Boxes allowed as checked luggage?
 

Will be turning silver on Wednesday! (When QR posts flights)

In January I will be travelling from LHR-NBO and have quite a lot of items to take to NBO, as I will be silver I will get 2 x 32kg even if I’m travelling economy.

I have googled around and saw max dimensions for checked in luggage are: 90 x 75 x 43cm . Does anybody know if these can be cardboard boxes?

Has anybody travelled with cardboard boxes before? I will shrink wrap them. Not used to checking in luggage at all so any advice will be grateful.

Are you sure about he 32kg, I may be wrong but I think in economy the weight is still 23kg.

32kg for Silver and above and OWS/OWE.

I believe that the 32kg is an absolute limit
Anyone can take up to this amount; but if your free allowance is only 23kg, you will have to pay for the extra 9kg.

If you are Silver or above your baggage is 2 pieces at 32kg's.

Boxes are OK. I have done this previously with a box instead of a new suitcase.

Just a further note about boxes. I have done this often, especially when returning from the US with things I've bought. I quite often buy snacks, sauces, wine, etc. Put these in your suitcase and I can almost guarantee that the US authorities will open your suitcase and take a look. And damage the suitcase in the process, for which you have no redress. Put this stuff in a box and - who cares! If they open it, they just tape it up again and you will throw the box away anyway once you get home.

All this works best if you are not relying on public transport at either airport. And it is inconvenient loading a box onto the Hertz shuttle when you've dropped off a hire car.

Just bear in mind that if your box is damaged, BA may not be so willing to compensate you as it would if your suitcase was damaged.
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Cardboard boxes are not designed to run down airport conveyors, through x-rays and other security screening apparatus and then be loaded in ULDs or as bulk.

So if your box gets torn as it trundles down a conveyor and your items spill out, BA may not pay out if you then try and open a Damaged Property Report (DPR) and may try and say that a cardboard box is unsatisfactory as baggage.

That said, I have travelled numerous times on BA and other airlines with boxes without problem but one should try and ensure they are sturdy and shrink wrapped to survive the journey.

​​Routes into Africa often see many pax checking in poorly prepared boxes or very cheap disposable bags and then getting upset when their baggage arrives damaged!

Why would they damage the box? As an expat, I regularly bring food when I come back to the US and I ferry books and other things back and forth. As a result, my bags are always opened, without any issues.

A double or triple wall box will work perfect. I've rarely had boxes measured but if you're worried about it just cut the box down by 2cm. Score the inside 2cm down from the top, cut the sides to match and fold the sides down to the new size. You'll probably want to do a little extra because advertised box dimensions are typically the interior measurements.

Boxes travel well by plane, just use lots of tape. Think about the amount of handling and the numerous belts a box you ship UPS, FedEx, Post, etc goes through.

Hope it goes well.

I've checked cases of champagne and boxes of auto parts, never been a problem. I think the boxes actually get handled better than suitcases.

+1, I have taken cardboard boxes with me before to take advantage of the 2x23kg per person. Never a problem at all.

I have also travelled with oversized/overweight luggage before (I'm terrible, I know) but never been a problem, just be prepared to repack if called out. If it's just 2 cms I doubt it will be a problem.