What is the best way to carry 1+ semesters worth of books on a flight?

[BlondeCookie]

Does anyone have any experience carrying a lot of books on a flight? I'm wondering what is the best way to go about this. Should I pack the books in a box and check it in with the airline? I'm not even sure if the airlines let people do that? Maybe, I should just cram everything into my suitcase with my clothes. In any case, it surely is going to be heavy and put me over these puny weight limits. What should I do?

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[ercxi]

have you thought about shipping them to your destination? this would surely be cheaper than paying the overage rates the airlines charge and you wouldn't have to lug them around the airport.

 

[WellWornLad]

Why the hell are you taking all those books with you?

 

[ClockworkDoc]

Why the hell are you taking all those books with you?

Christmas presents?

 

[WellWornLad]

Christmas presents?

Right. I guess it's not really Christmas unless it's a Netter's Christmas.

 

[Blesbok]

Use less text books and more review books. I could carry my first year books in a clutch purse if need be.

 

[njbmd]

I will add a vote for ship. If you pack, you may end up paying for the extra weight. If you try carry-on, they might not fit. UPS/FedEx or USPS have worked just fine. If I am going anywhere for more than one week, I have my clothes shipped before hand and then shipped back home. That way, all I have to carry on is my very small laptop computer (4 pounds and fits under the seat in front of me).

The folks at FedEx know me well and have my needs set when I come into the store. I just put wrap my stuff in plastic, into the box, labels are already printed and it's taken care of. I have never had a problem with with any of the companies above.

Unless you are flying Southwest (even they have weight limits), you pay to check bags and carry-on is as good as how fast you can get on the plane coupled with the size of the plane. If you are in a regional jet or Canada-Air-100, forget carry-on except a very small bag. It's not going to fit.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

have you thought about shipping them to your destination? this would surely be cheaper than paying the overage rates the airlines charge and you wouldn't have to lug them around the airport.

+1

UPS, FedEx, etc.

 

[Ana82]

I would recommend putting the books in your carry-on. If you put them in your luggage, they will make your luggage weigh a zillion pounds over and the airline will charge an extra $100-$200 for extra cargo.

If it's just for Christmas break, don't bother taking any books home. Trust me - you WON'T read it. If you must, only bring 1 mini review book maximum. You'll be way too tired over the break. Only bring light stuff to review. Maybe an atlas or something?

 

[doc20]

carry them on or in your head

 

[hb2998]

USPS Media Mail

Pack, weight, go online and price. Media Mail was the cheapest for me when I shipped about 60 pounds worth of books from west coast to east coast. ~$40 bucks. It saved me a lot of trouble, although the mail man looks at me weird now.

Advice: Get some heavy duty tape. No one accepts Duct Tape.

 

[Evergrey]

I second hb2998's advice. I've sent books home from school, and media mail is a very reasonable price considering the heavy tonnage you are sending. Your package travels at the same speed as ground mail, so check how long it will take to get to your home. As far as I know, this is the best option for economical shipment of books.