International is a different beast. There are a lot of restrictions on size cutoffs for international I think that drive price up.

However, for domestic, it always works in may favor as I get the same 75 (usually 60 or so) each way AND choose a cheaper flight.

Bulk discounts.

You can get special rates if you are constantly shipping something that fits the same basic dimensions and weights over and over and over again.

At one point we were shipping something out valued at about 2k 10-15 items per day. Our fedex rate overnight with insurance was lower then ups ground with no additional coverage. UPS might have at some point tried to match or beat that to get the business but they didn't.

I tried to compare a price to bike flights one time vs what we would pay, since the bike was outside the dimensions and weight of those packages it was not cheaper for me to use our account. Granted I could have called our rep and probably had him do it I was just testing it

If you have no account you will pay even more.

I have shipped with UPS and flown with it on hawaain airlines to kona. much better flying with it. UPS beat my bike case up pretty good and was more expensive.

I always fly with my bike too much can go wrong during shipping hate to train for an ironman and end up on a bike I have never ridden

I mostly fly with my bike but have had to learn to do my own wrenching. Not a bad thing.

The first few times I flew with my bike I packed a ton of stuff into the bike box, but after bending a derailleur hanger and breaking odds and ends I keep the additional items to soft goods. TSA frequently messes up the repacking.

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