Originally Posted by
spgaston
We are planning on doing the RTW with just carryon. This will limit the amount of useless stuff we need to carry and keep us mobile. We will take limited toiletries (with the exception of the chapstick) and buy what we need when we need it. We have a couple of tight connections in the itinerary and I am tall so it is hard for me to replace lost clothing and shoes.
I could check the chapstick in a box that is large enough not to get lost, but this presents a couple of problems:
1) On the outbound we are traveling on 4, yes 4 different airlines (AS,DL,AF,OK). While it is theoretically possible to interline with all of these airlines, there is a large chance of the box getting lost when switching terminals in SEA, JFK, and CDG. Add to this a 7 hour layover at CDG.
2) Travel will be in late August and early September, and there is the potential of the ChapStick melting while waiting on the hot tarmac.
Do you have a local Goodwill or other thrift store? We've done this a couple of times: stop by and pick up a suitcase, nothing fancy, something cheap, check that bag and when you get to your final destination, either toss it or re-donate to a local thrift store.
Less of a chance of a suitcase getting lost than a small plain box. Plus I'm sure there would be someone in your aunt's town that could make use of a small suitcase.