I have flown to mainland Europe twice in the past few months, once with Easyjet and once with British Airways. I will restrict my comments to the simple facts and let you all draw your own conclusions.
Easyjet
Direct flight, Edinburgh to Basel, two weeks cycling, return from Basel. The cost for taking a bike was £35 each way, so £70 return with a maximum weight limit of 30kg. With the exception of minor damage to a mudguard clip - easily fixed with a cable tie - I experienced no problems. The bike, bag and all other luggage arrived safely and on time at both ends.
British Airways
Flight from Edinburgh to Milan via Heathrow for a week of cycling. There was no cost for the bike as it went as my permitted hold luggage - weight limit 23kg - and I managed to split the rest of my kit between my cabin bags and two of my family who were going to the GP at Monza (not cycling).
I arrived at Milan airport to discover that my bike - and my son's hold bag - had been 'mislaid'. It was eventually delivered to my hotel 26 hours later - day one of cycling lost - and the (heavy duty) bike bag had an eight inch tear and several smaller tears in it. I later discovered that my bike had visited Rome. My son's bag appeared 48 hours later.
On the return journey, our flight was delayed by several hours, we duly missed our connection and B.A. put us up in a hotel at Heathrow, although we only had time for a few hours sleep. On returning to Edinburgh at 9:15 this morning, once again, my bike - and my son's bag - were nowhere to be seen. My son's bag has (allegedly) been located and is to be delivered this evening but my bike's current status is, "whereabouts unknown". This information was gained via text message from an Edinburgh airport 'person' and BA's 'Lost Luggage' website.
I tried to speak to a B.A. rep. at Edinburgh airport, but was told there are none. I have subsequently been trying to phone them all day without success. Every time I phone, I am told by a robot woman that they are experiencing "unusually high volumes of calls" and subsequently cut off; this, after going through their tedious selection process and pre-recorded information messages.
Looks like it's the mountain bike to work tomorrow.
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