pookstreet
Registered Stick Killer
Just curious, has anyone checked in a box with frags on a flight before? Specifically on Southwest? Please LMK. Thanks.
Checked in luggage with frags?
- Thread starter pookstreet
- Start date
pookstreet
Registered Stick Killer
Domestic only. Just within Ca on a Southwest flight.
savethereef
SCRK
Pookstreet i work @ LAX for 7 years and i will tell you i would not check frags in. Fragile tags dont work it just makes the bagroom guys throw it harded 
You would have to pack it up really well double bag and styrofoam it with bubble rap
You would have to pack it up really well double bag and styrofoam it with bubble rap
cthetoy
Active member
Just pack it very well. If you have a lot then pack it all together in a styrophone box enclosed in a cardboard box. I checked in fish from Hawaii with no problems. They just placed "Live animals" stickers all over the box for me and it was the first luggage off the plane. The box will count as a luggage and the size and weight must be within the airlines luggage specs.
Again this is for domestic flights only. International you have to deal with customs.
Again this is for domestic flights only. International you have to deal with customs.
pookstreet
Registered Stick Killer
Thanks for the heads up savethereef. I am not so much worried about the packgaging and handling of the box. I am an experienced shipper so I can pack it pretty well. I'll even add extra padding to be sure. What I am more interested in is how the airline or TSA will handle such a package. I know all checked luggage has to go through X-ray. How will the TSA people treat such a box? What are the airline's policies on checking corals? Thanks.
coast2coast7390
Moved On
thats a really good idea..illl have to remember that one
sr71
Member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11211972#post11211972 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by savethereef
Pookstreet i work @ LAX for 7 years and i will tell you i would not check frags in. Fragile tags dont work it just makes the bagroom guys throw it harded
You would have to pack it up really well double bag and styrofoam it with bubble rap
so true
pookstreet
Registered Stick Killer
Can't ship b/c I am bring frags to someone else. Not in town so shipping is out. Looks like I'll have to try it to see what happens. Hopefully nothing will happen to a $400+ box of frags.
pookstreet
Registered Stick Killer
It's going to Sacramento. I am actually flying up there every day for a work project. Hence the reason I can't ship. But the other person works pretty close to the Sac airport so that's the reason for wanting to bring the frags with me. Thanks for the offer tho Kelly 
cthetoy
Active member
How large are the frags? If they are small frags then the chances are less for them to break from mishandling. Sure the baggage handlers might mistreat the boxes that doesnt mean they mistreat every single box. My friend works at Fedex and another at UPS and they load boxes off the UPS and Fedex truck without much care as well especially during the holiday season when they get triple amount of packages. The good thing about having the frags checked in with you is that you have control most of the time and the plane ride is less than an hour not to mention its free. Let us know how successful you were either way
trdofwrkin
New member
If you check them with baggage make sure you have heat packs in there...its gets really cold in the belly of that plane.....
pookstreet
Registered Stick Killer
Whew, what a morning. The whole thing went fine. The frags were bagged last night and kept in a cooler with a heat pack. I took the heat pack out this morning before taping up the box b/c I didn't want TSA to open it up since it could look kinda suspicious. The Southwest person only asked what was in it and if it contained water. I just mumbled something and said it has some water in it. She said ok. I didn't say it contained live animals or corals, which was the key I think. Seems like it went through the x-ray alright. I was on the plane and watched the box being loaded into the belly. Retrieved it at baggage claim and now they are in the hands of the recipient. All in all, not too bad of an experience. I was nervous until I saw it being loaded.
