Originally Posted by
skymagpie
But she suggested I call TSA directly and they told me I should REALLY carry it on b/c it is such an expensive item that it would be better off in my hands.
Sure, because her TSA colleagues are standing by to steal it and she knows it.
Seriously, you'd be insane to check it. Good chance you'd never see it again. And if it exceeds the carry-on dimension limits the airline will be justified in prohibiting you from taking it onboard. (21" X 19" X 6" might not even fit in some planes' overhead bins.) So now you could be faced with abandoning it on the spot at the departure gate, or checking it so it's at the mercy of baggage handlers.
It can't weigh more than 20 pounds. If you "can't afford" to UPS a 20-pound box to Grenada, I would reexamine your priorities.