I got to the airport at 6:00 AM to make sure I had plenty of time to get the bike checked and get through screening. This was especially gruesome because daylight savings time started yesterday, so it was really 5:00 AM.
Checking the bike box was an adventure. This used to be so easy. You used to give the Southwest clerk the box, they charge you $50, done.
Now, though, the clerk has never seen a bike in a box before. I explained that it is a bike, and per the Southwest web site, it is "athletic equipment" and as long as it weighs less than $50 and the combined length/width/height of the box is less than 110", I can check it as baggage for an *additional* fee of $75 dollars, on top of the $35 checked bag fee. After searching around on her terminal for the Southwest web site, and using the tape measure, she agreed that I can check the bike as baggage.
The next step was a very long process of figuring out how to enter this exotic, unheard-of situation into her system so I can pay for it. After much consultation with other clerk, I think she just punted and entered it as a regular bag. Baggage was checked, and I had plenty of time to drink some bad coffee at the gate.
Checking the bike box was an adventure. This used to be so easy. You used to give the Southwest clerk the box, they charge you $50, done.
Now, though, the clerk has never seen a bike in a box before. I explained that it is a bike, and per the Southwest web site, it is "athletic equipment" and as long as it weighs less than $50 and the combined length/width/height of the box is less than 110", I can check it as baggage for an *additional* fee of $75 dollars, on top of the $35 checked bag fee. After searching around on her terminal for the Southwest web site, and using the tape measure, she agreed that I can check the bike as baggage.
The next step was a very long process of figuring out how to enter this exotic, unheard-of situation into her system so I can pay for it. After much consultation with other clerk, I think she just punted and entered it as a regular bag. Baggage was checked, and I had plenty of time to drink some bad coffee at the gate.
And my bike and duffel bag containing my loaded panniers arrive according to plan at Las Vegas.
This is by far the most stressful part of the trip.
Will my bike arrive? Will it be damaged? Did I forget anything I need to put it back together? Will the airport be a jerk and not let me put it together?
Everything was fine, here is the bike fully assembled and ready to ride.
Will my bike arrive? Will it be damaged? Did I forget anything I need to put it back together? Will the airport be a jerk and not let me put it together?
Everything was fine, here is the bike fully assembled and ready to ride.
When I'm actually out riding, I have everything I need to handle pretty much any situation. Including camping gear. But when the bike is in the box in the hands of the airline, all bets are off. Who knows what will happen.
I did get some reassurance when I asked the Southwest guy at the baggage claim if anyone would care if I put the bike together right there. "Naw, it's a public space, you can do anything you want." Spoken in what sure sounded like a Wisconsin accent.
The next adventure was leaving the airport. There is always a side road that will lead you out from the terminal. I thought I found that road but it dumps you out on this, which sure looks to me like an Interstate, even though there are signs that nobody apparently notices that says the speed limit is 35. Right. And this goes through a long dark tunnel UNDER THE AIRPORT for like a mile. In the wrong direction from my destination, which means I have to ride back around the airport on super busy roads. I have not yet seen a bike lane in Las Vegas.
I did get some reassurance when I asked the Southwest guy at the baggage claim if anyone would care if I put the bike together right there. "Naw, it's a public space, you can do anything you want." Spoken in what sure sounded like a Wisconsin accent.
The next adventure was leaving the airport. There is always a side road that will lead you out from the terminal. I thought I found that road but it dumps you out on this, which sure looks to me like an Interstate, even though there are signs that nobody apparently notices that says the speed limit is 35. Right. And this goes through a long dark tunnel UNDER THE AIRPORT for like a mile. In the wrong direction from my destination, which means I have to ride back around the airport on super busy roads. I have not yet seen a bike lane in Las Vegas.
But look what I stumbled upon right next to the airport! Yowza. I miss my GT500 convertible.
No sense in passing up the opportunity to add Nevada to the list of states where I've had pho when that opportunity presents itself.
And it was very good pho, although there was no tripe. The top song selection for the cool jazz background music was "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."
I am spending the next three days at the UC Davis Airport Noise and Emissions Symposium here at the Flamingo Hotel. I took the early flight so I would arrive in plenty of time for a networking session with other community members fighting airport noise, which happily came with a nice buffet dinner. I am taking on Wednesday morning.
Here is the campground for the next three nights.
The Flamingo is one of the classic hotels on the Vegas strip. It is nice, but not so fancy anymore.
The weather was in the upper 70s, sunny, and very low humidity. It was very comfortable riding.
Here's the Strava track: https://www.strava.com/activities/17665030290/overview
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