Pretty much what I do, although I ship my Crateworks box to LBS and have them prep the bike and store the box. The interesting thing about bikeflights (and probably purchasing from FedEx directly) is that size seems to be the primary price driver. On their website I have priced A to B with the same box using varying weights. Whether I entered 40 lbs. or 70 lbs., the price was the same.


I suspect that over some weight the price will go up, but the web site is worth playing around with so you can figure out how much extra gear you can put in the box without driving up the price. If you travel light and can get a lot of gear in the box without affecting the shipping price it may help you avoid having to check a bag with the airline, which can save you money. Just carry on two panniers, which is what I do. My Ortlieb Sport Packer is small enough to fit under the seat in front of me so it counts as a free "personal item." The Bike Packer counts as my one free carry on.