Baggage limit of two to SDQ

American Airlines allows 2 bags per person, 50 pounds each, plus a carry on, plus a personal item [backpack or purse] that total 40 pounds. You can bring an additional suitcase, 50 pounds, for $100 extra.

I'd rather ship a big box down for $75 because it has no weight restriction and is so much bigger.

AE

Annie, after years of guestimating the weight of suitcases by balancing them on bathroom scales, or weighing ourselves with and without the suitcases, and getting to the airport and having to literally throw things out [wahhhhhh!].....

Last year I bought a digital luggage scale, paid about $10-15 for it, and it is so cool. It clips around the luggage handle, you turn it on and lift the suitcase and it gives you a precise weight. So we were able to shift things from case to case until they were all under 50#. Best gadget I ever bought, I think it was from HSN. Popped it into my carry on, and we used it coming home too - we had to pack 20 pounds of coffee somewhere!

AE

waytogo said:

I've read quite a bit about doing this, who do you ship through from the states and are there any import taxes, and what are the limitations on what is shippable without the D.R. hassling you...
You mention no weight restriction, is there a box size restriction?

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Hi waytogo. The shipping company gives you the box for free. It's pretty big. On the paperwork we put 'used clothes, etc.' and pack anything we want to in there. We've sent everything from pots and clothing to car mats, chainsaws and weed whackers. Like the USPS flat rate boxes, if it fits, it ships. The company delivers it directly to the door of the addressee. Only one time did someone accompany the delivery and ask my mother-in-law to open the box so they could see the contents, I guess they do random checks. No import taxes have ever been paid in the 30+ years that we have been doing this.

We have a lot of choices in the NY/NJ area - Montero Shipping, Embarque BellaVista are just two. The pick up all over the tri-state area, so I'm sure they all do that in other major east coast cities [Boston, Miami, Baltimore, etc]. I think they are all $75 for a box, three boxes for $200. You can also buy a big blue plastic tank [think similar to a 55 gallon drum] from them for $40, those are bigger, and cost $115 to ship. They hold more, are much sturdier if you have heavy items, and then we use them on our finca later to hold water at various places around the property.

All of them will also ship anything else you have. We shipped a stove down with them one year, and a large generator another time. Just got a quote of $75 to ship a cold/hot electric water cooler [for 5 gallon water bottles] with a small fridge at bottom that we would pack in our own box.

AE