Cooler as checked luggage
Jul 20, 2017, 2:27 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 728
Cooler as checked luggage
Would a cooler (i.e., ice/food cooler) with only clothes in it pass for checked luggage on a domestic U.S. flight?
I was just thinking it would be easier to bring the cooler than to buy another one when I arrive at my destination.
Thanks.
I was just thinking it would be easier to bring the cooler than to buy another one when I arrive at my destination.
Thanks.
Jul 20, 2017, 4:33 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: WN A+ CP, UA 1MM/*A Gold, Mar LT Tit, IHG Plat, HH Dia
Posts: 6,284
I've seen coolers at luggage claim numerous times so I'd conclude the answer is broadly yes. Do understand 1) you might face limits/surcharges based on the dimensions of your cooler. Look up the policies of the airline(s) you're flying. And 2) seal the lid to the body with packing tape. Handles and latches can be knocked open during handling.
Jul 20, 2017, 5:47 pm
#3
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Usually GIG
Programs: Smiles Diamante, dirt elsewhere
Posts: 955
I've done it several times in the past, both domestic and international flights. Granted it's been six or seven years since I last did it, but it was never an issue. Sometimes the check-in agent wanted me to open it to prove it was not filled with ice, so I usually sealed it with duck or packing tape after I showed it to him (pretty fast task when you do it as many times as I did it).
Jul 20, 2017, 10:10 pm
#4
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: on the path to perdition
Programs: Delta, United
Posts: 4,785
I often travel with a soft sided cooler from https://www.aocoolers.com. I also use it as a grocery bag in the summer.
Jul 21, 2017, 9:31 am
#5
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: WN A+ CP, UA 1MM/*A Gold, Mar LT Tit, IHG Plat, HH Dia
Posts: 6,284
BTW don't completely discard the idea of buying a cooler once at your destination. I've done that a few times. Usually I buy one of those styrofoam coolers that's basically a throw-away after several days to a week of use; but that's enough for the trip. Last time I priced them, about two weeks ago, they were $8 at a grocery store. Recently on a trip I bought a Coleman "Playmate" cooler for about $15. Paying such prices may be easier than the costs or hassle of checking a cooler.
Jul 21, 2017, 10:53 am
#6
Moderator Hilton Honors, Travel News, West, The Suggestion Box, Smoking Lounge & DiningBuzz
Join Date: Jun 2000
Programs: Honors Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle, National Exec Elite
Posts: 36,026
Half the checked "luggage" on some Hawai`i inter-island flights are coolers. 
Jul 22, 2017, 10:55 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 728
Isn't TSA allowed to open the cooler? I was afraid they would cut the duct tape then it wouldn't seal as well when they closed the lid. My skivvies would end up being scattered around the luggage carousel... 
Jul 22, 2017, 10:55 am
#12
Moderator: Travel Buzz
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Sunny San Diego
Posts: 3,099
Jul 23, 2017, 10:16 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 12,597
I've flown internationally with a cooler full of equipment. Other people I was flying with had several coolers full of ice cores and didn't have to do anything special at check-in or customs.
Jul 28, 2017, 9:37 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 88
We have done it many times when travelling to Destin. We tape it with duct tape, then use luggage straps as extra reinforcement. Remember to pack in more tape for when you return. Also write your name somewhere on the tape in case the tag comes off. We load ours with towels and sunscreen and still have a bit of room for personal items.