Moving your spouse to the states

[lswote]

How do you ship your spouse's belongings to the states?  My wife doesn't have a lot, mostly books and personal mementos.  Do I ship them as excess baggage on the airline?  What other ways are there for shipping them that are safe for the belongings, inexpensive and quick?

[Pete E]

... in response to Moving your spouse to the states, posted by lswote on Jan 27, 2003

You can take 2 bags each,70 lbs. max each.After that you pay.Check paying the airline and taking them with you or you can ship Avianca air cargo.Its not cheap.$2 a lb or something like that.
When we came there were 3 of us with my step son.I brought 6 big suitcases.My wife didn't fill up four.The other bags got left in Cali,I never saw them again.I asked my wife where they went.She said she doesn't know.
So you might want to have her show you what she wants to bring before the trip where you bring her back.It might not be that much or there may be bulky heavy items that really don't need to come.We are not talking furniture or anything like that,right?I would leave it there or ship by boat.
Flash-You go every 3 weeks or so,right?Start bringing back an extra bag each time you return.

Pete

[Cali vet]

... in response to Moving your spouse to the states, posted by lswote on Jan 27, 2003

Depends where she is. If in Cali you could have a container delivered to her door which could then be trucked to Buenaventura then loaded on a cargo ship headed for the states.

[Michael B]

... in response to Re: Moving your spouse to the states, posted by Cali vet on Jan 27, 2003

I think his lady is in Bogota, so he will have to send her goods to the coast via submarine (inside joke see  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/915059.stm ). But however he gets them to the coast, a ship is probably the cheapest way....but it's going to be s-l-o-w. Like I said, cheap, safe or fast, pick one.

[Cali vet]

... in response to Re: Re: Moving your spouse to the states, posted by Michael B on Jan 27, 2003

Well they can't use THAT submarine, the Russians left before it was finished.

[Michael B]

... in response to Moving your spouse to the states, posted by lswote on Jan 27, 2003

1) Safe
2) Inexpensive
3) Fast

Please choose ONE of the above.

Wish I had better news or a magic pill, but if you can't get it on the airplane as luggage, you've got a problem. Colombian Post Office can NOT be trusted and UPS, FEDEX and DHL are going to make you faint when they quote you their price.

[Patrick]

... in response to Moving your spouse to the states, posted by lswote on Jan 27, 2003

I sent my wife (then fiancee) a set of jumbo luggage to move with.  I had to pay extra for the overweight bags, but it was worth it.  We've tried shipping things, but had problems.  Seems that some things don't quite make it through customs without some, or all of it, disappearing.

I think bringing it through as luggage is the best bet.  Better check with the airlines to be sure they don't have a seasonal limitation on weight when your wife's flying.  I know at least some of them do not allow overweight baggage, even with extra charges, during busy season.

[Evan]

... in response to Re: Moving your spouse to the states, posted by Patrick on Jan 27, 2003

I`m doing just as Patrick suggested. I bought several large suitcases to bring down with me. I will stack them together and then on the way home we will each check 2 bags a piece. They have a 70 lbs. limit per bag, but you can fit a lot of junk in there. Then you also are allowed 1 carry on bag too. So having 5 suitcases for her and just a small carry on for my things, we should be able to get almost everything back to the states.

[Patrick]

... in response to Re: Re: Moving your spouse to the states, posted by Evan on Jan 27, 2003

Be sure to check with the airline for their overweight luggage policy.  The last time we went down to Cali (I believe it was American Airlines), we found out that we couldn't bring any suitcases over 70 lbs, even with additional charges.  They had a certain set of dates within which you could not do this.

[Evan]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Moving your spouse to the st..., posted by Patrick on Jan 28, 2003

Thanks for the concern Patrick. I did check and you are allowed 70 lbs. as of now. A few weeks ago they did have a weight restriction in effect, but now it`s back up to the normal.
Evan

[Golden]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Moving your spouse to th..., posted by Evan on Jan 28, 2003

If you fly Lan Peru, you can have a bag over the 70 lbs limit, but it will cost you $70. I flew to Lima 12/20 for Christmas when the plane was full, and one of my bags was wayyyy over...around 90 lbs ... I just paid the extra fee and they let me take it. My wife had a lot of tennis shoes and clothes she bought here to sell there. (she made enough money to pay for the plane ticket plus the $70 extra dollars it cost us.....was damn good idea)