Just FYI, hard sided cases with their packing materials typically weigh over 30# empty. By the time you add your pedals and bottle cages, you'll have to have a pretty lightweight bike to get it under 50# in a hard case. So, with that in mind, if the airline offers that same deal on international flights, you'll definitely save money using a cardboard crate. I've never used one and I'd be kind of afraid to, myself, but if you let the LBS pack it up for you, hopefully it should be okay.