Boxes instead of suitcases on flight

amother

Jade

Thu, May 04 2017, 12:33 pm

We are planning to bring a lot on flight with us and someone mentioned being able to buy boxes that are an appropriate size to fill therefore able to toss when we unpack. Versus getting stuck with many suitcases.

Can we do this? It would also save money from having to purchase new ones.

Iymnok

Thu, May 04 2017, 1:08 pm

Call the airline. They might have some criteria for boxes. If not, duffel bags without wheels are good. You can even put a box inside if you need more support.

Shoshie

Thu, May 04 2017, 1:36 pm

I agree with Lymnok. Definitely call the airline. Calling Nefesh b'Nefesh for advice couldn't hurt either.

I've purchased a couple of these:
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.c.....+tote
and I love them. The totes/duffles are the largest size acceptable for luggage; they fold into nothing and weigh less than a pound. Most full size suitcases weigh around 12-15 pounds, and I'd rather fill the tote with another 11-14 pounds of my stuff.

The only disadvantage to these totes is they don't have wheels, but don't forget the luggage carts are free when you get to Ben Gurion.

Use pillowslips or drawstring duffle bags inside the tote. It's not only good for organization, but if need be you can carry lighter weight contained items instead of schlepping a 50 pound bag.

Last thought. If you end up buying suitcases, go to thrift shops. Much cheaper there.

Hatzalcha.

Liba

Thu, May 04 2017, 1:40 pm

We used plastic storage bins for some of our suitcases and they untaped them to check them and didn't tape them back up again.

One of them fell from the conveyor belt onto the floor in ben gurion and opened up, spilling its entire contents all over the floor. Thank God, there was nothing personal or private in there, but there were some wooden puzzles that became garbage because of lost pieces.

myself

Thu, May 04 2017, 1:58 pm

We've used boxes, in addition to suitcases, in the past. It worked out really well for us.
Make sure to allow more time in the airport though, as you'll most likely need to take the boxes to the fragile luggage desk after check-in. We didn't know about that, and the extra time it took, left us with very little time to get to the gate.

OOTBubby

Thu, May 04 2017, 5:47 pm

Shoshie wrote:

...but don't forget the luggage carts are free when you get to Ben Gurion.

That's no longer the case. It changed around a year ago. We went through Ben Gurion last week. I think the charge was 10 NIS.

Liba

Thu, May 04 2017, 10:51 pm

OOTBubby wrote:

That's no longer the case. It changed around a year ago. We went through Ben Gurion last week. I think the charge was 10 NIS.

The article I read said that they charged a deposit, but you got it back if you returned the cart. Is that possibly the case?

juggling

Fri, May 05 2017, 2:56 am

My dh travels a lot, between the us and Israel, and he schlepps costco with him every time. He buys boxes from u-haul, I think, and packs in them. It works great, and he has never had trouble, but he is also a frequent flyer. Could be "regular" passengers have different rules.

miriamg

Fri, May 05 2017, 3:15 am

We have taken boxes many times, but recently have only taken duffels because we were told that those with boxes are targeted at customs. I didn't really enjoy answering questions about the Listerine in my luggage (it was before osher ad started importing them) so I only take duffels now. They still weigh next to nothing but are very slightly smaller than boxes. Suitcases take up a lot of weight from your allowance, so I'd limit those.

OOTBubby

Fri, May 05 2017, 5:20 am

Liba wrote:

The article I read said that they charged a deposit, but you got it back if you returned the cart. Is that possibly the case?

Your are correct. There was a refund of something upon return. My impression was that it was not the full amount, but I may be wrong. It is also often not very convenient to return the cart.

Liba

Fri, May 05 2017, 6:28 am

OOTBubby wrote:

Your are correct. There was a refund of something upon return. My impression was that it was not the full amount, but I may be wrong. It is also often not very convenient to return the cart.

I think it is supposed to be the full amount and they did it because it is never convenient to return the carts and they were making a huge hazard (blocking where people need to stand and walk), it looked a mess and was costing a lot paying people to bring them back where they belong...

Any which way 10nis is like $2.50, way less than I ever paid for a cart in the US, and they didn't give a refund for returning it, though somehow we had to do so anyway!

amother

Jade

Fri, May 05 2017, 7:55 am

Our goal is more weight and less money. Plus we are traveling with kids. Boxes seem cheaper than duffles but I would really rather. It be stopped since we have kids with us. At the same time to spend $25 on each duffle sounds like it will get pricey bec we are considering to do it all this way since suitcases really add a lot of weight on their own.

Blessing1

Fri, May 05 2017, 8:58 am

I would be worried about boxes getting ripped/broken & my stuff falling out. They aren't very gentle with the luggage on planes.

Savta S

Tue, May 09 2017, 9:24 am

Yes. We did that & continue to on our visits. Just make sure of two things. First of all make sure the box size (its total dimensions) does not exceed the airline limit. Should the box be only slightly bigger, you can make it smaller by slitting the sides down a bit further than the manufacturer's original cuts, & fold accordingly. The other issue is to take a roll of tape (& scissors) w/you to the airport so that you can seal the box back in the event it's opened at security. Make sure to mark your ID info on the outside of the box (it wouldn't hurt to insert a sheet of paper inside too). I usually do it on several sides to avoid turning it around to check whether it's mine. Also don't skimp w/the tape. Tape it very well. B'hatzlacha.