When we were planning our trip to Spain, I found the Travel with Bicycles (Air/Rail/Other) site that provides a wealth of data on traveling with your bike.
Interestingly, when we were in the airport, we saw cyclists that just handed the airline their bikes with not packing at all.
I’m having a heck of a time figuring out how I’ll get a bike to Australia. I have a bike case, but limitations of travelling from Sydney to the in-laws make such a huge thing impractical. I wish I could enroll in some sorta “bike swap” like people do House Swaps. I just need a 60cm bike to ride/race for a month (rental not an option). I’d gladly find a way to return the favor for someone wanting to come to Seattle. Hrmmmmm….
And I bet shipping it is incredibly expensive, could prolly buy a bike for that amount.