Airports are not a problem. Everything is open and the most you will get are friendly passersbys. I usually disassemble and pack the day before at a hotel/hostel where I can do it in a more relaxed setting. The Pelican is a Model 1510 which is designed to be the biggest to fit overhead. Interestingly, the S & S will fit into the Pelican and the Pelican will fit into the S & S. Whichever way you go a 50 pound box with no wheels is a pain to carry. I'm working on keeping the weight down to under 40 lbs. by transferring as much as I can to the carry on bag (which has wheels).