Transporting heavy artwork, international travel questions!

June 29, 2023 11:24 AM

I'm an artist from the USA, and I'm creating artwork while in Greece. It fits in my one checked luggage but will put it into either overweight or cargo status at the airport. I could do a second checked bag but I only have two arms for my one checked, one carry-on, and one backpack already and that's logistically going to be its own issue..? How much should it cost for each scenario inside and do you think it's better to try to ship or bring it with me and precisely how?

I apologize in advance, I have a lot of questions about all the permutations.

I currently have one big, checked luggage with me and one as-large-as-is-permitted carry-on as well as a backpack. In a few weeks, I am flying from Athens to London to Denver to Sioux City. I bought my ticket purely through United, but the first flight is operated by Aegean, the second doesn't list so maybe United?, and the third through Skywest Airlines dba United Express.

I've learned that my one big, checked luggage can go up to 32kg and I can pay overweight luggage fees. I'm not sure how much weight I'm going to end up with, though, which is its own concern, as over 32kg means it becomes cargo and there's not much info online about what happens then. My carry-on luggage (the weight of which doesn't matter in the US) was already flagged by Aegean Airlines as being overweight on the way in, as they apparently want it to be at/under 8kg and it was like 19kg, but they looked the other way. What might they do about it when I depart if they don't look the other way again?

Do I only need to pay whatever fees are demanded once, or do I have to pay again at each change of flight operator/each time I have to go through customs?

How does so-overweight-it-converts-to-cargo even work, and what does it cost?

Given your knowledge and answers to the above questions, which of the below do you advise I do, and why and how much do you think each option will cost?

*In all below scenarios, I also have my backpack as a personal item.*

Scenario A: My big, checked luggage is at 32kg. My carry-on luggage is at/under 23kg. Aegean says I can prepay 10-40 euros for the overweight big checked luggage, but again, I don't know if that covers all my transfers and I don't know what they'll do about my carry-on.

Scenario B: My big, checked luggage is at 40kg. My carry-on luggage is at/under 23kg. I couldn't find this information online and Aegean is closed right now.

Scenario C: I buy another big piece of luggage/box with a strap/etc. here and somehow wrangle two big, checked luggages each at/under 23kg and my carry-on which will probably still be at like 18kg. Have you attempted to move this amount of luggage as one person? How do you do it? I should only have to do it from the door to the check-in desk but then again at each baggage claim/Customs, right? Will there be carts (I can pay for) available for this problem at each site? If I do this, do I call ahead to United or to Aegean to add a second checked bag?

Scenario D: I ship the artwork back. My checked luggage is at 23kg and my carry-on is at/under 23kg. This is not desirable given that I have a solo show shortly upon my return and I'd like the artwork in it. I also worry about it getting lost, damaged, stuck in Customs... meaning if it's not a huge headache, I'd prefer one of the other scenarios.

Thank you very much if you have read all of this and care to weigh in (sorry, I had to)!

posted by vegartanipla to Travel & Transportation (12 answers total)

Ask this question at Flyertalk for the most recent intel on how the different airlines involved here handle the luggage questions and also about the availability of carts at your transfer points.
posted by praemunire at 11:30 AM on June 29, 2023

If this is all one ticket with no long stops where you interrupt your journey back, everything gets checked through to your final destination although you will get the bags back to clear US customs.
In London, as you’re changing airlines, you may be asked to present yourself at a customer service desk and confirm the bags they have for you are indeed yours.

They do have luggage carts at every airport I have ever been to. You get one and place all your bags on them and push the cart to the check in desk and you give it back once you’ve done that and continue with your hand luggage.

They also normally have the carts in the baggage reclaim areas for port of entry in the US, you grab one, get your bags, pass through customs and recheck your checked luggage.

For the benefits of every underpaid luggage handler please use as many pieces of luggage as required for people to handle them safely.

And be prepared for Agean to force you to gate check your overweight hand luggage and be prepared for the UK airport to also enforce any rules there are, even if United would not have a problem in the US.
posted by koahiatamadl at 11:39 AM on June 29, 2023 [1 favorite]

Scenario E. Ship home your used clothes, steel-capped boots, hammers, tongs and hand-carry your Art. Or abandon all your weighty kit and fly home de-cluttered. You'd be amazed at the stuff which is abandonned at hostels the first few days along the Camino de Santiago.
posted by BobTheScientist at 12:15 PM on June 29, 2023 [4 favorites]

Personally i would ship the artwork and not check it in as luggage. Even if it is expensive.

Luggage gets lost all the time! And i have tried helping people with lost luggage enough times to know it can take a long time, be a pia, and often airlines will offer replacement value rather than find it. It obviously would be a worse Drama if your artwork was lost luggage.
Also, i have wrangled multiple pieces of heavy extra luggage (boxes with printed materials, display stands etc for conferences), more than i had arms for and it required two airport luggage trolleys and do not recommend.
Cost i cannot comment in as this was all travel within Europe not overseas.
posted by 15L06 at 12:58 PM on June 29, 2023 [1 favorite]

I would make sure to put some kind of tracking device (a Tile, or Apple's answer to that) in with your artwork.
posted by kate4914 at 1:04 PM on June 29, 2023

Depending on the economics at play, it's not uncommon for folks to buy a second plane ticket for transporting expensive items (art, large musical instruments, etc). That way it never leaves your sight and it's treated with care throughout. The art would literally just sit in the plane in the seat next to you.

You'd still need a cart to move everything to the gate, but it's perhaps the easiest option if you have the resources.
posted by matrixclown at 3:17 PM on June 29, 2023 [2 favorites]

In my experience, airlines will not carry any luggage item over 32kg, so pretty sure scenario B is out from the beginning. You can probably buy more luggage, but you'd have to carry the artwork as a separate piece. The most likely outcome, if you present at an airport with a 40kg piece of luggage, is either you scrambling to get one of the items inside shipped as cargo and hope it arrives in time or you buying another suitcase so you can safely separate your luggage into two items. I wouldn't recommend either.

When you first check in, your bags will be weighed and, if they are over the allowance for any sector of the journey, they'll only send it to the start of that sector and you'll have to check in again and possibly pay more excess baggage. I wouldn't recommend this.

You could purchase an additional check-in item from each of the airlines involved and bring everything with you. There are luggage carts at every airport I've ever been to, including the tiny ones. This is more or less scenario C, except I'm pretty confident you'll have to pay for extra baggage three times.

Honestly, I would ship either your artwork or everything else. There is no greater risk of damage/loss than carrying it as luggage, it will save you a ton of trouble on your journey and likely not cost any more. If anything, cargo is better tracked than luggage. Contacting a few shipping companies will tell you how much and how long, including options for 'expedited' delivery if that's required. If you're nervous about getting the artwork on time as cargo, ship your suitcase and bring the artwork as check-in baggage. Either way, it comes through customs but if you bring it with you, you're there to explain what it is etc if anyone cares rather than just sitting in a warehouse somewhere waiting for some form to be signed or payment that nobody told you about.
posted by dg at 10:59 PM on June 29, 2023

Have you looked into art couriers?
posted by mermaidcafe at 11:37 PM on June 29, 2023

Can you have it shipped from Greece to a trustworthy friend at home by a courier? DHL has the best track record for this kind of thing.
posted by wandering zinnia at 1:24 AM on June 30, 2023

I’m not sure, but you might need to fill in an ATA carnet for your artwork. I would definitely ship it back to yourself rather than playing the airport system; it might cost more but it doesn’t cost as much as a missed flight because you were arguing about import stuff and package weight.
posted by The River Ivel at 1:42 AM on June 30, 2023

Also be aware that lost international luggage follows the Montreal convention that limits the maximum reimbursement. The actual amount is determined by complex currency machinations, but it's about US$2K. Now, any freight carrier you might engage is going to have its own policy about maximum limits for art, so read the fine print. An art-specific service is going to be a lot more expensive, my guess is considerably more than buying an extra seat, but they will also be more reliable and convenient.
posted by wnissen at 11:46 AM on June 30, 2023

Response by poster: For anyone's future reference: I consulted here but also on the ground in Greece with other artists as well as asked family and friends. I decided to buy another piece of luggage and take three back with me; the new one served its purpose but bust a seam such that I won't reuse it for anything other than light duty, driving travel. I also bought a nylon strap that allowed me to connect two of my pieces of luggage and roll them upright together in one hand and then use my other hand for the third, avoiding the cart situation. It was awkward to handle, but fine for the distances involved.

My checked luggage and contents all made it safely back and I am instantly able to exhibit the artwork, which is very helpful for me. This option ultimately cost me approximately $200 for the extra luggage (which is basically one-and-done) and checked bag fee. I am certain this was the cheapest option, and I also think it was likely the best though I'm biased because it worked out.
posted by vegartanipla at 9:18 AM on July 31, 2023 [1 favorite]