Shipping Belongings to USA

[Phil and Serena 0]

When she gets her K-1 visa approved she'll want to ship most of her stuff (clothing and other belongings) from her home (London) to here (Texas) in a big old fashioned steamer trunk, since most airlines won't permit that much baggage.  What's the cheapest and most reliable way to do that?

[FlashLG 152]

I used this company when I emigrated to the US in 2017 https://www.pickfords.co.uk/ . I had a few boxes of clothes and belongings and they were reliable and reasonably priced.

[Crazy Cat 40,119]

My wife brought quite a load from Taiwan on the airline:

 

Edited July 16, 2021 by Lucky Cat

[Phil and Serena 0]

What did the airline charge you for that?

[Phil and Serena 0]

39 minutes ago, FlashLG said:

I used this company when I emigrated to the US in 2017 https://www.pickfords.co.uk/ . I had a few boxes of clothes and belongings and they were reliable and reasonably priced.

Do you remember approximate weight, and how much they charged you?

[Lil bear 3,897]

Excess accompanied baggage is often cheaper than shipping .. snd it arrives when you do   Check the airline website for excess baggage fees .. it’s a once of and unless she has enough to make it worth shipping as a less than container load (LCL) it’s the cheapest 

[Phil and Serena 0]

17 minutes ago, Lucky Cat said:

My wife brought quite a load from Taiwan on the airline:

 

how much did the airline charge you for that?

[Crazy Cat 40,119]

21 minutes ago, Phil and Serena said:

What did the airline charge you for that?

She had 1 large suitcase, a carry one, and these 2 big boxes.  These were within the limits for her Business Class ticket, so there was no extra charge.

 

[flicks1998 1,044]

I work in Global Mobility moving expats around the world and part of that is working with vendors who do household good shipments.  Try to do everything you can to make use of the excess luggage offered by the airline.  Container prices are absolutely outrageous right now and will not get better for at least another year or so.  If travel becomes easier between the US and UK, it may make sense for you to fly over there and use your excess luggage if your spouse maxes out theirs.  It will still be cheaper than a container or partial container.  The entire shipping industry is in a mess with containers scattered all over the world due to COVID, the ship stuck in the Suez, packing materials through the roof, etc etc.  Now is really not the time to ship anything by sea or air freight unless you have a company paying for it. 

 

And just to add, there are alot of nightmare shipping companies out there.  If you do not know what your doing, you can easily get ripped off.  You may get quoted a cheap price on the front end, but on day of delivery in the US, you will receive some ridiculous quote before they can deliver.  If you want names of reputable companies, I can send to you, but as I said above, try to use excess luggage.

 

 

Edited July 16, 2021 by flicks1998

[Adventine 3,187]

It may be worth doing some massive decluttering and bringing only the essentials, meaning important documents, irreplaceable family heirlooms, and the basic clothes she needs until she can buy what she needs in the US.

 

A good rule of thumb: if she can easily buy the items again in the US, she doesn't need to ship them at all. Just sell or give them away in the UK.

[Crazy Cat 40,119]

17 minutes ago, Adventine said:

It may be worth doing some massive decluttering and bringing only the essentials, meaning important documents, irreplaceable family heirlooms, and the basic clothes she needs until she can buy what she needs in the US.

 

A good rule of thumb: if she can easily buy the items again in the US, she doesn't need to ship them at all. Just sell or give them away in the UK.

Great points!!!!   

[Rocio0010 5,577]

8 hours ago, Lucky Cat said:

My wife brought quite a load from Taiwan on the airline:

 

She looks super happy!

[Scandi 4,019]

Tell her to not bring anything other than what she can fit in the bags/boxes the airline allows her to fly with. 

 

Personally I got rid of 90% of everything I owned. I kept a couple of boxes at my parents' place in Sweden when I moved, I can honestly say I never looked at those boxes even once or hardly even gave them another thought since. That's how little that material stuff will matter after the move and spending a year or two in another country. She won't miss it, and she'll find new stuff in the US.

[hannysgrammy@gmai 13]

17 hours ago, flicks1998 said:

I work in Global Mobility moving expats around the world and part of that is working with vendors who do household good shipments.  Try to do everything you can to make use of the excess luggage offered by the airline.  Container prices are absolutely outrageous right now and will not get better for at least another year or so.  If travel becomes easier between the US and UK, it may make sense for you to fly over there and use your excess luggage if your spouse maxes out theirs.  It will still be cheaper than a container or partial container.  The entire shipping industry is in a mess with containers scattered all over the world due to COVID, the ship stuck in the Suez, packing materials through the roof, etc etc.  Now is really not the time to ship anything by sea or air freight unless you have a company paying for it. 

 

And just to add, there are alot of nightmare shipping companies out there.  If you do not know what your doing, you can easily get ripped off.  You may get quoted a cheap price on the front end, but on day of delivery in the US, you will receive some ridiculous quote before they can deliver.  If you want names of reputable companies, I can send to you, but as I said above, try to use excess luggage.

 

 

Great advice. My daughter did this saved a ton of money

[Calicolom 265]

I moved to Colombia 3 years ago. I had these great dreams of a 40 feet container, with everything in it.