Suitcases on the plane or ship it later?

Suitcases on the plane or ship it later?
Sep 15, 2013 10:48
guestJill B	Hello, I am looking for some information and advice. I will be traveling from the USA through Detroit to Wuhan on 9/19/2013. The first two legs of the flight are Delta. The second is China Eastern (delta code share). I have a lot of stuff. I don't fit Chinese sizes, so I will need clothes, coats, etc. for a year. Wuhan gets very cold and very hot, and I need both work and casual clothes. Also bringing English books,stickers,and small gifts for my students a school staff, vitamins, prescription medications (with doctor's note and copies of prescriptions). Delta allows one free checked bag, $100 for second, $200 for 3rd, one free cabin bag. (no weight restriction) and a personal item such as a handbag or backpack. Max weight is 50 pounds on checked baggage.I am also bringing a laptop, iPad, and iPhone. With liberal use of "Space bags" I am just able to fit everything into a (stuffed) backpack (electronics), cabin bag, and three 50 pound suitcases. This will cost me $300 in extra baggage fees. I am trying to do this the best way, so I had some questions about this plan. I don't need the cold weather stuff right away, but mailing stuff to China appears a little uncertain and I can't really afford to be stuck without a winter coat or clothes to wear. It seems as if I would need to send to send the package by Fed Ex. Would it be feasible cost-wise to spend one 50 lb box by Fed ex or are there any other reasonable and reliable alternatives? I will be getting a residence permit eventually, so I think that I can get one package duty free, but only one per year ( is that correct?). However, my folks are also going to have to mail me a mid-year supply of about about 5 prescription medications, as I can only obtain four months at a time from my insurance company . Paying duty on the full price of medication could be stiff, so maybe I need to "save" my one time dispensation. Some of the clothing is used or missing tags. If I do travel with all of these bags, I have some other questions. When I get my bags and take them through customs , are there luggage carts or porters? Are the porters problematic (taking bags out of sight, etc) if available. I am worried about physically being able to transport the bags through customs and then downstairs to the domestic flight. Also, China Eastern has more restrictive baggage rules. Delta assures me that Deltas rules will apply and that they have made a statement electronically confirming this on the booking. but if I have to recheck bags, I am afraid that I will have a hard time with rechecking all of this on CE, and possibly be asked to pay additional fees. Any ideas about this? Finally, being new to China and needing to get to the ASAP, the flight gets into Bejing on 9/19.Am I going to have a terrible time at the airport and with customs due to the holiday? Any ideas or info that you might have would be very appreciated. If I have to repack bags, I better get right to it! Thanks again, JK

Sep 15, 2013 10:48

guestJill B

Hello, I am looking for some information and advice. I will be traveling from the USA through Detroit to Wuhan on 9/19/2013. The first two legs of the flight are Delta. The second is China Eastern (delta code share).

I have a lot of stuff. I don't fit Chinese sizes, so I will need clothes, coats, etc. for a year. Wuhan gets very cold and very hot, and I need both work and casual clothes. Also bringing English books,stickers,and small gifts for my students a school staff, vitamins, prescription medications (with doctor's note and copies of prescriptions). Delta allows one free checked bag, $100 for second, $200 for 3rd, one free cabin bag. (no weight restriction) and a personal item such as a handbag or backpack. Max weight is 50 pounds on checked baggage.I am also bringing a laptop, iPad, and iPhone.

With liberal use of "Space bags" I am just able to fit everything into a (stuffed) backpack (electronics), cabin bag, and three 50 pound suitcases. This will cost me $300 in extra baggage fees. I am trying to do this the best way, so I had some questions about this plan.

I don't need the cold weather stuff right away, but mailing stuff to China appears a little uncertain and I can't really afford to be stuck without a winter coat or clothes to wear. It seems as if I would need to send to send the package by Fed Ex. Would it be feasible cost-wise to spend one 50 lb box by Fed ex or are there any other reasonable and reliable alternatives?
I will be getting a residence permit eventually, so I think that I can get one package duty free, but only one per year ( is that correct?). However, my folks are also going to have to mail me a mid-year supply of about about 5 prescription medications, as I can only obtain four months at a time from my insurance company . Paying duty on the full price of medication could be stiff, so maybe I need to "save" my one time dispensation. Some of the clothing is used or missing tags.

If I do travel with all of these bags, I have some other questions. When I get my bags and take them through customs , are there luggage carts or porters? Are the porters problematic (taking bags out of sight, etc) if available. I am worried about physically being able to transport the bags through customs and then downstairs to the domestic flight.

Also, China Eastern has more restrictive baggage rules. Delta assures me that Deltas rules will apply and that they have made a statement electronically confirming this on the booking. but if I have to recheck bags, I am afraid that I will have a hard time with rechecking all of this on CE, and possibly be asked to pay additional fees. Any ideas about this?

Finally, being new to China and needing to get to the ASAP, the flight gets into Bejing on 9/19.Am I going to have a terrible time at the airport and with customs due to the holiday?

Any ideas or info that you might have would be very appreciated. If I have to repack bags, I better get right to it! Thanks again, JK

Sep 16, 2013 01:14	#1
GUEST55578	I don't think it's a good idea to send your clothes to PRC. As for winter clothes, you can buy them when you arrive.

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