So I have this some "tablet" here as a Christmas gift, the box is more than 46" linear inches (there's a reason for quotes around the tablet :P ) so I am thinking of just checking in. It's the factory box, very nicely padded with those shaped "hard" foam inserts so I think it'd survive just fine. But what if the TSA opens it? Will they have tape to close it back?

They're not going to open it. Their X-ray can see that it's an empty box.

It's not an empty box; there's a huge HP tablet inside. (21" tablet, lol, who comes up with these things?)

Edit: shipping it from Canada to Hungary is slow, expensive and altogether problematic. I have a business class plane ticket, why not take with me?

As the OP is concerned about the TSA issues surrounding the tablet in its box, I'll move the thread to the apt travel security forum. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

Are we sure there won't be a problem due to it having a great big lithium battery (or is it mains-powered only)?

Yes, take it with you - on the plane, as carry-on luggage. That probably means getting rid of the commercial packaging and putting it in a rollaboard, but it's a small inconvenience to ensure that it arrives with you.

FWIW, I'm not sure the airline will take responsibility for electronics damaged or 'lost' in checked bags.

Checking a valuable electronic item is a sure way to never see it again.

I dunno, I regularly check a 23" LED monitor. There's no battery. The question really is: will the TSA close it back ?

I've never seen a carry on sized roll aboard that could take this thing on board: it's a 20.9" x 13.9" slab. I do have a backpack large enough (it's a rolltop and large enough for the 21.7" monitor) but I'd rather not backpack a 10.69lbs item...

Almost certainly the airline will not take ANY responsibility for checked electronics. Loss or damage.

Check the conditions of carriage... oh, for example BA

http://www.britishairways.com/en-us/...ns-of-carriage

8f) Fragile or perishable items must not be packed in baggage checked into the hold
You must not include in your checked baggage fragile or perishable items or items of special value such as:
�money
�jewellery
�precious metals
�computers
�personal electronic devices
�share certificates, bonds and other valuable documents
�business documents or
�passports and other identification documents.

Checking it is just asking for it to be stolen.

Guys! I am regulary, dozens of times a year flying with a monitor in my suitcase. Noone ever stole that ..... This is the thicker version of the same. Leave that to me. If it gets stolen, *oh well*. That is not the question

You're lucky.

On the TSA question, they probably won't have tape. But they probably won't open it, either.

Also, I can understand that a baggage handler could walk away with jewelry or a laptop. But how do you guys imagine someone just walking out of her/his workplace with a 23" LCD??? (Reminds me of the ancient joke: why didn't the Soviets release their new microprocessor? They couldn't get it through the factory gate )

As a veteran of checking sketchy looking cardboard boxes full of things, this is basically the opposite of my experience. The TSA nearly always seems to decide to open my cardboard boxes and poke around inside, but the good news is that they have convenient "inspected by TSA" tape they will use to reclose the box and disclose that it has been inspected.

Don't expect the reassembly of your carefully packed box interior to be professional, though - although I imagine you wouldn't have a problem with factory foam inserts for a tablet pc.

I'm actually of a different mind than the others - you would be at very low risk of theft here. For jewelry and small electronics - even laptops - it would be possible to smuggle out the prize from the airport in a backpack or under a shirt. It takes serious cojones to do the same thing with a 20+ inch monitor! Don't expect the airline to take liability for damage, but I don't see this as any riskier than sending it via uninsured fedex or UPS.

Okay, chx, if you're going to insist on checking this item rather than carrying it on with you, let me give you a few tidbits of advice:

1) Pack well. You are using the factory box with foam inserts, which is very good, but also fill any empty spots inside the box with crumpled paper, foam, or towels. Checked bags are stacked among other checked bags, and when this happens, any empty space inside your box will allow the outside to collapse like a balloon, which can damage the inside.

2) Use the plastic bag that the tablet came in. If you don't have that bag, find another. Find a package of desiccant - those beads that absorb moisture - and pack it inside the plastic bag. Moisture is an enemy of electronics. There is air inside of every electronic device. That air contains moisture. When the device gets put into the cold luggage compartment of a plane, the moisture can condense into drops of water, and could cause corrosion or electrical shorts that can damage the device. The plastic will keep moisture out, and the desiccant will absorb any moisture that is inside the device before it becomes drops of water.

3) Reinforce all of the seams, edges and corners of the box with several layers of packing tape. Wrap a couple of loops completely around the box to hold it together. This will help it to bear the weight of luggage that it stacked on top of it in the hold, and help it to hold together when it gets thrown around by the luggage handlers

4) Create some sort of carry strap for the box out of rope, strapping, or tape, so you can easily carry it to and from the airport. It sounds big and moderately heavy, so it will be awkward to handle it along with your luggage.

5) You don't seem worried about theft, but take precautions any way - wipe any personal data off the device before you pack it. Secure it with a password so it's useless to anyone who might steal it. Log it out of any accounts - Amazon, Google Play, Facebook, emails, etc. so no one can access these accounts if they get past the password.

Good luck with your device. Please come back and let us know how the flight went.