British airways policy is very bike friendly

I have now booked my flight to Buenos Aires with British Airways, travelling via London Heathrow.  The main reason I chose them is because their policy with regard to bikes is very easy to understand.  Bikes can be considered as part of your normal checked allowance.  If your ticket allows you one checked bag then the bike will count as that one checked bag, and if you want to check in an additional bag you just pay a flat rate.  They only charge per extra bag and not per kg of extra weight, provided each bag weighs no more than 23kg.  I have purchased an additional checked bag, so I can now take my bike (up to 23kg) plus one other piece of checked luggage (up to 23kg).  Now I don't need to worry about what extra charges I may be lumbered with at the airport, like I would if the bike policy was not clear (indeed the case for the majority of airlines).

I arrive in Buenos Aires on the morning of the 23rd September, and the bike tour leaves on the 25th.  All riders are expected to be in Buenos Aires by the 24th.  That gives me an extra day to get my bike ready, and to see the sights of the city.  I am sure there will be other riders arriving a day early as well, so I will try and hook up with them to paint the town red.  I haven't decided yet what I will do with the bike once I reach Cusco, but I may be able to take it with me, because after doing the Inca trail we will be flying to Lima.  I could then leave the bike at Anny's parents apartment in Lima till we finish touring Peru.  We will be flying back on the 27th December with Lan airlines to Madrid, so I will have to check the policy of Lan and see how much they would charge me to take it with me to Madrid.

Everything is starting to come together now, both the trip in Africa and the trip in South America, so finally I am able to start relaxing a bit.  The last few weeks I have been super stressed what with trying to get hold of visas, book flights, find the best companies with whom to the Kilimanjaro trek and so on.  Now the only remaining things to be organised are the Peru excursions (Inca trail, Amazon, Nazca lines) , the internal transport in Peru (buses/ domestic flights) and the flight from Lima to Madrid that we need to book.   Golden times lie ahead.