Bookshelf Speakers Transport by Airplane - Checked or Hand Luggage


Long ago when I was 6 years old, I carried my dad’s rather large Sony bookshelf speakers as hand luggage from the UK to Canada on a BOAC flight. This was in the 1970’s.

Today, I am looking to upgrade from my KEF LS50’s to the Yamaha NS3000 for my office. Trouble is that the NS3000 is available in Canada but not in the USA (I checked with USA dealers).

Has anyone taken a bookshelf speaker as checked luggage on a flight today? I am not sure if security would even allow a speaker to go through these days.

The Canadian dealer may not be able to ship to me in the USA, but I have family living a few miles from this dealer. So, I can always pick them up personally, and even ship by UPS or FedEx, but I wanted to first see if anyone had taken speakers on a plane?

 

yyzsantabarbara

Never needed to consider this, but if packed securely inside padded luggage, I cannot see why they would be refused. Maybe someone else knows.

@kenjit If the option was shipping by FedEx or UPS versus me carrying the speakers in my luggage, I take me every time.  It is also killing 2 birds with 1 stone. since I have not been back to Canada since the pandemic. I am just trying to figure out if this type of luggage is still allowed.

I've considered this myself before.  

Read the airline's fine print for what they will accept responsibility for.  I think I looked up Southwest and the way I read it they took no responsibility and provided no value for damage or lost if not in a suitcase.  I kind of stopped thinking about it after that.  

I have never had any claimable damage or lost luggage for any flight.  And I have taken boxes with me on Southwest flights.  

The bigger issue would be if you get to the airport and they say it won't be allowed in checked or carryon luggage.  Those items you should be able to talk to the airline in advance to see what they have to screen for and get a sense of confidence if it is OK or not.

 

Carry it on, don't check it in. It will pass through security, but it might need to be checked by the TSA when you take it out of your luggage. My best friend just took a very complicated DIY Don Sachs tube phono stage with large Hashimoto transformers with him on his flight home that internally looked like a bomb and security didn't even bat an eye.

You would need two suitcases to do it. The drivers could get damaged, cabinet could get scratched or cracked if they are dropped or knocked. They weigh 30 pounds each. Not easy to drag two suitcases one in each hand behind you? Have you tried?