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It appears that AA has changed their website. It was on it a few days ago when this thread appeared because I checked. But now all it says is call reservations for the info on international flights.

Airlines are getting nastier with respect to luggage charges, even internationally. If the bike is considered in excess of the free allowance, you could be in for a pricey surprise. On the other hand if you pack light, and carry on most of your other personal stuff you might get it in under the free allowance. (By the way chcl, don't forget there are maximum dimensions for carry-on luggage as well as maximum weight specifications. Even though depth might not be a problem for you, length and width might very well be.)

On some short-haul flights that use smaller planes, such as some intra-European flights or domestic North American flights, the plane may not have space for a bicycle on each and every flight.

How you manage to pack the bike is a major issue. If using an ordinary cardboard bike shipping box, such as available from bike shops, consider:

Some will not fit into the x-ray screener at security, so it may need to be hand-inspected before being checked. In family member's case, this meant opening up a carefully taped box. Fortunately security staff had tape to re-seal box.

Be prepared to go to special baggage collection areas to collect the bike and other over-sized luggage. This is not really that big a deal, but you need to know.

Depending on size of box, wheeling box on a standard luggage trolley into an airport elevator can be an interesting experience. Again, not a major issue, provided you are not on a deadline.

It sounds like celticharger is using the bike as almost the sole form of ground transportation (hence the reassembly at Milan airport). Otherwise, consider how you are going to get it from the airport to your destination on arrival (again, depending on size of box, the taxi or car will have to be big enough) and where are you going to store the bike at night, etc.

Experiences of fellow cyclists vary. Some found it a breeze, others a hassle. Good luck.

Wow, the airlines seem to be changing their web site quickly in response to questions referencing it.

It seems that all bets are off in terms of past experience, and taking a bike to Europe just got a lot harder. I wonder if the European airlines have changed their policy as well? It might be worth a price check. If a European airline's ticket is higher priced, but their baggage allowance will allow a bike box, that will be the cheapest way to go.

In flying within the US shipping a bike UPS is much cheaper than flying with it. My DH sent his bike to Floride from New Hampshire in April 2008, with a cost of $40 each way, a lot cheaper than the airline baggage surcharge he was quoted.

We put the bike back together in Milan's airport, because we also had a bike rack for the car in the case and we were able to put rack on the car, bike on the rack, and the box went one side into the other, and was laid in the back of the hatchback with our luggage placed on top.

We've done this for several years, but how we'll manage next year is the big question for us.

Good luck.

I have taken a bike in
1. An airline provided box where I removed the pedals, turned the handlebars.

2. Put the bike in airline provided plastic bag (Zurich, 1973)

3. Shipped the bike (return flights, Northwest AIrlines from Gatwick) without any protection.

The only damage I ever had was some slight damage when shipping in a box.

Bikes used to be free when shipped internationally as 1 of your 2 allotted bags.

Since 9-11 and the fuel price increases, I would check the airlines for their rules and GET IT IN WRITING.

I am considering a suitcase-fitting folding bike for my next trip.