Check it on the airline or mail it?

[Bean Counter]

I'm leaning towards mailing it for the following reasons:

• Less chance of being lost
• Mail carriers more likely to respect the word "fragile" on the box
• Cheaper

Other opinions?

[bobcat]

What is "it"

[Bean Counter]

How many connections before you arrive at your final destination?

Direct flight from AZ back to Sea Tac.

[Bean Counter]

I suspect we are talking about a bow??

Yup, sorry guys. Thought that'd be implicit due to posting in the "Archery" forum.  Just trying to keep it simple. Still recovering from a profession known to make things difficult.

[Spooner]

We flew SW last year direct to NM and did not have a problem.  We had good luck with the TSA officials and SW employees.  They did try to charge us on the way home due to size but we complained (the girl was new) so they didn't charge us any extra.  

[Spooner]

If you don't have one already you may want to look into a bow case that has TSA keys.  The SKB cases have a warranty should your equipment become damaged during transport.  If you plan to travel much they are a good investment. 
Also when we checked it in with the TSA I asked the guy if I could wait until he inspected it to make sure everything got replaced correctly.  He didn't have any problem with it and was pretty cool.

[NRA4LIFE]

I would check into the cost with the airline, specifically for a bow.  It very well might be cheaper to send it.

[jackelope]

my stepdad regularly flies with a $10k+ krieghoff shotgun all over the country and has never had aproblem with the gun getting lost, beat up, etc.
buy a hard sided bow case and i'd say you'll be fine, especially with a direct flight.

[Todd_ID]

I had this very same question about flying to the World Championships in NY next week and then to Kansas in November.  My fear was that the airline would strictly enforce the size rule and charge for the oversized bag.  I took the bow case to the counter at the airport and asked three different agents there how they would handle it, and all of them told me that they personally don't charge the oversize fee for bow cases because they are light and easy to handle.  They did say to make wure to get the TSA lock from Wal-Mart, though.  My decision is to take it on the plane with me on both trips this year.

[adam.WI]

If it's direct there is no reason not to check it. It has the same chances as in the mail.

[WDFW-SUX]

I have an SKB bow case for when I fly...they come with a 1500 insurance/guarantee from skb in case your item is damaged they will replace it up to that amount.  The case was 200 bucks at sport co and is great...never had any damage.

They come with TSA keys too. 

[archery288]

If it's a bow I would just check  it.. I like knowing where my belongings are.. Somewhere on here is the article I wrote in Eastmans bowhunting Journal last year about flying with your bow / rifles / belongings etc.. Take a look at it and hopefully that will be some good insight.. 

[Bean Counter]

If it's a bow I would just check  it.. I like knowing where my belongings are.. Somewhere on here is the article I wrote in Eastmans bowhunting Journal last year about flying with your bow / rifles / belongings etc.. Take a look at it and hopefully that will be some good insight.. 

That's ironic, I might get to hunt with one of the Eastmans on this trip.

Turns out though, I may have a connecting flight  Better to mail for sure now?

[xXx Archery]

I fly with my bow...you will be ok

[coachcw]

If your using an outfitter send in a week and a half early second day, if it's going to a small town some of those drivers don't get in a hurry, i went to col a few years back , I sent my bow a week earlyer and had to track it down when I got to gunnison good thing it was a small town , I walked up and found my bow case sitting on a loading dock . good luck.

[Little Dave]

Flights from Texas, okay to check because they seem to respect hunting equipment more.  Seems like outbound from SeaTac not so much.  Shipping a bow ahead to Arkansas from here, somebody tried to pry open the bow case and pull stuff out.  Eventually, UPS agreed to replace my bow case.

[mjgentile]

I mailed a bow to friend in Michigan cost over 60.
I fly with my bow to Oklahoma City, on United, cost me 25 for second bag.
I have a TSA approved case, only thing extra I did was buy some good gun foam to stop a rattling

[Todd_ID]

I'm glad to hear that the concensus is to take it on the airplane because the time has passed for me to mail it: I'm leaving on Tuesday for Worlds.  I'm hoping that the connecting baggage guys do good for me because I'm going on a circuitous route: Lewiston, ID-Seattle, WA-Atlanta, GA-Buffalo, NY and back the same way.

[archery288]

If it's a bow I would just check  it.. I like knowing where my belongings are.. Somewhere on here is the article I wrote in Eastmans bowhunting Journal last year about flying with your bow / rifles / belongings etc.. Take a look at it and hopefully that will be some good insight.. 

That's ironic, I might get to hunt with one of the Eastmans on this trip.

Turns out though, I may have a connecting flight  Better to mail for sure now?

I would still fly with it personally.. I had several connecting flights last year when I went on the caribou hunt with Cameron Hanes in Quebec..  I went from here to Denver where I met up with Cam.. Then from there to Montreal.. And then the next morning from there to Kujjuaq.. I never had any issues with it and I just like to know where my stuff is at all times.. If you take two bows like I do, I will put one in my Badlands Terra Glide and one in a bow case.. Arrows and releases and all accessories in both to be safe.. The odds of loosing two bags are slim to none.. But the odds of loosing a bad period are slim.. In the mail its easy to lose stuff, happens all the time.. One number or letter can change the whole place it gets shipped.. Just my  on this...