With many holiday firms reporting a 10% - 40% increase in bicycle bookings*, partly thanks to the success of Team GB in the Olympics and major events such as the Tour de France, Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) is helping keen cyclists avoid expensive costs when travelling abroad by comparing bike baggage costs on airlines. The comprehensive guide is available in the Know Before You Go section of the APH website, at www.aph.com/bikebaggage.

The research compares the costs of travelling with bikes across 25 major airlines, including British Airways, easyJet, Emirates and Virgin Atlantic, highlighting the difference in weight allowance, cost of transporting a bike one way and the excess weight charges.

Of the 25 airlines included in the research, 19 were found to include bikes as part of a passengers' weight allowance including Air Canada, British Airways and Qantas Group. The weight allowance allocated for each airline was found to vary however, with Atlantic Airways, BMI, Flybe and Thai Airways all limiting passengers to 20kg. Some airlines on the other hand, were found to offer a higher weight allowance of 32kg with Delta Air Lines even offering 42kg.

The cost of transporting bikes also differs greatly between airlines with costs dependent on how the booking is processed or which destination the passenger is travelling to. For example, passengers flying with Ryanair will be charged £50 for checking-in a bike online, £60 for checking-in a bike at the airport or £60 with the call centre whereas other airlines allow passengers to check-in a bike free of charge if within their baggage allowance.

It is also advisable for passengers to be aware that some airlines require customers to pre-book bike baggage with Aer Lingus, Air France, Aitalia and British Airways asking customers to contact the reservations office in advance to book a bike as checked-in baggage. Airlines such as Iberia, KLM and Lufthansa require a minimum of 24-hours' notice, however Delta Air Lines allows passengers to book bike baggage at the airport providing the bicycle meets the weight limit.

The storage requirements for each airline were also found to vary between companies, with some requiring tyres to be partially deflated, wheels removed and attached to the frame, or for bikes to be stored in a hard shell container which is advisable for keen cyclists with high-end equipment.

Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) is the UK's award winning long stay airport parking operator and booking agency, after winning the Best Airport Parking Company for a fourth year running at the British Travel Awards 2013. This year APH also celebrates its 34th year as a retailer and operator of pre-booked airport parking and travel extras. APH offers parking at all major UK airports as well as airport hotels packaged with parking and airport lounges. APH is also a carbon balanced company and has, through support of the World Land Trust, helped purchase more than 1,000 acres of endangered rainforest.

For further information on Airport Parking and Hotels (APH),

visit www.aph.com or call 01342 859515.

Notes to Editors

*The “Baggage Rage” survey was carried out by One Poll, and commissioned by Discover Ferries, among a statistically representative sample of 2,000 adults, between 10 - 12 February 2014.

Media Enquiries

Sarah Salord / Jessica Meins / McCluskey International / 020 8747 2170 / aph@mccluskey.co.uk