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Shipping a computer vs. airline baggage

Z

zagood

Diamond Member
I'm going to be heading up to Alaska for about 4 months and I'm going to need my desktop up there. Wondering what people's views are as far as shipping vs. checking it as baggage on the flight.

I will be taking a partially disassembled desktop (Antec 300), heatsinks/video card/HDD out of the case, 22" monitor, keyboard, mouse, router, wires, spare screws, tools etc. Probably just pick up some cheap speakers up there.

1. Will be using original box for the case and what's still mounted.
2. I have cut-to-fit foam to pad the monitor, would probably pack it in a suitcase along with other parts for airline. Boxed for shipping.
3. Should be able to fit everything in the desktop box and a large suitcase, both under/approx. 50 lbs.?
4. If under 50 lbs. each, with the other luggage my son and I will be alloted, the box and suitcase would cost $50 and $100 on Alaskan Airlines.
5. Shipping looks to be about twice as expensive, but with better insurance options.

I'm assuming that baggage handlers would ignore anything that says fragile on the outside of the box, whereas shipping handlers may at least have a semblance of treating the packages more kindly, but what do you think?

Thanks!
 
Both will do their best to beat the crap out of the package. 🙂

Personally, I would ship it. Less hassle and better insurance if they break it.
 
I've successfully shipped a desktop computer on an airline two ways.

I bought a gigantic suitcase and padded it with clothes packed around it. HDDs and videocard came with me in a carry-on, of course.

This was many years ago and I wasn't actually charged any extra fees.
 
Zap - gaming machine. I may, however, sell it up there and purchase new parts when I get back to the contiguous (i.e. no tacked on shipping charges) US.

Thanks for the advice, looking for more (since it we have 3 different opinions so far).
 
zagood said:
Zap - gaming machine. I may, however, sell it up there and purchase new parts when I get back to the contiguous (i.e. no tacked on shipping charges) US.

Thanks for the advice, looking for more (since it we have 3 different opinions so far).
Click to expand...

I just want to clarify that I'm not necessarily advocating shipping your computer to Alaska via airlines. Instead I just wanted to share that I have shipped a computer that way and everything went okay.

Personally I would not spend $150 to ship my desktop, and certainly not double that amount. I'd rather read books and play board games for 4 months than pay $300 to ship my computer. Once again, this is my personal opinion and only you can determine if it's worth it.
 
it would probably be almost as cheap to buy a new one from dell once you get there or build a smaller machine and put it in a suitcase. or better yet buy a laptop. i certainly wouldnt go to the trouble of taking something that size on an airplane and paying for it
 
I didn't see mentioned the option of flying all the components but getting a case at the destination. You could probably get an empty ATX case for free. Everything else would fit in a suitcase, with delicate parts surrounded by soft clothing.
 
RebateMonger said:
I didn't see mentioned the option of flying all the components but getting a case at the destination. You could probably get an empty ATX case for free. Everything else would fit in a suitcase, with delicate parts surrounded by soft clothing.
Click to expand...

Oooooh...that's a hell of an idea. That would mean I'd have to get a dremel too...

I should have stated at the beginning that the shipping/baggage costs are going to be picked up by someone else (up to a point) so the issue is mostly who to trust with my components.

I find it ridiculous that it would cost that much to get something up there, but at the same time I wouldn't be able to just run down to the local Fry's and pick up a combo deal to start from scratch. Consider that a WD Black 1TB from Newegg with "free shipping" costs $18+ to ship to Alaska. They do have a Best Buy in town, but with Best Buy prices. I'm on a bit of a budget, otherwise, yeah, I'd just replace everything when I got there.

So, anyway, a lot to consider. Thanks for the input!

p.s. considering how the price of monitors has fallen these days however, I may just buy one up there. That would save quite a bit of space.
 
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RebateMonger said:
I didn't see mentioned the option of flying all the components but getting a case at the destination.
Click to expand...

Using your grey matter again, I see. You're fired! We don't want your kind of folk around here making the rest of us look dumb.





^_^
 
Whatever you end up doing... DON'T check any valuable computer parts as baggage!

Most airlines specifically exclude high value items like electronics from their liability for lost/damaged luggage. You will be absolutely SOL if anything happens to them.

If you ship them and get insurance, you'll at least have recourse if something happens.
 
Take the hard drives place them in a padded envelope and carry them with you as a carry on. The rest of the stuff in the pc can be dropped repeatedly and not suffer damage. I would ship those items and insure them for damage. It also prevents the package from being lost and someone getting your data.
 
Not sure what you need it for, but would it be unreasonable to buy a cheap laptop instead. You could just bring that with you in your carry-on. Otherwise I'd ship it, probably via FedEX. UPS has a bad habit of manhandling stuff. Don't skimp on shipping either.
 
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