Originally Posted by
neuron
IIRC, computers/electronics are not among items that will be credited if your baggage goes missing. If you can afford it going missing or have insurance, than you can take a risk, but I am never confident that a five-finger discount will not take place, even with a TSA lock.
Personally, my computer would not leave my side, not even gate checking on RJs.
I am not sure which iMac size you have, but I would really recommend seeing if you can fit one into a carry-on size luggage, if so, bring it on board. i have seen people carry desktops and large monitors aboard.
I would be more confident that Fedex will get it to your destination.
I think the only situation where I would feel comfortable checking desktops would be if you can "saran wrap" the baggage and ensure it arrives like that. I have seen this at international airports, but I am not sure how TSA would deal with this.
TSA will cut through the plastic and open the bag. They don't treat it any different than a lock.
The function of the plastic is two-fold: to make it a pain to get into the bag (meaning a crooked baggage handler may choose an unwrapped bag instead) and to make it immediately apparent that the bag has been opened (definitely means you want to open it up all the way and verify contents before leaving the airport).