Taking A Computer As Luggage?

[ViRGE]

Has anyone here ever taken a computer on to a flight as checked-in luggage? In a few weeks I'm taking a business trip that involves flying to the other side of the country for a few weeks and I'd like to drag my full sized computer with me. I still have the original packing material for the case, so it shouldn't be too hard to secure it, but I really have no clue on how the airlines handle this sort of stuff, both in terms of policy and not breaking things.

 

[Zolty]

Check it, and get insurance for it. Also don't do this, it seems like a lot of extra work, if you are taking a business trip you should have a laptop.

 

[Farang]

Call the airline.

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: Zolty
Check it, and get insurance for it. Also don't do this, it seems like a lot of extra work, if you are taking a business trip you should have a laptop.

It's a month long stay; while I have a laptop it isn't particularly useful for my PC gaming addiction.

 

[Kappo]

save yourself a TON of hassle and UPS it to yourself. I refuse to check my laptop now because they have "lost" it twice. I can imagine what would happen if they inspected your bag and found a desktop.

 

[GMI]

I done it a couple of times before transpacific, even with a 21 inc CRT. Surprising, the CRT survive multiple trips in a box by itself with a lot of packing peanut. The tower was inside my personal luggage, and the plastic edges were cracked after the first trip. BUT if it's across the country, I would rather fedex/ups it

edit:

forgot to say, all the parts were disassembled and in their own individual boxes.

 

[slackwarelinux]

I have taken a case and some parts on a plane. I boxed up all the internal stuff like the motherboard and video card and carried that on the plane, then I checked in the case. The computer was unassembled to start with, so that made sense. It came through fine, and I got a shiny blue TSA sticker out of it, which is now on the side of the case.

I know somebody who checked in an assembled computer, and he just took off the side panel so the TSA could scan it properly and no break it whilst inspecting it.

The TSA will quite likely take an interest in your computer, so don't be surprised if they inspect it. Try to either leave a side panel open, or not make it too painful to get inside. Many computers these days have thumbscrews anyways though.

 

[effowe]

Originally posted by: Kappo
save yourself a TON of hassle and UPS it to yourself. I refuse to check my laptop now because they have "lost" it twice. I can imagine what would happen if they inspected your bag and found a desktop.

This would probably be your best bet. Dealing with airlines with this sort of stuff would be more trouble than it's worth.

 

[sdifox]

wouldn't it be better if you ripped the machine apart and leave the case back home?

 

[2Xtreme21]

Originally posted by: sdifox
wouldn't it be better if you ripped the machine apart and leave the case back home?

And just run it on a cardboard box... I guess that's a possibilty. Might raise a few eyebrows in security when they x-ray your bags and find random circuit boards everywhere though.

Oh, and yeah you should make sure they don't x-ray your hard drive. Doubt that can be good for it.

 

[ElFenix]

1-800-GoFedEx

 

[xfalconx2]

I don't think you quite know what Mile High Club means...

 

[Scarpozzi]

Buy a $500 Laptop from Dell Small Business. It's not worth the hassel to drag a full-sized desktop anywhere like that. Best part about having a laptop is that you can get a wifi signal from most coffee shops if you hotel isn't up to date yet. Otherwise, most cheaper hotels these days do wifi-only, so make sure you have at least a USB adapter to plug into your desktop if you take it.

 

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: ViRGE
Has anyone here ever taken a computer on to a flight as checked-in luggage? In a few weeks I'm taking a business trip that involves flying to the other side of the country for a few weeks and I'd like to drag my full sized computer with me. I still have the original packing material for the case, so it shouldn't be too hard to secure it, but I really have no clue on how the airlines handle this sort of stuff, both in terms of policy and not breaking things.

your best bet will be to get REALLY GOOD packaging and fedex 2 day it, then pick it up at your destination..

 

[illusion88]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21

Originally posted by: sdifox
wouldn't it be better if you ripped the machine apart and leave the case back home?

And just run it on a cardboard box... I guess that's a possibilty. Might raise a few eyebrows in security when they x-ray your bags and find random circuit boards everywhere though.

Oh, and yeah you should make sure they don't x-ray your hard drive. Doubt that can be good for it.

Won't affect it at all. It's X-rays, not a magnet.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: illusion88

Won't affect it at all. It's X-rays, not a magnet.

the x-rays themselves won't do anything, but those big conveyor belt motors can if they're not designed properly. that hasn't been an issue for years, however.

 

[Alone]

I wonder if they'd think a water cooled computer was a chemical weapon? :laugh:

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

About four years ago I did that (minus the monitor). I took all the internal components with me in a bag on the plane. The case was checked.

 

[Fraggable]

Dell still has a $500 coupon on a $1499 system. Get a e1705 with a 7900GS and a gig of RAM and you'll hit $15xx and get it for barely over $999.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: xfalconx2
I don't think you quite know what Mile High Club means...

lol, When I read the summary, I was like, what the hell is going to do with the computer - web broadcast himself having sex on the plane?

 

[Alone]

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: xfalconx2
I don't think you quite know what Mile High Club means...

lol, When I read the summary, I was like, what the hell is going to do with the computer - web broadcast himself having sex on the plane?

I thought the same thing. :laugh:

 

[kami333]

I used to carry my Shuttle around with me in my carryon luggage. No way would I trust the airlines with it in checked luggage. Most insurance policies will not cover anything that is in checked luggage, doesn't that tell you something?

 

[aka1nas]

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: xfalconx2
I don't think you quite know what Mile High Club means...

lol, When I read the summary, I was like, what the hell is going to do with the computer - web broadcast himself having sex on the plane?

What is he going to do with that poor computer? :Q

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21

Originally posted by: sdifox
wouldn't it be better if you ripped the machine apart and leave the case back home?

And just run it on a cardboard box... I guess that's a possibilty. Might raise a few eyebrows in security when they x-ray your bags and find random circuit boards everywhere though.

Oh, and yeah you should make sure they don't x-ray your hard drive. Doubt that can be good for it.

After reading everyone's suggestions, that's what I'm leaning towards at this time. I would have needed to take some of it apart anyhow, since I don't want my giant X1900XTX flopping about or any of the drive bays(which are all rails) coming out. Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: xfalconx2
I don't think you quite know what Mile High Club means...

lol, When I read the summary, I was like, what the hell is going to do with the computer - web broadcast himself having sex on the plane?

It did get people to read the thread though, which was the idea... :beer: