Cathay Boy

Hi guys:

I bought a box of books (weight 11 kg), in a post office brown rectangular box. My question is: am I able to just bring that box to the airport and get it shipped as is? Don't feel like taking it apart and stuff them in my couple of luggages (since I can bring 3 as DM, just wondering if I am able to do that.)

Do I have to put ropes around it or will airport staff do that for me?

Thanks.

Unterwegs

You should be able to do this - i had boxes as luggage on ther airlines without problems. Just make sure the box is stable enough to survive the handling.

QRC3288

They will absolutely accept it. Never once have I had them turn odd packages away from me that I am checking in as luggage. That's the upside, they're going to take it. The downside, however is that they don't do much to "treat" your package for you - so you've got to make sure you pack it well enough so that it doesn't come apart during the baggage handling process. I've checked some poorly packed boxes which, in hindsight, I absolutely shouldn't have checked and got very lucky that they didn't come apart during baggage handling (one of my boxes came apart completely as I lifted it off the luggage carousel in HKG, another two were completely destroyed but the goods still recoverable off the baggage carousel in SFO). At check-in, however CX didn't say anything...they just slapped baggage tags on and let me go. I feel pretty lucky and don't check any more brown boxes except wine cases anymore (see below).

I still regularly check cases of wine in normal-looking brown cardboard boxes (with Styrofoam inserts that fit the wine very snugly in the box), but those boxes are specifically made for shipping wine. Both FedEx and UPS accept them as proper ways to ship wine, so even though they look like normal boxes they're really quite secure.

Lastly, if your package eats it in flight and you don't end up with your books at the end, I'm not sure if you'll be able to get compensation (and at the least, it'll suck not having your books).

percysmith

No special consideration for US right? The above answer is right for Australia, but I have little experience what happens for US flights.

kaka

I dont think method of package makes any difference. Fwiw i just sent 3 paper boxes(well packed inside) and no problems whatsoever. Only that from japan they arent so violent to the boxes!

garykung

If I were you, I will repack it.

It is not the matter of CX will accept it or not.

It is a matter of the chance that the "box" will be destroyed in-flight - the box may not strong enough to sustain travel.

QRC3288

Most, if not all of my situations with boxes involve flights to or from the US. CX doesn't seem to have any problem with them both at HKIA for USA-bound flights, nor at SFO, LAX or JFK for HK bound flights.

kaka

a well packed box rarely get destroyed-
1) as least worn as possible (a box with a already worn corner is easier to get more worn)
2) minimal movement inside (a full n heavy box isnt so much of a problem if movement is restricted, constant bangin and bashing inside the box would break it)
3) tape/seal all opening edges (that's where the weakness of a box is)
4) if its bulging and tries to push the box open, tape around those openings too.

dont think you said where you bought ur stuff, but i find most online shops do pack things well. if you shake the box and there's minimal movement, then chances are that your stuff will be fine - possibly better than you packing it again.

beep88

OP must have rarely travelled with checked bags, or his bags always the first to show up.

Spend any time waiting around at the baggage carousels and you'll see cardboard boxes often. No rope as that tends to get snagged.

beta1607

I brought a roughly 22kg cardboard box from Asia to US on CX when traveling in F with no issues from CX.

I would strongly recommend wrapping the box in the plastic wrap they have at airports to keep it from falling apart, especially if there is a chance the cardboard box could become wet and very weak due to rain.

chentaiman

I have used Fedex 25kg boxes many times, and they all arrived in perfect shape.