Flying with Claire? Worth the hassle?

[OakLeaf]

FWIW, I own a Thule hard case, so my comments related to that. I've never used a cardboard box for shipping. It does have little wheels, but they don't rotate, so the box can only be rolled with the wide side facing the direction of travel, which means you still have to shove, carry or drag it through narrow spaces, and it has to be lined up exactly right to roll it through a door.

Can't speak to other brands. Basically, a hard case adds some security against damage and some convenience with the wheels, but it adds weight (my box is over 30# empty). I'd have to count grams to be sure of getting my carbon bike and all its packaging in under 50#. Since I always ship FedEx, I don't sweat the weight - instead, I include my seat pack (minus the CO2 cartridges that can't travel by air) and water bottles, my pedals that aren't counted in the bike's weight spec, my cycling shoes, and usually some clothes and stuff to fill in empty space and add extra padding, and it normally comes to around 60#.

Remember that you'll need to get your helmet there too, and you'll need to bring it without damaging it, which means either in its original packaging with plenty of padding of its own inside a checked bag, or in your carry-on luggage. There's no room to ship a helmet safely in my bike box, but other brands may provide for that.

It's your call how hard you'll be jonesing for a ride, but personally I'd leave mine home. Maybe you could even rent cruisers and take the whole family for a spin on the bike path.