I've had my Bike Friday New World Tourist nearly 5 years. I've flown with it 11 times without any problems. No airline has ever attempted to charge me. The hard plastic suitcase is made by Carlton in England, and its dimensions add up to 61". By "domestic", I'm guessing you meant "domestic US". 3 of my 11 flights have been domestic US flights, on 3 different airlines: United, US Air, & Southwest. I flew with it to from the US to Mexico on American, and from the US to Canada on Air Canada. Charges normally apply for bikes on flights from the US to both Mexico & Canada. I've also flown with it to Asia, Africa, & Europe from the US, as well as 2 non-US domestic flights.

I've noticed that TSA inspectors can be located in different parts of the airport, sometimes in the main terminal, but sometimes completely removed from public areas. Hence, the strategy described above in #4 is not always possible. When the inspectors have been visible to me, I've noticed that they open up the suitcase, swab some stuff inside, verify with their testing equipment that the swab didn't find any suspicious residues, then they close up the suitcase. My bike parts have not been unpacked, and nothing has been stolen from the suitcase.

Years ago with a non-folding bike shipped in a box on the one and only charter flight I ever took, the charter airline "lost" (i.e. stole) my bike. My sleeping bag was inside the box with the bike and was also stolen. It is not a good idea to begin a bike camping trip with no bike and no sleeping bag.