I'd ship it as well. First off, as indicated by your OP, this is causing you a lot of stress, secondly, if you do have trouble carrying it on, at that point you would have to check it gateside, and if it is not as well protected as remyontheroad indicated, you could be in for disaster. Yes, shipping is expensive, but piece of mind goes a long way. I always ship my golf clubs as well as my skis, whether I am traveling domestically or internationally. If you package the item yourself, often you will minimize the cost. Additionally, you can insure them to the actual value, not what Delta will cap out at.