My daughter and my son-in-law drive from Lancaster to Baltimore to fly. Last time I flew, which has been a while ago, I hired a limmo service to drive us to Philly and pick us up when we got home, beat the heck out of dealing with airport parking and then driving home tired. Didn't hire a Limmo, just a nice higher end Buick. Wasn't all the exensive either. Nice to sleep on the way home from the airport instead of driving after flying back from the Caribean. I only fly if leaving the country, I hate flying and since 911 I hate it more. In the states, I drive.

Actually for work I've flown A LOT!

Hunting, once with meat, 220 lbs of frozen elk meat, through Ohare. Aside from seeing it sit on the tarmac in 70degree sunshine, it made it from Spokane to NH without an issue.

The way the airlines are charging per bag/box now and a bag/box can't be more than 50#, that 220# of elk meat in five boxes would have cost you a fortune. It would also increase your chances five fold of not get at least one back timely, if at all!

If I remember right, it was when you could have 2 checked bags for free, plus carry on. I think I checked 3 boxes of 50 lbs of meat above that. Spread the rest across my backpack/carry on, bow case and duffle bag that I brought out. All 5 checked bags just under 50lbs, plus a heavy carry on! I shipped the rack and most of my clothes/boots home UPS separately to make room for meat in the duffle. I think it costs me about $300 to bring it with me (again, it's been awhile, but I think that's what it was)

Another hunter going to New England UPS/overnighted his meat, at $800. I chose to roll the dice and made it.

Getting meat home, unless you drive, is a challenge when you fly cross country.

However in this thread, we're talking game birds at significantly under 200lbs, so you could probably freeze them and shove them in a suitcase wrapped in thermal hunting clothes.

I still wouldn't take the chance with my birds. Flight delays, mishandling of luggage, LOSS of luggage, just happens too often with air travel. Flat rate UPS for 75# and under is not that expensive when compared to the risk of flying it with you. The last time I flew out of O'Hare (connected there from BWI) for a Bow hunt Elk (long time ago) I watched them (had a window seat right above where they unloaded luggage and cargo) throw my $1200 dollar rig around like a bag of rocks. It was marked FRAGILE on both sides clearly. I watched it hit the ground TWICE before the idiot got it onto the carrier! Glad I spent the extra bucks on a really sturdy hard case! Filed a complaint with United with the passenger that was sitting next to me signing as witness. Got a really polite "screw off we don't care" for my trouble. Case was dinged up from the tarmack but the sites and everything were okay.