Carry-on vs. Hold luggage vs. shipped package Santiago to It

[tvhorn]

I fly Seattle to Paris next Monday night and begin my camino frances from SJPP (arrive on 28 June and walk 29 June stopping at Orrison the first night). I hope to arrive in Santiago by 1 August.
Yes, I am very excited and also nervous.
Now for my dilemma: On 3 August I will fly Vueling from Santiago to Firenze and according to the baggage rules of Vueling Airlines, I may not be permitted to carry on my Swiss army knife and pacer poles (which do break into 3 22" pieces each and do fit inside my backpack). If the backpack is x-rayed or inspected these items will be found. So, it costs 25 euros to take as hold baggage on the plane and I would be ok with that BUT I am concerned that it could get lost in Barcelona where we stop for an hour before continuing to Florence. I could also mail a package with the items to the hotel in Rome where I will be staying from August 7th until the morning of the 9th when I fly back to the US.
My priority is not losing the pacer poles but not spending too much to ship, say under $100.
Should I :
1. Try carrying all on the Vueling flight with me and if Vueling insists, check the poles.
2. Make the poles and knife hold baggage now.
3. Mail a package with poles from Santiago to hotel in Rome (ship on August 2 to arrive by Aug. 8.)
OR??? Advice is much appreciated. Teresa

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Check the prohibited items. They are not permitted in the cabin on any flight, so I am not sure how you will have gotten them to Spain if you are flying in. Delayed baggage is not common, but that is no consolation to the unlucky few!

 

[vagabondette]

No airline is going to let you carry a knife on board, so that's not even an option. The poles seem to vary so they're a risk. Personally I'll be buying a knife/poles when I land. If you have a reservation for the first night, I'd see about shipping your poles there if you don't want to check your luggage.

 

[tvhorn]

Thanks for the replies. To clarify, I am checking baggage (with poles and knife) on the trip from Seattle to Paris. I am also checking baggage or having "hold" luggage as it is called on the flight from Paris to Biarritz. BUT these flights, I will claim my luggage when I land and the flight from Santiago to Florence will stop in Barcelona briefly and that is my concern, that my luggage will stay in Barcelona.

A friend had a brilliant suggestion that I hadn't considered and that is to mail my poles, etc. all the way back to Seattle from Santiago, and provided that it isn't exorbitantly expensive, that is what I will try to do. My husband will be home in Seattle to receive the package and the time frame doesn't matter to me.

I have to shake my head that I got so caught up in this detail when I am going on faith that the poles won't get lost before I even get to St. Jean. Nevertheless, being able to ask this camino for help has been very reassuring. Muchas gracias. Teresa

 

[Deleted member 3000]

the flight from Santiago to Florence will stop in Barcelona briefly and that is my concern, that my luggage will stay in Barcelona.

I don't want to be a salesman for the airline, but is this likely to happen? Even with a change of plane and a change of airline (you do not say if that is the case), they do this every day. Even if they are amateurs, they do have daily experience transferring luggage. I would hate to lose my Pacer Poles, too, but at some point, what I own begins to own me. They are not the least expensive trekking poles out there, but they are not the most expensive, either. If anxiety is ruining your camino, by all means do whatever reduces the anxiety.