Westjet's 'BIKE AIR' Program 2023 Rates Revealed!
 

Details for shipping your motorcycle via WestJet's "BIKE AIR" program for 2023 (April to October).

I got to the source and had a long conversation with a helpful AMC rep, Michelle, for the deep details and 2023 rates for flying your bike domestically within Canada, and internationally from Canada to key destinations in Europe and back. Just in time for a global adventure jaunt this year!

AMC Air Marine Cargo inc. is the wizard behind WestJet Bike Air" curtain that handles the air freight of your motorcycle. We are also told that you can arrange onward flights/shipments from the European destinations to other eligible locations around the world, via another airline (usually KLM). These onward flights, however, are not included in the "Bike Air" program, but AMC can help you arrange them. A very helpful service.

NOTE: You ride your bike to their warehouse, and they load it on the airlines aluminum plate "pallet". (NO CRATING!) The pallets hold most solo motorcycles with average saddlebags, but not trikes, sidecars etc. Be sure to check allowed width to be certain. If your bike is too "fat" - e.g. saddlebags wider than the handlebars - you may have to take one bag off and take it on as luggage.

Share this with friends who are looking for solid info about WestJet's "Bike Air" Program for 2023.

Michelle forward this to us at Horizons Unlimited:
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"For the initial stage I have provided our rates (below) ...The below rates are for 2-wheeled motorcycles only. These rates do not apply to trikes and/or sidecars, in which we can quote individually based on dimension and weight.

Imports and Exports are billed separately.

https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tr...ping-rates.jpg

*Please note as we only handle the air transportation portion of the motorcycle. We will provide the Air Waybill (AWB) and the Dangerous Goods Declaration (DGD) that you will need to be able to print in colour and tender with your motorcycle.

Not included in our rates are any local charges, including but not limited to, local pickup, nor do they include any local delivery / insurance coverage / customs clearance / terminal fees / storage charges, etc., all of which would be to the account of the consignee, as assigned by the local handling authorities. AMC would not be able to advise on these charges and you would need to speak with the local warehouse / authorities for further information. You will need to contact a customs broker in Europe to complete the EU Customs for import and export of your motorcycle.

Articles such as personal effects can be stored in the saddlebags / panniers, however they must fit within the confines of the saddlebag / pannier, and we do not allow excess luggage to be strapped or added on top of the motorcycle.

The motorcycle is subject to security screening, and should any articles be deemed as Dangerous Goods according to aviation (IATA) standards it will be removed or will be entirely rejected for travel. Common examples are lithium batteries found in cellphones, laptops and other electronics, nail polish, aerosols like hairspray, and perfumes. Alcohol and food stuffs are also not permitted.

We highly recommend arriving before or on the same flight as your motorcycle, as the local warehouse would only provide 24 hours free time for you to clear customs of your motorcycle, pay the terminal charges and pick up the motorcycle before storage charges begin to incur daily"

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AMC website: Air Marine Cargo
Motorcycle Shipping Important Information (AMC document)
Motorcycle Form (AMC document)

Time to start planning!!

Thanks!
 

Thanks for tracking this down Grant!

Prices have really gone up post-pandemic. We shipped Calgary to Milan with Air Canada in 2019 and it was only $1,200. But during the pandemic, in September of 2020 it was $9,000 to fly a bike from Munich to Calgary ($3,600 by boat) so I guess we shouldn’t complain.


Now I just need to figure out something cheaper to get my bike from Canada to New Zealand and Australia and back. Was quoted $12,000 by boat. Ouch. (I know, I should buy/sell there but…)

Ekke, before you get too far along the path to down under, be aware that NZ-Oz is known as "the most expensive stretch of water in the world" - so get it all sorted first.
Once you get there, you'll love it though!

Hey Grant.

Thanks for posting.

But...

Do you know why it costs an extra $1000 going west, than going east ?? Same plane, same distance etc.

It just seems to be flying loops.

I suspect it's because there is a lot more freight cargo being shipped from Amsterdam to Calgary (fresh flowers? machine parts?) than from Calgary to Amsterdam (uhh I dunno, not even maple syrup...).

Yeah. Makes sense. For some reason I only considered them filling their hold with motorcycles. But I guess motos will be a very small percentage of their cargo.

I haven't been on for sometime. I just got off the phone with WestJet Cargo in Calgary, and they told me they will be accepting bikes directly from customer starting in April/2023. I don't know the cost difference, but I'm sure it will be less than the price quoted by the above freight forwarder. I use Avisar International based out of Calgary to do my DG paperwork, Todd will do the paperwork for round shipping if needed.

This is information only.

Thank you for this information
 

We are currently trying to find the "best" way to get two bikes in Canada. Have bene contacting James Cargo and Motofreight they all ship from London. I have now contacted AMC and shipping from Amsterdam would work out the best for us. Less additional costs ;-). The plan is to start riding around the 10th of May. If anyone has other suggestions, please shoot :-).

Update for Barcelona
 

Just thought I'd provide an update regarding Westjet's offerings.
We looked at Barcelona (BCN), and Air Marine Cargo(AMC) was good at providing some info, but you are both shipper and consignee, they simply handle the freight component in Calgary.
Tracking down the BCN end first with World Flight Services who provided a freight forwarder Otin who needed multiple prods to answer the basic questions on paperwork and costs for Temporary Import of a Vehicle for Leisure.
There is an EU process for that. We just learned after a week that Spain doesn't work with that and wants a ATA/Carnet for entry and costs for processing.

Significantly not worth it as they then add a 20% Customs handling charge which includes the cost of the flight shipment. AMC andWestjet currently don't have info yet on who the Station mgrs. are for the other EU destinations on the list so info is scarce on costing and process clarifications.

I can confirm the same prices and the start of the April shipping info posted. I have been talking with them about my plan to bring a bike back home to Canada this spring/Summer. Yeah, $3200 is not cheap, but here is the way I am justifying it.

Shipping via air is easier on the bike, and I get it in hand within a few days. If it goes by boat for me, it has to go across the Atlantic, down the east coast, through the Panama Canal, and back up the west coast to Vancouver, where I must get there a few months after shipping it. To me, that's a fair bit of carbon impact. Yeah, you can argue the math. But HEY! It's my fantasy world!

When I have completed the trip, I will post back here the results.

Not necessarily the Route
 

Hey Beakers......

Read your post on justification. There are options regarding sea freight such as having it land in Orlando where you could do a cross America tour to get it home.

We shipped back by sea in late September in '13 and those bikes came off the boat in Montreal and were shipped by train to Vancouver. Pretty quick actually.

Container shipping to points like LA via Panama Canal are prohibitively expensive so it would be more than air freight at the moment.

Making a good decision, but the factors as you listed them have changed.

I just received a notification the Amsterdam and Barcelona routes have been cancelled.:censored::funmeterno:
Updated routes and rates attached

Fly to east coast and ride across?

I have a booking From Paris to YYC on April 17th. I will update on here once it's been completed. Hopefully, the city is not on fire, and the French citizens are not dusting off the guillotines...

The Freight group is open 7 days a week to accept the bike and require it 24hrs before the scheduled flight as a FYI for anyone planning.

Any updates on whether Westjet are going to start flying from Los Angeles to Europe?