Is there any reason that I shouldn't pack a Wii and the necessary accessories in a checked bag (not carry-on) for a domestic flight?

Maybe. I’d be more worried about it not meeting up with you at the other end.

Never pack anything in a checked bag that you couldn’t handle being lost/stolen.

it gets xrayed whether it’s checked or carried-on.

What you should be concerned about is the airline and TSA employees tossing the bag around, both before and after it gets on the plane.

Much safer to carry it on, I think. You will probably have to remove it from the bag and put it in a bin individually. I did when I flew with mine a year ago.

Robmandu is right. The two things to worry about are the handling of your luggage (it getting tossed around) and the handling of your luggage (people checking it for whatever and taking the Wii). Luggage theft is a huge problem at some airports. You might want to check out the airports you’ll be at to see if it is a bigger or smaller problem there, but your safest bet it to carry it on.

Not sure of the situation, but you may want to consider sending it UPS or FedX.

If you do that (FedEx/UPS), I’d strongly recommend purchasing the insurrance in addition to the securist packaging available. I’d be pretty shocked if it ended up in your destination in working order.

You know what? Check the accessories if you are checking a bag regardless. They aren’t worth much without the Wii and are pretty hard to break.

Then carry the Wii on the plane. It won’t look threatening, cuts down on what you need to carry, and makes sure you are in control of the more delicate and more expensive part of this operation.

mritty
I shipped mine UPS and had no problem. But I did make sure it was packaged securely and had the original packaging to use.

I’m actually flying today, so there’s no time to send it FedEx. I think I’ll do what EmpressPixie is suggesting and check the accessories and just carry on the Wii console.

Thanks to all! I’m glad I posted. I didn’t even think about it until I actually put it in my suitcase and then thought, “Wait a minute…”

have a safe trip…

My 15 YO son carried on all sorts of stuff this summer – nintendo 64, controllers, ipod, games, and lots of other such stuff. He had to unload it all to get through security – it was quite funny. He looked like he was unloading Mary Poppin’s carpet bag. Never knew a backpack could hold so much stuff! TSA stayed calm and there were no problems!

Have a good flight. You’ve gotten the best advice here. If you still wonder whether you are doing the right thing, then get a window seat on the right side of the aircraft and watch them load the bags. You can also see this at some gates. Watch also when they throw your bag onto the collection point at the check-in desk. If you’ve never observed it, that alone will change the way you pack.

The handlers have to lift a great quantity of bags in a short period time, most of the time in horrible weather conditions (this summer I watched them do it in 100+heat and a thunderstorm in Las Vegas.

The other factor is that, depending on how much you put in your check on bag, it can put it over the weight limit very easily and they charge steep fees for that these days. I went over the weight limit once by adding a dictionary. Luckily, I had spare time and a very nice agent that helped me repack, right at the counter. Now I carry a digital scale.