Beemerbird
 

Margaret, I sent you an email !

Paul

It's been a while but I now have a better idea about airlifting a bike to South Africa and thought it might be of interest:
First of all - Freightforwarding companies drive you INSANE (not all but many)! I dont know how many of those do business - they cant answer a question, promise to come back to you and never do, it takes them 2 weeks to reply to an email etc.
However, got quotes for shipping the bike from Perth (Australia) to Johannesburg (South Africa) variing between $3500 and $6600 from freightforwarders. Cheapest and most helpful ones being the small WA companies.
I also checked with Qantas directly and was heaps impressed by them. Unfortunately they only fly Sydney-Joh'burg and not from Perth. The lovely Qantas lady really took her time to explain everything in detail. What it comes down to is, that Qantas can't guarantue a spot for the bike on a particular day in advance due to other larger freight reservations. You can only book a spot max. 7 days in advance. E.g. you call them today and they let you know which of their flights during the next 7 days have room for a bike and you can book your bike on that flight.

So the following applies for the daily Sydney-Joh'burg Qantas non-stop flight:
Bikes are bigger than they are heavy so the volumetric weight exceeds the actual weight. Volumetric weight is the length x height x width (all in cm) divided by 6000 and will be around 400(kg) for an average bike. Freight charge is AU$6.82 per (volumetric) kg, including fuel and security surcharges. On top of it comes AU$83 documentation fee + $62 surcharge for "dangerous goods'. So the Qantas charges are only around AU$2870. The bike does not need to be crated, if you want to, you can crate it which adds to the dimensions and therefore price.
It's also your responsibility to obtain a Dangerous Goods inspection cetrtificate which some companies near Sydney Airport can do for you for $150.
Johannesburg Airport will charge another handling fee which apparently is only $40-$50 when picking up the bike.

Excelent info. I'm looking to get it from Brisbane so will probably look at Qantas the most. When I was organising my flight to Buenos Aires talking to Qantas over the phone I was fobbed off a bit. But apparently according to others sending from Brisbane if you go to their office near the airport it's all good. (Just read on the previous page that this was mentioned already).

What is that 6000 factor all about? Is that the factor to work out which is larger, volume vs weight? Cause I was refused this info. Excelent price really. Pretty cheap in SA as well. In Argentina I was charged $430 for airport and handling charges. The plane stopped in Santiago and I was charged another USD96 as well.

Need to see if I can organise from Brisbane. Where did or are you shipping back from?

The factor 6000 is only used to convert volume (in qcm) into volumetric weight (kg). What ever gives you the higher number, either the actual weight or the volumetric weight, will apply to calculate the price.

I got all this info by calling their freight hotline 1300 373 444 and continue on menu points 5 then 2 then 2.

Not sure if Qantas flyes from Brisbane to where you are planning to fly to. I tried to get a quote from Perth to Joh'burg but couldn't get one from Qantas because they do a code sharing from Perth and the actual plane is provided by South African Airways. But it's only a day's ride for you to come down to Sydney anyway, right? :cool4:

To come back home to Australia I might ship the bike by seafreight from Hamburg / Germany. Doesn't matter for me then if it takes three months.

Qantas
 

Qantas is one of very few airlines who will fly bikes uncrated. I've not yet heard of anyone having to crate their bike when flying Qantas. Qantas do not charge on the volumetric weight when bikes are uncrated. They just charge the actual weight of the bikes and luggage. On each of my shipments/flights, the bikes have weighed roughly 285kg. It's generally cheaper to leave all your luggage on the bike rather than pay excess baggage then have to carry it around while you are organising to pick up the bike.

Delivery/paperwork costs were US$30, and about 11 Euro in Frankfurt - that is ALL that I paid, other than the actual freight charge. Oh, and DG certificates were about $130-140 each bike.

Freight costs were: 2 BMWs, each cost A$1840 to Los Angeles. WeeStrom cost $2500 to Frankfurt.

But the most important part of the whole thing: - go IN PERSON to the Qantas office. Don't ring! I found the staff at Brisbane cargo office to be most helpful. Sydney were OK, but a little more impersonal, unlike Brisbane, who got very involved and interested in my trips.

I've also flown Panama-Colombia and return, with Girag. Basically the same process (I think!). I don't speak Spanish, but managed OK by looking as if I knew what I was doing. I also left all my luggage (pac-safe meshed and locked) on the bike when flying over the Darien both ways, despite them saying I had to take it all off and carry it! No way, Jose! :clap:

I'll shortly be flying the WeeStrom from UK into Ethiopia, so that will be yet another interesting exercise!

Thanks Margaret. That's interesting about the crating and cost. So you just put it on a pallet and wrap the thing in plastic? This is how ours went to South America. Because of double handling in Santiago we did get some damage. But I reckon I can design something to mitigate this.

Qantas
 

Nope - I just leave them at the cargo area and the staff later put them on a pallet and tie them down with their tiedowns. I did wrap bubblewrap around the screen and HID lights the first time, but haven't bothered since, as there is never a mark on them. They've never appeared from the depths of the warehouse with plastic wrap on them, so I'm assuming no plastic wrap at all.

And I always book on direct flights so that there is little chance of problems with sectional flights and on/off loading.

Impressive. Do you get to watch the process and where do they tie it down on? I'm always a bit worried about people that don't ride handling bikes. Last thing you want is a clutch perch cracked or worse a brake one.

Hello, just to warm up this thread once again.

Hello from cold and rainy Tasmania... :freezing: (Awsome rides and people here though...)

We want to ship/fly our bike to anywhere in Europe maybe in June or July, most probably from Sydney. Tried to contact MASkargo, but were referred to a FF (which doesnt answer any mail or even gives a quote...)...

Just now i´ve read the posts from Margerete (you have a PM). Any suggestions, tips or who to contact. We are not quite sure yet what we do, maybe we even go back to Indonesia... but for now the rough plan is to go direction Europe again...

Have a good one ... I HATE SHIPPING! It´s always half a office job.... tssssss drives you :D

Hi there,

Finishing our ride from Spain to Sidney.

Now we are trying to know how to get the bike from Sidney to South Africa, at first I was thinking doing it by air but now we are thinking of maybe doing it by ship and spend a couple weeks in north new zealand while the bike goes to SA.

I searched on Google "Freight Care" and different businesses appear, which is the one that does the service??

Any idea how long it would take??

Any comments appreciated

Thanks a lot

Cheers from western australia

Jose and Pilar
https://www.facebook.com/AventurasEnMoto

M/C Air freight Europe to Australia
 

G'day,

I'm considering flying a bike from the most cost effective ports in Europe to Australia and wondered if you anyone has done so recently? I've emailed a bunch of companies and had zero response so far!

Cheers Dave

that's why the database is so important - getting answers is tough, so we have to do it ourselves! :mchappy:

Best of luck and keep us posted!
in the shipping database of course! :)