I am moving from Australia to the US (Boston area), and there is not much to ship, but there is some stuff like clothes, books, etc. Total of about 5 big boxes.

The shipping companies seem to be overkill and I'd prefer to take them along to the flight. Contestant No 1, Cathay Pacific, charges $190 per "additional piece"; contestant No 2, Qantas, charges $123 - assuming it's under 23 kg. Both are lower than what the shipping companies would charge, and since it will be reimbursed by the employer, I wouldn't mind if it even were higher. I prefer Cathay because it's going to be a direct flight from HKG to BOS so I don't need to drag my stuff through the congested, depressing, dirty LAX.

The question is, are there any dangers to look out for? Restrictions?

Nope, not really. I fly with boxes as checked baggage all the time. Here are my suggestions:

• Actually mark the boxes as "Checked Baggage" so that they don't accidentally end up in the cargo area (happened to me once).
• Normal boxes won't survive well; use heavy-duty cardboard.
• "Barrel tape" the boxes so they don't burst. 1-2 strips around each side should do.
• If there's a chance of getting wet, wrap in plastic. Cardboard + water don't mix well, even heavy-duty cardboard.

I would pick the connection at HKG vs. LAX... CX/HKG is much more efficient at handling luggage, and you're not even involved. Also, TSA wouldn't be involved with "inspecting" your boxes (when you arrive in BOS).

Why wouldn't you just use a relocation service if it's going to be paid for by your company?

I might, but I don't have a permanent location yet so I will have to provide someone else's address; as I don't want to inconvenience them, I will have to pick it up in a depot which are usually located in, as the Aussie saying goes, a Woop Woop Town. Simply put, too much hassle, and I won't have my stuff for weeks.

Thanks, extremely useful. One worry less and one dilemma less, let alone a great excuse to avoid LAX.

Truth be told, LAX isn't so bad anymore, with the new TBIT building open. But you can't get away with having to deal with claiming your boxes at LAX, going through C&I, then having to walk over to T4 for your flight to BOS.

So while I wouldn't avoid LAX if you're leaving the US, coming into the US it's best just to get to your final destination as your first point of entry.

Another tip: Try to enjoy Hong Kong for one night. I had a 23 hour connection at HKG once, and my bags still made it onto my connecting flight the next day. Have had shorter (but still overnight) connections, and never have had a problem.

Oh yes, actually, the Asia-facing terminal (when coming back) is pretty good, with the food options and the shopping pretty much at APAC standards. The domestic, on the other hand...

That's OK, I'm used to this kind of stuff. They are also pretty anxious waiting for me there, so I don't think that's an option.

Removals companies usually offer storage for a fee - in my case I'm able to get storage both in country of departure (until I've got the necessary paperwork) and storage in country of arrival (until I've got a permanent address). Right now my stuff is still in storage at the departure country while I'm busy travelling around the world and sorting my paperwork.

That's very useful information but probably for a slightly different situation. Right now I prefer to take it along, there is not too much.

Hmm, maybe check with your company? When I moved countries a few years ago, the company paid for crown relocations service, which was amazing. They came to my house in old country, packed up everything, shipped it to new country and held it in their warehouse for 30 days while I got my new place sorted. After that was done they delivered and unpacked everything in my new place.

IceTrojan's offered a great list of tips. The one to underscore is the point about heavy-duty cardboard boxes. The different in durability is noticeable and will seriously help you in the event that your box gets dropped, sits out in damp/wet weather, etc. The luggage wrapping service (if your airport offers them) is probably also worth using.

The boxes are called double walled heavy duty shipping boxes in North America. Basically it is a two layered box in a box wall construction.

In major US/Canadian cities the best place to get these is at Filipino stores. They are called Balikbayan boxes for shipping/taking stuff during home visits. They are also 20in cubed so at 60 linear inches it fit under all standard airline dimension guidelines. Some of the premium ones have a coating on the exterior which is water-repelling.

As I live in Asia much of the year, I often bring lots of stuff back from the US. I rarely bring boxes as they seem to get beat up, and often aren't covered if damage occurs to the contents.

You can ask relatives for old, but large sturdy luggage, or check thrift stores. I bring glass bottles of food items, like olive oil, olives, etc, and when packed properly, I've never had a breakage.

I do, however, have a number of very large suitcases that I can stuff with as much stuff as possible. Last week, I arrived with 3x 32 kilo bags, plus a legal size, but not lightweight carryon, plus laptop bag. Say, another 35 kilos.

I had actually packed one checked luggage a bit overweight, at 40kg, so had to redistribute it quickly. Luckily they didn't weigh my F carryons on CX. And I didn't have to pay any luggage fees.

Often it's worth flying in a higher class of service to avoid luggage surcharges.

If your clothes are bulky, but light, I'd investigate SpaceSaver bags or similar. You can easily fit 3 times more stuff in a bag, with some fluffier items. If you can only bring 23kg bags, check the surcharge for 32kg bags. Might be cheaper, and don't forget that if you are elite, you may get a larger luggage allowance.

Very useful advices, thanks everyone. Probably too late to use a service like Crown (we've done most of the stuff) but it's good to know they exist. Also, spacesaver and vacuum bags are great tips too.

Minimizing TSA inspection of boxes (by avoiding domestic US flights to get your goods to your US destination) is likely to mean better protection of your goods, since the TSA has a history of ripping up checked luggage boxes out of your sight and not necessarily repacking the items properly.

Even simple Lego boxes and the Lego toys in checked luggage have been ruined and lost by the TSA in a way that even some young children haven't managed to do. Even when well protected in hard suitcases.