My mother occasionally flies across the country to visit her sister for up to a month at a time. After a bout of lost luggage she only takes a large purse with a few essentials in it, and we put everything else in a box and send it UPS or Fedex. Depending on the weight, it's not any more expensive than checking a suitcase, and it gets there on time, every time! She says it makes navigating airports much less stressful without having to manhandle a suitcase or two.