Hey guys,
I’m just wondering how teams from different countries transport their robots and tools to Worlds? Is it possible to fly with them?
Ya most teams fly with them. NZ usually makes aluminum cases and they are just thin cheap sheet metal.
Getting through TSA might be a pain though right?
Well you check the robot, usually in some hard box. Then you just check bags with parts and tools. Your carry on should avoid containing batteries or too much tools(especially stuff like dremels).
In general though with any larger group and more so with robots you want to budget extra time for everything.
Yeah, might be a bit much to fly it though as airlines have fees and stuff like that nowadays 
Its pretty easy to make a 18 inch cube get through without additional charges. The rule is 62 inches (L+W+H).
Once I had a box that was too large and too heavy. This made us exceed both limits and a general 75$ charge was tacked on. Which isn’t even that bad.
What airline? because I saw a few that charged over $100 if it was over like 22x10 and some height.
Pretty much every airline has the rule of L+W+H ≤ 62", maximum weight of 50lbs for checked baggage, so I’m not sure where you saw that rule, maybe it was for carry on. On our flight from Toronto to Anaheim and back our crate with parts and tools was way too heavy, but the check in agents didn’t care and didn’t charge extra, I guess they liked robotics teams. 
IIRC that was with Air Canada.
When I brought a pelican case with 8 batteries as a carry on, the TSA was fine w/ it, but that was also domestic.
Ya it is more of a “should be avoided” than actually against the rules. I have had lots of success with it but exceptions are time consuming and annoying.
I was able to carry on a drone in a big black plastic trash bag from Hong Kong to the US, so you should be able to check a robot just fine.
I know of a team that stripped the robot of motors and batteries and shipped it to a post office near the competition site! I also saw a team at an airport with the robot and airport security wanted a live demonstration so they showed how it worked. If size is a problem, find the easiest way to take apart the robot so it is smaller, maximum 3 minute rebuild time.
Or you just get lucky and nice people like @Highwayman are willing to carry an extra box on their cross country drive