If it's a one time thing and you can't find a case here's what I did. I went to metro on 86th and they gave me a road bike box which fit into a mountain bike box. They were both in good shape. I took off pedals, handlebars etc and slipped it the road bike case and filled it with sytrofoam packing popcorn (which I just happened to find 4 huge garbage bags of, just sitting on the curb outside a hotel loading dock in midtown - probably from convention set up). Then the road bike box went into the mt.bike box. I don't even think I needed to double box it.

I sent it fed ex ground and insured it for $3000. The fed ex rep told me that items insured over $3000 have to go through a completely different process. They are signed off by managers/supervisors at each location, they get put on the truck last or are transported seperately and are stored in a different location (so other boxes don't get stacked on them). I sent my bike from here in NYC to Orlando on a Wednesday and it was delivered on Friday. Not a dent in the cardboard anywhere..... All this cost me $32 each way - door to door. You don't have to carry it to the airport, deal with car racks/trunk, or worry about the $50 - $100 delta or united is going to charge for excess baggage. I also didn't have to run around trying to find a rental case, pick it, drop it off etc......

Worked fine for me......