for a May 1 flight Toronto-Frankfurt. I will follow the bike May 2. A/C cannot book bikes more than 29 days prior to flight date. As mentioned by Otherworld, they are honouring the 2016 pricing. All in pricing is about $1150 cdn to be paid upon tendering the bike in Toronto. (Plus Dangerous goods cert about $100 cdn each way which shipper must obtain). I am also told that there is a 15 Euro 'customs' charge in Frankfurt.

Re collision / theft insurance, I wasn't planning on it with my 4 year old 60,000 km bike. If it's readily and reasonably available, I would be interested in the details, though...

The last time I checked, Motorcycle Express was offering green card insurance with also bike theft/collision coverage

Motorcycle Express still does. Because Im working in CDN (MotoEx is in USD), its way less expensive to go with TourInsure.de and also I read somewhere MotoEx is re-selling TourInsure's policies, which explains whyt MotoEx docs look strikingly similar to TourInsure's.

Did you have to book before getting the dangerous goods certification or were you able to do it a lot time beforehand?

I booked with AC Cargo yesterday, shipping out May 3. They do require your AC passenger confirmation to get the discounted rate. DG cert requires cargo inspection by a DG specialist. This will be done on my way to drop off the moto at AC Cargo.

I booked Toronto to the Ireland (Republic, not UK). Speaking AC Cargo, they said they will provide me the waybill, and I have to work with local customs to get the bike out. In addition to proof of insurance (Green Card), what else might I need? Also, I'll be traveling in and out of the EU (Eastern Bloc and Morocco). Do I need a carnet? Any advice on getting through borders without having to worry about duties?

No carnet, no duties unless you're actually importing the bike permanently, and very few actual borders.

Get a green card which includes Morocco and the various former-Yugoslavia states if you can. An international driving permit is sometimes (very rarely) useful. So are pre-printed bits of paper listing all the relevant names, dates and numbers (registration, passport, etc. etc. etc.) which you can hand out like candy at police checkpoints. And sooner or later you'll need a home license which specifies that it includes motorcycles.

Hope that's useful.

Mark

Some info re the Dangerous Goods cert: After you have booked with A/C and have the (AWB) Email confirmation from them, forward it to Dangerous goods Packing Dangerous Goods Packing Crating | Consultants Service Mississauga. They will complete the DG certificate and Email it to you with the 'weight' blank. When you tender the bike at AC Cargo they will fill in the exact weight per their scales. The DG people advise that it will be required to disconnect the battery leads. (PITA on an 800GS!). Payment for the DG cert can be made via Paypal. They will take $125 cdn taxes in for the service one way.

Anyone know of a dangerous goods consultant in Calgary? I was told by AC over the phone it would be $250? A lot more than you were quoted in Toronto! I'm looking to ship early June to Frankfurt.

The Air Canada referred DG consultant wants to charge an additional $35 if I want to ship my bike with a used fuel pack (Rotopax). It's a sniff test, but they dont care. So I started shopping and ran across this website (havent called any of the numbers):

http://www.aircargoportail.com/en/dealers/4

Let us know your results, yeah?

why not just ship MotoEx and have all the paperwork and fees be done for you, for a reasonable penalty of approx. $500 bucks?
just wondering and scheming for a trip in the near future.

So you never meet the DG people? They dont need to see the bike?

This in important to me because I will most lekely be out of the country when I book and I will arrive in Canada just a few days before departing.

Rsd, I can really recommand using Motorcycle Express. I had an excellent service from them and they were quick to get everything together to ship the bike.

One advantage of Motorcycle Express is that you can ship your bike any time during the year for a reasonable price (Montreal to Paris in mid-december = 1135$US, Air Canada at that time = 4400$CAN).

One disadvantage is that panniers have to be empty.

Patrick

I was also surprised, but answer is no they don't need to see the bike. Just turn in colour copies (4) of the competed form that they Email you when you tender the bike. Give dangerousgoods a call or Email to confirm...

Tendered the bike yesterday afternoon. 580 lbs 'soaking wet' after a rainy 1 hour ride. Process was pretty much as described by EvilE, go directly to the mandoor adjacent to Door 50 at the end of the warehouse building and the pretty/pleasant girl there will take your DG Cert and your $$. The ramp by door 46 was closed so I had to ride the bike to another ramp about 100 m away and then walk it through the warehouse to the weigh scales where I was able to re-organize my gear, disconnect the battery and tape up the leads, etc. Everyone was very friendly and helpful, they went through the saddlebag and topcase contents carefully, not concerned with anything I had. I think they were just looking for flammables, etc. Nobody compared my list of contents with what was actually there (there were a few discrepancies). Total cost was $1000 even.

I fly out today, will report on pick-up procedures in Frankfurt when I get a chance.

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p...n_onScales.jpg

I'm looking forward to your pickup report. I'm flying my bike to Frankfurt in early June. I'd like to know how long it takes to get the bike on the road, and how the procedures are handled.

Frankfurt pickup was a breeze....you need to get to 'Tor (Gate) 26' where the ACC office is located. Just take the AirportRing Shuttlebus (Free) which stops at stop #12 outside the arrival level (C). It's free and runs about every 15 minutes or so. You want the "West" shuttlebus. It's about 4 km to Tor26 where you will get off. Bear left and you will see the ACC office. They give you a to carry to the customs 'import' office about 100 m west of the ACC office. The customs guy stamps the form there, you fill out another one, and then take them back to ACC. Walk back into the warehouse with the ACC person (Nice Guy from Pakistan) and find your bike. connect the battery and reorganize your crap and you're ready to roll. Procedure with ACC and customs maybe 1/2 hour or so. Beware that on weekends I'm told the the Customs office close to ACC is closed and you need to go to Luftthansa customs which is further away. Stefan at Knopff Tours told me this. So best to arrive on a weekday.

I stayed at Knoff tours in Heidelburg first night. About 80 km ride south from Frankfurt. Met some cool people from Malasia, Conneticut, Vermont, and Kuwait there. A great first night stopover if you don't want to ride far in a state of Jetlag! Stefan is a good head.Be prepared to pay 'cash' for room there (I was surprised).

Pic of Gherkin as received in Frankfurt...
http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p..._frankfurt.jpg

I rode first day to Knopf, next day to friend in Switzerland (Lachen) and today over some beautiful passes to Tirana Italy. Photo at Bernina Pass Today....

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p...ina%20Pass.jpg

Great, thanks for the info. I'm staying my first and last night at Stefan's. Booking my bike in with AC on Monday.

JFman,
Wondering if you have any update on this?
Looking to do the same thing, at almost the same time!

Another note- Do not ship your bike back to Canada on a weekend or holiday. The CBSA office that is open in the airport will not help you and will make you wait for the commercial office to open on the Monday (or Tuesday after the holiday).

YYZ toBOG toronto to bogota vice versa
 

Air Canada flies to Bogota 3 times a week with a 767-300 yes it big and not all the time full only, on Colombian Holidays you will see more passengers
AC is the best way to get your bike to SA and it is well known
but do you know WHY or do you care, Well i work in the air industry and i happen to know a few facts and why would AC use a 250 passenger jet to Bogota when there are only less than a hundred to 150 passengers it don't make sense

Well it just so happens that Colombia's biggest export is flowers not coffee and if you have ever landed in Bogota you will notice hundreds of green houses and not small ones these are huge that employ many hundreds of employees that produce flowers all year round, Huh beautiful flowers in the winter where do they come from, Bogota Colombia The lower deck of that workhorse 767 is full of this Colombian product and they will make space for other freight like bike its a on going buisness
Air Canada was not voted the best airline North America 2017 for hauling people there are other aspects to the industry
my take a Canadian working in Colombia
2014 G650gs

May 2017 Air Canada Shipping FRA -YVR
 

I posted this on ADVRider earlier

I arrived Friday afternoon at Stefan's. Put new battery in bike and packed it up for shipping home.

The Green Card on my bike expired last August.

I went to ICBC and changed my coverage from Class 919 to full road coverage the day before I left for Germany

I did this so that the bike would have both a valid plate and insurance so that I could ride it home from the airport

I arranged for Stefan to trailer my bike to Air Canada Cargo and help me with the paperwork.

It couldn't have been simpler with Stefan's help. He knows everyone it seems.

All the paperwork was in order (Stefan had it ready for me Friday evening) I packed the bike and left it at the front under the portico at Stephans' and three of us went out for dinner, when I came back Stefan had already loaded my bike into his van.

We left his place at 8:30, dropped off a bike at the BMW dealership and then dropped off my bike at AC. I was sitting in the Starbucks at my hotel at 10:45.

I did not need a new green card for insurance(some people have apparently needed this and everything was handled at the Air Canada Freight counter.

Total cost for shipping 1380 Euros ( I was not flying on a fare paid ticket but using Aeroplan points). I

Air Canada asked me when I would like my bike to arrive in Vancouver. They will only hold it at the destination for 24 hours before daily storage costs begin to accrue.

Bike arrived late Tuesday night in Vancouver

I zipped out at 8:15 Wednesday Morning from downtown, went to AC Cargo, over to Canada Customs for a few stamps and proof I had owned bike for some time. I provided original Bill of Sale and had copies of a few years expired insurance.

Back to AC paid $70.00 fee for port of entry cost , they brought out bike, helped me unwrap it, then I fired it up and rode around to their staff MC parking, left bike there for the day, and was back downtown at my desk by 9:50

The only piece of misinformation was from Canada Customs. I was told over the phone by a very pert and sassy Officer that they could process my bike 24 hours a day. That is incorrect.

Processing for people and perishable items is 24/7. A MC is Commercial Cargo.

Commercial Cargo is located at

113-5000 Miller Road
Richmond BC V7B 1K6

Office Hours: *Except Holidays
Monday: 08:00 to 16:30
Tuesday: 08:00 to 16:30
Wednesday: 08:00 to 16:30
Thursday: 08:00 to 16:30
Friday: 08:00 to 16:30
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed


I hope this helps.

We plan to head back for 4-6 weeks next year and will fly our bike over and back rather than store it in Germany.

Hi Bill,

Many thanks for providing detailed info for the community, appreciate it.

Can you provide more detail why you won't store the bike in Germany, and you will fly back every time?

Cheers
Dooby

Still shipping the bike but it will be in early october. I called AC yesterday and the 1700$ quote still stands as pf now. I need a few more days before I can make the official reservation.

Interesting perspective. Maybe those planes are more loaded when the planes are headed North. I was told over the phone that round trip shipping was not possible and I can only purchase shipping one way. I dont know of there is a link between your post and AC not offering me shipping BOG to Canada. I dont really care as long as my bike gets shipped to BOG I am happy.

As the date approaches, I am very nervous to see how this will all go down.

I will update once this is done with.(in early october)

JF

Dangerous goods certificate London
 

Does anyone have the name of an agent who can issue a dangerous goods certificate in London? I plan to fly myself and my bike to Vancouver, does anyone have recent experience of doing this?

I have just noticed on the air Canada website says in relation to a dangerous goods certificate.

"Obtain Dangerous Goods consultant name and contact number to schedule an appointment (exceptions: UK, DUB, and CDG)" I will phone them tomorrow and find out what this means.

Hi Dooby,

Sorry for the late reply.

I have 2 reasons the first and most important is my age .I will be 63 next year and were Inot to be able to go back for some unforeseen reason and get the bike I don't want to leave that burden on my wife or our executor.

The second reason is dealing with maintenance

The KTM 990 was in Germany for 6 years. The issue was that my work sometimes put us in the situation where we couldn't get over every year.

That meant that each time when we arrived the bike had an increased level of storage wear and the first part of our trip was getting the bike serviced. Getting parts was surprising difficult and even a simple thing like a new battery was often a monumental issue.

After our last trip where we had a service appointment at Mannheim KTM proved to be a disaster both mechanically and cost wise.

Expensive after market parts were taken off my MC and discarded , the some of services we paid for were not done and we had to pay to have all the work, and more, done again in Greece. we lost 6 days on a 4 week trip and our costs were well over 3000 Euros.

Manheim refused to let me see the bike when it was being worked on , and I was not allowed to talk to the mechanic and had made us pay a deposit up for the estimated service cost and tires

The MC needed a new clutch and water pump i got into an argument with the service manager who recommended that they split the motor and replace the main gasket because the clutch was fine and the water pump checked out.

We limped to Greece ( Ferry from Venice) and the KTM Dealer in Patras was very good. I watched them take my bike apart and saw that the CJ Design guick drain oil kit had been removed, the Scotts oil filter had been replaced , the new tubes and rim bands I had paid for had not been installed ,the exhaust valves were way out of spec (we paid to have them checked), the coolant hadn't been changed and the list went on.

Next year we are going over for a month. We will take a bike with us and it will arrive with new tires, a fresh battery and full service.I will have also ridden the bike before it is shipped.

We will be able to get on the bike and go, knowing that it is well prepared for the trip and not have to spend days getting the bike serviced.

If we had a BMW I would be comfortable having Stefan take it to his dealer and get the bike serviced before we arrived but no one I knew had confidence in the local KTM shop which is why we went to Mannheim.

I hope this helped you understand my rational

Update:

I am currently posting from Bogota Colombia.

I dropped the bike off in Montreal on October 5th, handed them my waybill. The workers and the dangerous goods guys went thru the bike. The only hickup with bike inspection was that the jerry can I carry could not fly even empty and cleaned.

A big problem was that the billable price was 3000$ Cad and not 1700 like it was supposed. The people at Air Canada cargo were super nice and contacted the sales rep. After anhour or so, my sales rep corrected the billing back to 1700$ And I paid.

For dangerous goods form, I used the company Air Canada Cargo recommended. The cost was 160$.

My bike was du to fly to Toronto on Oct 6th but for some reason it did not make the plane. They instead trucked it to Toronto and it missed todays (oct 7) flight to BOgota.

Boke is supposed to arrrive in Bogota tomorrow (a day late)

My passenger and I flew in to BOG yesterday so we are just waiting on the bike as of now.

Will let you know how things go when we pick the bike up.

Bike arrived sunday. I went to pick it up but the cargo terminal was not open. This morning we went back. Had to go to to Transaero on the 2nd floor and pay my warehouse handling fee( 221.000peso or ~90$CAD) then I had to got to DIAN(customs) on the 3rd floor of another builing for the temporary import permit. They asked to see: waybill from air canada, proof of whatehouse fee(think they call it GIA) paid and stamped, passport, plate paper(cdn bike has no title, and last but not least THEY WANTED TO HAVE A CARBON TRACING ON A BLANK SHEET OF THE STAMPED VIN AND THE MOTOR SERIAL NUMBER. This prove to be a real pain in the ass because my bike was stuck in the warehouse. I had to go to the warehouse they did not want me to see the bike. A manager went with the carbon paper and did it himself. It was somewhat poorly done and took over an hour. We then went back to DIAN and they accepted it. There was no fee for the Temporary import permit.

Then we were able to go back to the warehouse and get the bike. The are only loading docks and no ramps so I had to push the bike thru the office doors and roll it down the stairs to get it out of the warehouse.

This whole process lasted 6 hours

So here is my breakdown of costs to ship the bike from Montreal to Bogota

Air Canada Cargo (1700,63CAD) dealt with Giosi from sales dept to get this price
Dangerous goods form(160CAD)
Warehouse/ground handling service from transaero(221.000peso)~90CAD
Photocopy of docs(10.000peso)~5CAD
temporary importation permit(free)

Total cost of ~1950CAD

Cheers!

Does anyone know if they will run the service again in 2018.

I am looking to ship my bike from Brussels to Toronto beginning of June 2018. I can't get a reply from the email adress on the site for brussels, and all the info seems to be a bit out dated on the AC website...

Best bet would be to send the email directly to the main office or call them and let us know if you find out any news :thumbup:

cheers
Dooby

Same every year: Information is only made available as we get closer to the date. Patience needed.

I don’t know why you plan to ship to Toronto. With time ahead waiting for AC to put-up next year’s offer, I’d suggest considering shipping to either East or West side, to Halifax by roro/sea and enjoy part of the country. So many options...


Envoyé de mon iPad en utilisant Tapatalk

I, too, haven't had any luck in securing 2018 pricing from AC.

I'm going London - Toronto it looks like. Anyone have any idea roughly for bike + rider?

AC won't confirm until the end of March if they are running the fly your bike scheme.


"Yes, you can purchase your ticket now but unfortunally we will not know until end of March if we are offering the Fly Your Bike Scheme for the summer of 2018.

Sorry we cannot be of more of an assistance at this time."

I've asked the Frankfurt Cargo Sales of Air Canada. They don't have informations about the Fly your bike program for this year yet.
I've planned to go to Canada and Alaska this year with my bike for a 7-8 weeks trip. If the Fly your bike program of Air Canada will not be continued, I probably have to cancel my plans. Hope they will announce some informations soon!

@Oli Dear:
For Frankfurt - Toronto last year rates for the bike transport were:
with Air Canada ticket: Euro 900.00 + CAD 90.00 additional fees in Canada
without Air Canada ticket: Euro 1200.00 + CAD 90.00 additional fees in Canada
Hope they will not be much more expensive this year!

AC Transport
 

Air Canada told me last night that hey expect the program will be continued this year, with the limited European destinations. But until "someone upstairs" their comment, sends them the details they can do nothing. His advise keep checking back, they expect to get info early April and start the service may 1st as in previous years.
Michael

Michael, thanks for sharing your information. Early April is very late when you have to book flights too. Hope the rates for the flights will not increase much in the meantime! Planning for me/us is not easy because my wife will meet me at the end of my trip to Canada/Alaska and we have to book additional flights for her.
I don't really understand this policy of Air Canada.

Wolle

Hi all :thumbup1: ,

Things are like this, we have worked for Lufthansa last year sorting the restructuring and placement of their myAirCargo product on the market for 2017/2018.

Being close to the scene because we provide green card insurances, bike storage, paperwork in Africa, Europe and asia and cater for global over landers on 2 and 4x4 wheels we know what the vibe is and where the market is heading to.

Our services can be found here:

Lobagola - Green card insurance

Lobagola - Motorcycle services

Motorcycle air freight lacks volume, volume is needed and that's the key issue. Both of the two biggest providers are lacking volume, to dedicate their space in the cargo plains in time, meaning much in advance so people can plan their journey etc etc. Community needs to kick in and show openly their interest.

So what I am keen to push here is that people send their emails of interest as early as possible, this will show potential to the airliners and will for sure bring earlier details of their flight scheme.

That's all, and you can't blame them for their approach, just sayin bier

Let me know if we can provide any additional value to thread or if you have any specific questions on our services.

Cheers
Dooby

Hi Dooby,

thanks for your comment.

As you can read from the previous few posts, people don't hesitate to contact the providers, namely Air Canada, early. I can't imagine people start planning such trips much later in the year or even spontaneusly.

As far as I did understand, Air Canada's "Fly your bike" is a bit different to the offer you mentioned. The bikes will be shipped in the same airplane (or better one the previous day) as you and not in dedicated cargo planes. So the reason, why they don't confirm the "Fly your bike" program earlier than end of March/early April might be different to the reason you mentioned.
For me/us it makes planning a bit difficult.

myAirCargo doesn't offer air transport to Canada, only to USA (to Orlando, Chicago and LA). Nevertheless I now asked them to call back to me for an offer from Germany to LA and back. Not really a good option for me, since it would mean additional 5-6000 kms/8-10 days.

For myself I can say, I'm very thankful to any reasonable offer for shipping.

Wolle

Hi WoK,

I agree on everything you've said, and here is the link for others as PDF from Air Canada's website, which has all the main info in one document:

https://www.aircanada.com/cargo/shar...ENG_062015.pdf

On Air Canada you're usually travelling on the same flight, but what the company itself and what community is advising is to prep the bike couple of days earlier. Meaning bike will fly on it's own flight and you will fly a day or two later.

This above and your statement is just cementing the issue here and that is volume. They're not earning a fortune with this, but for sure are looking into direction of baby boomers and their fleet of usually 3+ motorcycles. So for them it's better to keep passengers flying with their own luggage (no matter how big it is), is more important that couple of guys/gals having interest to fly themselves and their bikes to Europe or vice versa. I am sure you're getting my point here. Cargo plane volume calculations are how to say complicated (fuel wise etc), this is the reason that Lufthansa last year, has hired an expert in this field just to be behind the helm of the new and improved myAircargo project and to cover this highly rising niche in the best possible way.

So once again just to repeat, send as much inquiries as possible, as early as possible, because this is what they want.

If the volume gets up, I am sure Air Canada will also tap more into the market and offer dedicated cargo flights in the future.

Demand and offer, that's all.

Have a great week all,

Cheers
Dooby

Hi Dooby,

now, myAirCargo just answered my request. They have cancelled motorbike transport completely because there's a lot of request for international cargo between Europe and USA and Lufthansa cargo doesn't have capacities on their freight liners anymore.

Hopefully Air Canada's Fly your bike program will not be cancelled for the same reason.

Wolle

Hi WoK,

Honestly do not know where this information is coming from and what's the purpose of it ?

myAirCargo is still operating and providing service, anyone who want's to check can send them an email with their inquiry.

We need to be serious here, and provide exact and precise info for the benefit of the community, and I do not see where are you taking this conversation and thread with the misinformation provided above?

Waiting kindly for the facts from your side to support your previous post ...

Cheers
Dooby

I agree, they are still operating. I actually obtained a quote from myAircargo (Lufthansa) 10 days ago -- not competitive in my opinion.

They seem to be working with an experienced intermediary (SKS Bikeshuttle) -- to be verified. Hence myAircargo only offered a "transport package" supposed to take the hassle out of the process.

So waiting a few months for Air Canada.

Hi Squire,

Yes for picking the bikes and delivery subcontractors are often use, because of their experience and professional dealing with the process.

German market is crazy with Harley cult, hence loads of bikes are transported to US to ride route 66 and enjoy that culture (not my thing, I prefer mud and desert :mchappy: ).

Prices will drop when people get on the trend and crunch the numbers, seeing that 15 + days of renting is not worth the money. Air freighting, then storing your motorcycle coupled with the price drop in passenger segment of market, it's very viable to fly couple of times per year (if the money and time is available of course) using either big legacy carriers or WOW which is doing pretty decent job in my view.

Cheers
Dooby

Dear Dooby,

on my request through the website I got an e-mail from Maximilian Zänker in German, who's mail disclaimer says, he's Senior Manager Product Development, FRA F/XN-D, Product Development, Lufthansa Cargo AG in Frankfurt. Because he responded in German, I didn't quote the mail here.

I can forward the mail to you. Please PM me and give me your email address if you want me to do so.

This mail says that myAirCargo can't carry out private motorcycle transports at the moment and they will adjust their website soon. Maximilan also states, that he doesn't know, when motorcycle transport will be available again. He advised me to ask in the second half of the year again about 3-6 months previous to my journey.

I just can report what myAirCargo wrote to me and you can proof it yourself if you want. Seems to be some chaos in the cooperation between your company and myAirCargo/Lufthansa Cargo AG.
Please, don't blame me for that!

Regards,

Wolle

Hi WoK,

Do not know what is your purpose here, but I'm sensing that your intentions are not clear mate, so keep my business out if this discussion.
My company doesn't have any permanent ties to Lufthansa or any of the other air freighters.

On the other hand to whom are you connected, if to any?

I do not need to provide my email to you (what's value going to be out of that, I for sure am not a kid playing in the sand saying my dad is stronger then yours :Beach: ), what you need is to provide proof of your statement, and from there the community will act on their on reason ( :ban: ) , like Squire did by himself and then shared the info to the community (that's what we called providing value mate).

Thread is about air freighting, and as always providing accurate info. Because all of us here are obviously grown up man and woman I am very sure you are aware that providing misinformation can cause financial damage to the party that's being aimed against.

Attach a screen shot of Lufthansa's email to your next post to claim it's validity in all other hands you're making a mockery of yourself, and community will for sure make a statement about your claims.

For any of the other serious people here, they will reach directly to either of the air freighting companies including Motorcycle express and others to get info on pricing and availability.

I am just waiting until what length you will pursue your intent and to which extent this is going to act against you doh

Cheers
Dooby

Dear Dooby,

I thought you're connected to the myAirCargo product since you mentioned the following in a previous message in this thread:

I'm not connected to any company. I'm just interested in informations about shipping to Canada. When you mentioned the myAirCargo product, I was submitting a request on the myAirCargo webpage because it might be an option.

Attached you will find the e-mail (see below) I got as an answer to my request to myAirCargo. As I mentioned it is in German and therefore it will not be understandable to most people here.

Here is a quote, if someone wants to copy it to Google translate:

I'm just sharing information, nothing else.

Regards,

Wolle

Thanks WoK for clearing the facts.

Everyone else should of course send inquiries to all of the companies and check for themselves.

I am just firm believer that market is searching for more air freight solutions, that will possibly through time bring those prices down.

On the other hand second hand market of suzuki dr's will explode if the airlines decide not to fly :clap:

Cheers
Dooby

Air Canada Cargo January 23 2018
 

Reply from Air Canada Cargo Customer Relations,on my query shipping Toronto to London;



Thank you for your inquiry of shipping your motorcycle to LHR. I understand you are trying to book as soon as possible, but we can only process bookings in the system up to 31 days prior to the flight. Furthermore, I do believe we offer a special rate to LHR with our Fly Your Bike program, but the new rates are being released in mid-February 2018. I can certainly give you an idea of the cost based on the 2017 rates, but they very well may be different.

As well, do you have a passenger ticket to LHR? If so, the rate is even better.

I would recommend giving our customer service team a call at 1800-387-4865 at the end of February 2018 to get the updated rates and be provided with all the information you require. In the meantime, I have attached a general procedure Q+A for any outstanding questions you may have at this point.

Thank you for contacting Air Canada Cargo Customer Relations,

I am pretty certain that even if they discountinue the motorcycle program, they will still ship bikes but at rates that are more in line with the rest of the air freight market.

I for one was very pleased with my experience with them.

Also I was able to get a reduced rate to South America despites not being on the website.

Even if the program one day ends, it wont hurt to contact the sales dep and get a quote from them via email. They honored a quote many months later.

So send them an email, get a quote and make a decision.

Jfman

Air Canada Fly Your Bike 2018
 

This morning the Frankfurt Air Canada Air Cargo Office (say that 5 time really fast) sent me the 2018 shipping rates Frankfurt - Canada

I brought a bike home from Europe last year using this service and we are shipping a newer bike back over this spring. For convenience, we are arriving on a Sunday and will have Stefan Knopf pick up our MC and take if to his facility in Heidelberg.

On weekends there is a different AC freight office used for importation (different office location than where the MC will be sitting) who are, less accustomed, to receiving motorcycles. I am not that keen on going back and forth between Cargo offices located quite some distance on a Sunday.

If we were flying in on a weekday I would deal with the MC myself

Other European Countries and Canada to Europe Rates should also be available on the various countries' Air Canada websites over the next few weeks.

Motorcycle Shipping

https://www.aircanada.com/cargo/en/s...otorcycle.html


Track your shipment

http://www.aircanada.com/cargo/en/tools-forms/


E booking tool

https://cargoservices.aircanadacargo...ster-owner.jsp

Would you be willing to tell us how much they are charging you? Or direct our attention to any pricing which is included in the links you just posted? Thanks.

Air Canada Expanded Destinations
 

Seeing the world on your motorcycle has never been easier. By combining motorcycle and air travel, our Fly Your Bike program expands your horizons. Have your motorcycle transported to a destination, pick it up, and begin your adventure on wheels. Our flexible program means you can return the bike from any city we serve, and travel on any flight, leaving you free to design the itinerary you want.

Motorcycles can be flown to and from the following cities: • Calgary • Athens • Edinburg • London (LHR) • Rome • Montréal • Brussels • Frankfurt • Manchester • Venice • Toronto • Casablanca • Geneva • Milan • Zurich • Vancouver • Dublin • Glasgow • Paris



https://www.aircanada.com/cargo/shar...rochure_en.pdf

Hi Mark,

The pricing isn't listed as of yet.

Your best bet is to call Air Canada Cargo.

Last year when I brought my 990 home from Frankfurt It was about $1700 cdn if I remember correctly.

There are some price factors that change the base rate

1. If you fly on a paid ticket it is less expensive.

I flew both ways on Aeroplan points with United and saved approx 500 cdn on taxes . I flew Vancouver-San Fran- Frankfurt return. so I saved the cost of a return flight

2. The price in Europe is paid in Euros and depending on the airport you fly out of the cost for handling changes. Paris was a few hundred Euros more expensive to fly out of than Frankfurt.


Regards,

Bill

Really great to see that AC is seeing potential in this market and spreading the number of locations they're flying into :thumbup1:

Bill, stop in Zagreb for a beer/coffee if the road takes you in our direction this time.

Lobagola B&B | design bed & breakfast in the center of Zagreb

Rgds
Dooby

I'll be flying myself and my bike to Europe in about ten weeks.

I spoke on the phone with Air Canada and confirmed they can ship to Athens, Greece. I was quoted (an estimate ) of $1,400 to fly my bike from Vancouver, Canada to Frankfurt Germany. I expected the charge to Athens to be quite a bit more but I was wrong. I was quoted $1,500. Given that I want to start my trip in a warmer portion of Europe in about the 2nd week in May this seems too good to pass up.

We still have to wait 28 days prior to leaving before booking the bike's flight. I'll probably book my personal flight this week or next and just hope that they still offer Athens as April approaches. I don't want to be in a situation where I book myself to Greece and at the last minute Air Cargo decides not to go there. That would really screw up my plans.

The dangerous cargo certification sounds easy enough. There is no physical inspection of the bike needed. Simply fill out a couple of lines of information and check boxes stating you aren't bringing any prohibited items and your dangerous cargo document issuer will do just that; issue the needed documents. You then take those with your bike to Air Cargo between 6 and 24 hours prior to the bike's flight with the positive battery terminal disconnected and less than 1/4 tank of fuel and you are good to go. This is all straight from their website and from my phone conversation on Monday.

I do have a couple questions for those who have done this.

1) The dangerous goods certification needs to be done for both the departing and returning flights. If I understand this process correctly, if I leave from and return to the same airport, in my case Vancouver, I can get duplicates of my certification forms and NOT have to get them done a second time, in a foreign country. Can anyone confirm this? Given the magnitude of this undertaking and the overall expense involved, I have decided to fly out of Milan to eliminate back tracking. Milan is somewhat central at least for where I want to travel to. I want to make sure that the duplicate forms work for not just taking off to and from Vancouver but also landing in Athens but taking off from Milan and not Athens. I imagine most people DO NOT do this and I don't want to be trying to fly out of Milan and then have to find a dangerous goods certificate supplier at the last minute, in a foreign country.

2) It seems like most people fly to Frankfurt. For those of you who have gone elsewhere, can you confirm that the difference in price between Frankfurt and wherever you flew to was not that much money? Again in my case I was quoted only a $100 difference. I don't like the idea of my bike changing planes a bunch of times but that shouldn't be any worse than luggage changing planes . . .

Thank you.

NC

Hey Guys -

i would like some help.
I have been Quoted from Air canad. $1000 CAD to fly my bike from Montreal, to London. and "between $1000-1200" return flight from London to Vancouver.

They mentioned the dangerous goods form that is "somewhere between $150-$250" and specificed if i ask for two copies i wont have to have the inspection/forms done on my return trip, just turn in the second copy that i got in Montreal.

This price is based off me already having an Air canada personell flight.

i hope this information is helpful, and i would hope someone can help me with a Question i had?

Say i send my bike a day or a flight before myself. Once landed, i cant find a straight answer for what insurance i need or who i get it through. Do i just use my current policy? (its from the USA) i know theft coverage is out of the question but i dont know if once i get on my bike and ride off, am in the clear?

or is there additional registration/insurance check ups or anything i need to go through ,as ill have US registration and insurance. I really hope someone can help, and im sorry if this is the wrong thread to ask, but hopefully my info above from Air Canada can help some people. This information was given to me over the phone as of an hour ago.

additional info - i only have 11 days between landing and my return flight. What kind of insurance/registration info do i need to have a bike from the US , in Europe for less than 2 weeks?

Thanks
Buddy-Joe

You need local insurance. Your US policy will not cover you anyplace but the USA and Canada.

The situation is somewhat complicated as well as subject to change. Do a site search and you'll turn up some recent info. For example, #12 on this thread: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-austria-91184

You might end up wishing you'd chosen mainland Europe rather than the UK, since EU insurance isn't difficult to find. But most people would have first concluded that shipping a bike twice across the Atlantic just for the sake of 11 days riding is a large-scale waste of money. Have you thought about renting instead? You could probably save a bundle of money (or hire yourself an Aston Martin or Bentley instead).

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

really helpful, Thanks Mark - i will call and change my flight to Paris tonight and just skip the UK completely as Paris was actually my intended start destination but thought why not ride through London since im so close. So that was my only reason.

Im not looking to spend money where i dont need to, but this 11 day leg is part of a larger/longer very spur of the moment trip that i decided to do, yesterday. not into planning too much if i don't have to.

Last question as to not get this thread off topic. Who do i contact for Insurance in France/EU ?

i will update my cost quotes when i change Arrival/Departure to Paris.

Thanks.

I'm going to back away from this thread and let you work it out on your own (or at least start your own inquiry separately). As I said, a search will turn up the information you need. In fact, just reading back a page or so will turn up plenty, if you read carefully.

Generally, people are more inclined to furnish answers to people who state that they've done some searching on their own. That's not meant to be insulting in any way; it's just something you might want to know about.

best,

Mark

I agree with Mark about that being a very short trip for the expense of flying your bike but the green card insurance available for Europe will also cover you for the UK, it is getting insurance for a UK registered bike which is a problem for overseas visitors. Apart from that your bike should be legal in country of origin. registration up to date and roadworthy which I am sure it will be embarking on a trip like that and you are good to go.
Insurance here. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...een-card-93020

Thanks for the correction, Mark. This must be why I sometimes warn people not to take as gospel anything I post on the internet. Always best to do your own research, checking all unsubstantiated claims (including mine) at least twice!

Hi Buddy-Joe,

As we have been mentioned already by community members in this thread, i'm just chiming in so you can ask directly in this thread or in our thread that has been linked already http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...een-card-93020

Have a great weekend,

Cheers
Dooby

Korea?
 

Hello All-
I am intending to do a 3 month Vladivostok to Europe trip starting in August. This is my first overseas trip. Shipping is a little intimidating. Timeframe is dictated by work and precludes a (logistically easier) West to East trip based on season/weather in Eastern Russia. I am hoping to take some adantage of Air Canada's deal. It specifically excludes US departures, so I plan on riding from S Florida to fly out of Toronto.

I planned this trip for last year but work issues resulted in postponment. During those preliminary discussions, I was told by one helpful AC person that Toronto to Seoul was feasible. I tried calling the cargo dept in Toronto last week and got turned down. The guy was not particularly well informed or encouraging. The response was that for all South America/Asia and African countries, I needed a freight forwarder. (Although I see they include Casablanca in the program.) Seems like a lot of countries to have a blanket government policy, suggesting that it is an easy answer to the program guidelines. Now I am looking for a work-around.

The gal I talked to last year is now working in the South American sales dept. I hope to be able to talk to her next week, but was wondering if anyone else has been successful air shipping to South Korea on Air Canada.

If I cannot do the "roll up to the cargo dept" thing in Toronto, I might consider crating the bike and flying it out of Florida. Some advantages in being able to swap on fresh tires, oil change, etc at home.

I have planty of time and have thought about sea delivery to Russia as well, which would save the considerable expense of Korea permits/customs/insurance as well as the $700 ferry ride to Russia. I contacted Yuri last year and he said that air delivery to Vladivostok had not been done before and might result in an insurmountable administrative standstill.

Dangerous Goods Certification?
 

I looked into the DG Certification requirements a bit. It seems that under IATA rules, only commercial shippers (the person tendering the shipment) are required to have a the paperwork done by a Certified Agent. Of course AirCanada may have stricter rules, but maybe not. The paperwork is available online and seems ridiculously simple to fill out for $100+. Anyone tried a DIY approach to this paperwork when shipping their own bike?

DG paperwork
 

This is my 1st post. Ive been reading and searching and im still confused.
We hope to take 2 bmw's (and us) to toronto from manchester air canada. My confusion lies with the dangerous goods docs. Can we do it ourselves both ways (it doesnt need to be done by an official shipping company?) or does anyone have a contact for an agent in manchester or near that can help us? Ive tried searching shipping agents but im not even sure what im looking for. Sorry if im in the wrong thread or theres an answer buried that i cant find.

When I flew my bike out of Heathrow the DG paperwork was all done by Air Canada and was included in the price, they inspected the bike while I was there and completed it after I had left.

AC don't do DG paperwork anymore. They farmed me out to Universal Packing . co .uk.

An easy process, and took a couple of days. Cost me £80 for 2 certs. One out and one back.

I had to set an Appointment to get a DG guy to come in as I dropped the bike off. (in Montreal)

This is the same guy who "forced" me to remove the spare gallon reservoir I had on the bike.

But overall smooth process.

JF

Shipping the bike from Brussels to Toronto, the DG guy (seperate company) only had a quick look at the bike and just asked if the tanks were almost empty. 55 euros for that here in brussels.

Othen then AC charging me about 230 euros more then the price originally given all went very smooth...

I called Air Canada cargo (I know, too soon really) to ask if they had 2019 Fly Your Bike details, and the rep I spoke to seemed to think the cities list/rates should be available a bit sooner than usual, perhaps as early as first week of February.

(Update Feb. 6) FWIW. Yesterday's call to Air Canada cargo revealed.... nothing. The particular rep I spoke to said the 2019 details now wouldn't be available until the end of February at the earliest (per the norm). All she would say is that 1) the PDF on their website is not actually a 2019 version, it's last year's PDF 2) All of the cities serviced in 2018 should be serviced again in 2019.

I called air Canada Cargo yesterday (0330 102 0811) and spoke to a guy who had no issue arranging for my bike to be booked on a flight from London to Toronto on 23rd April 2019. He requested I email some details, then they replied with a form I needed to fill out. Although I can’t actually make the booking until 3 weeks before the departure date, it seems that the deal is open! I enquired to make sure that there was no issue with this date, he put me on hold for a moment, coming back with confirmation and a quote. The multiple emails I’ve been receiving over the past day seem to confirm this. As I’ve already got the ticket for the flight, the quote for the shipment was £765. Again, I can’t make this booking, or pay the money as yet, but it seems that I’ve got the green light. :)

Congrats! That's great news for inbound transport TO Canada. =)

But for shipping bikes OUT of Canada, as of today (March 12) Air Canada Cargo main office still has no final details on the 2019 Fly Your Bike program. They seem very frustrated themselves, as they seem to have lots of people making inquiries.

I was told to check back in the beginning of April. :(

Sure makes it hard to plan in advance. The price for the bike may be fixed, but the price for humans jumps all over the place so getting the timing right makes a big difference.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Update March 13:

The rep I just spoke to said that the 2019 Fly Your Bike program is now active as of today.

According to him, all cities from 2018 will again be served EXCEPT for Brussels, which is no longer offered. There are no new city destinations being offered. Prices are the same as 2018.

That's the information that was given to me, I don't vouch for its accuracy.

Fly Your Bike
 

I am confused (frequently). I want to use this program to ship my bike from Toronto to Bogotá, one way.
I seem to remember some time ago that AC would do this, but when I called them, the person said it was only to/from Europe.
Is there any special person to talk to, or secret password to use to find out about this or am I just S.O.L.?
Maybe this is just for you rich SOB's who can afford it and not for a poor retired teacher who is now a crazy gypsy world traveler of 11 years and only 111 countries (so far).

Currently, it's only Europe. They're working on other destinations, but that's it for now. :(

(I talked in person to the guy in charge recently.)

Dont give up.

The program does not necessarely mean the bike cant be shipped.

Send an email to the cargo sales dep. You never know.

cargo.salesSMB@aircanada.ca