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Bringing imac on airplane

the_insider

the_insider

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 20, 2005
177
0
USA / UK
:eek:

I bought my 20inch intelmac right after macworld, while i was still living in zurich.. im going to be heading to colorado in a few weeks, and im going to have to bring it on an airplane. Im really scared to check it in, as it could get broken, and i think its too big to bring as carry on.

would any of you guys have any suggestions as to how to bring it over?

many thanks
Francois
 
If you don't want to check it (if you do, put it in a big bag with clothes and stuff), ship it with UPS, FedEx, or any shipper.
 
yankeefan24 said:
If you don't want to check it (if you do, put it in a big bag with clothes and stuff), ship it with UPS, FedEx, or any shipper.
Click to expand...


Good advice. And be cautious of any "Special care" options for your flight. I was told that my guitar would be placed onto a separate belt to be transported into the plane as a fragile piece of luggage. Then I watched one of the guys literally throw it onto the belt. The case had many dents. Now, I don't know how stupid you'd have to be, but when you see a guitar-shaped box you'd kinda think that you might want to take care.

Ask someone to actually go tell the guys who load the luggage onto the plane that your package is very valuable. I doubt anyone actually told the guys on the other end, outside the plane that my guitar was to be treated as a fragile item.
 
I work for an airline, not as a baggage handler, but take my advice, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES DO NOT CHECK IT IN. sorry for the yelling. I just want to make sure you heard me.
 
macsnjets said:
I work for an airline, not as a baggage handler, but take my advice, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES DO NOT CHECK IT IN. sorry for the yelling. I just want to make sure you heard me.
Click to expand...

I second that.

I would break down, pay the shipping and get insurrance.

You can never be too careful.
 
Agreed... ship it.

But be smart and de-authorize iTMS (if you use it), back up all of your data, try to make sure personal data is reasonably secure (i.e., at a minimum disable auto-login), etc. Pretend you know in advance it'll be lost or stolen. Insure it fully. Bring the backups of important data with you on the plane on DVDs.

Odds are you'll be fine. But, if you've prepared for the worst, you'll feel a lot better until it arrives. Do the same when you send it back.
 
macsnjets said:
I work for an airline, not as a baggage handler, but take my advice, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES DO NOT CHECK IT IN. sorry for the yelling. I just want to make sure you heard me.
Click to expand...



absolutely!!!!!!!!! the LAST thing you should ever do is check in a computer as checked baggage

but you may be able to carry it on.....I don't mean in it's shipping box but there are carry bags for an imac........I see people carry on wardrobe bags all the time (they fold up to close to the same size as an imac, minus the stand anyway) and I know that I've had clients carry on presentation boards that are bigger than the 16" x 19." size of the imac......people carry all sorts of stuff onto airplanes

my advice would be to call the airline and talk to them to see how it can be taken as a carry on
 
Ubuntu said:
Good advice. And be cautious of any "Special care" options for your flight. I was told that my guitar would be placed onto a separate belt to be transported into the plane as a fragile piece of luggage. Then I watched one of the guys literally throw it onto the belt. The case had many dents. Now, I don't know how stupid you'd have to be, but when you see a guitar-shaped box you'd kinda think that you might want to take care.

Ask someone to actually go tell the guys who load the luggage onto the plane that your package is very valuable. I doubt anyone actually told the guys on the other end, outside the plane that my guitar was to be treated as a fragile item.
Click to expand...

I have family who work for the Airlines. The baggage people don't give a **** about your stuff. They have limited time they need to get all the luggage on the plane so it's not delayed. So it's their ass or your stuff and it ends up being your stuff that's thrown around.
 
Macky-Mac said:
but you may be able to carry it on.....I don't mean in it's shipping box but there are carry bags for an imac........I see people carry on wardrobe bags all the time (they fold up to close to the same size as an imac, minus the stand anyway) and I know that I've had clients carry on presentation boards that are bigger than the 16" x 19." size of the imac......people carry all sorts of stuff onto airplanes

my advice would be to call the airline and talk to them to see how it can be taken as a carry on
Click to expand...

"All sorts of stuff"? What airline do you fly? Most have size/weight restrictions. A 20" iMac seems like it'd be pretty bulky. Unless you're flying first or business, it's usually only one carry on. And if it's a full flight, it's either going to get shoved under you or shoved into the overhead bin with everyone elses crap. If you're particularly unlucky, the stuff shifts around inflight and then when you open the compartment it falls out. (I had this happen with a roller laptop bag, the guy it fell on was pretty angry. But since the bag had so much padding my laptop was ok. Which was all that mattered).

Pack it well, ship it, and insure it. It should be fine. :)
 
Having travelled between India and America every few months.. I almost always have my powermac G5 checked in (can't take it as a carry on :rolleyes: )

However, I pack it really well.. almost 4 to 5 layers of bubble wrap around it.. and then pack clothing all around.. top and bottom. There has never been a scratch on it so far.

BUT.. the imac is absolutely different because of the LCD. Actually, I could probably pack an imac really well and check it in.. but you'll have to be really anal about packing it. This applies when you ship it as well. I have packed LCDs in my checked in baggage before, and they have been fine.

You guys think UPS/FedEx handle packages with care? Yeah right! They throw around packages just the way airport personnel throw around baggages.

And airport personnel don't 'throw' around baggages simply because they'e tired or pissed or whatever.. bags are heavy.. you can't pick one up real slow.. and move it around real slow.. kinda like handling really heavy weights while doing deadlifts in the gym.. you have to lift it fast with power movements. So airport guys lift and throw real fast.. my bags weigh 70 lbs at times.. its not easy to do that all day long.

Whether you check your imac in your baggage or you ship it.. only proper packing will ensure that it makes it in one piece. Handling of all packages is the same.. whether its airport handlers or shipping agents.

Your best friend in this case is bubble wrap.. lots of it!
 
I'm gonna be running into the same problem during Christmas time when i fly back home. 24hr flight back. To the poster who packed the powermac, do you think the bubble wrap is good enough to protect the LCD of the imac? I have a 17" iMac G5 with all the original packaging. Do you think i could ask FedEx or UPS to just pack it for me and pay them? Thanks!
 
suggestions

If you're gonna check in the iMac, get a panel of wood or something stiff to protect the LCD screen. Make sure you have bubble wrap and spacers between the panel and wood, so that even if it flexes a lot under pressure, it still won't touch the screen.

If you still have the original box and packing materials, that would be a good way to pack it before checking it. (and put the Apple box inside another case so that it's not obvious it's valuable.)

Some people on here sell empty Apple boxes and packaging if you want.
 
One more thing to consider if you carry it on and don't plan to fly direct to your destination: What one airline considers okay at one airport might not be okay at another. (There really needs to be some consistency in this area, in my opinion.)

-Squire
 
extraextra said:
"All sorts of stuff"? What airline do you fly? Most have size/weight restrictions.
Pack it well, ship it, and insure it. It should be fine. :)
Click to expand...

Meaning no disrespect but when and what airlines have you ever seen enforce the rules of carry-on bags. I travel as a part of my job and I see all the time roll-arounds, suit bags way over packed that are way oversized allowed onboard along with just about everything else you can imagine. And the flight attendents turn-their-head 80 to 90% of the time. I have flown one airline (British Airlines) that has enforced these strickly at the gate. And if they are the last to board then they get in a real huff! So on that aspect to prevent any damage and as all have said I would pack it well and ship it!! It will be worth the extra money spent just to get your hard earned iMac home in safe and sound order.

As far as ironic said I do not believe UPS or Fed-Ex will pack anything. But you can try Pak-Mail or Mailboxes are us or something similier to drop it off and pack it. I do not think a single layer of bubble wrap would protect an LCD. Again though Insure it well and keep your receipts not only from the shipper but also the original from the computer just in case you need to make a claim.

Bill......
 
the_insider said:
:eek:

I bought my 20inch intelmac right after macworld, while i was still living in zurich.. im going to be heading to colorado in a few weeks, and im going to have to bring it on an airplane. Im really scared to check it in, as it could get broken, and i think its too big to bring as carry on.

would any of you guys have any suggestions as to how to bring it over?

many thanks
Francois
Click to expand...

Check in should be OK, provided that you are going to put it in a hard suitcase, Samsonite-like... And then pad the thing very well, preferably with pillows. I've moved my iMac 20" that way without any dramas.
 
demallien said:
Check in should be OK, provided that you are going to put it in a hard suitcase, Samsonite-like... And then pad the thing very well, preferably with pillows. I've moved my iMac 20" that way without any dramas.
Click to expand...

as long as its got no liquids in it.
 
airlines

just in case you didnt see it this morning, big terror plot in the UK, airlines now banning liquids (except baby formula) and just about anything electronic from carry on, including laptops and ipods.

I tend to think the ship it idea is best, but I would back up your files to cd/dvd first if I were you.

good luck
 
bflowers said:
just in case you didnt see it this morning, big terror plot in the UK, airlines now banning liquids (except baby formula) and just about anything electronic from carry on, including laptops and ipods.

I tend to think the ship it idea is best, but I would back up your files to cd/dvd first if I were you.

good luck
Click to expand...

Wow... that really sucks... I hope the US doesn't do that any time soon.

While I think that carryon is the best idea, I would reccommend selling it and buying a new one when you get there. That way, you would have cash for it, and cash is alot easier to move (with less worries, too) than an iMac.
 
bflowers said:
just about anything electronic from carry on, including laptops and ipods.
Click to expand...

does that mean people with iPods and laptops have to throw them away to get past security? or is there an option to put them in your checked baggage. finding your checked baggage seems like a hassle but it'd be worth it to save hundreds of dollars (iPod) or thousands (laptop).
 
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