Packing for a flight is never a fun process, especially when you’re preparing for a long trip with multiple suitcases. The challenge of lugging the bags to the airport and checking them in is daunting enough, but the worst part is often the baggage fees that come with multiple bags. However, one man’s experience on Reddit revealed a situation that was anything but ordinary.
In November 2022, a man checked in an astonishing 75 bags at New York’s JFK airport. This story, shared in the Mildly Interesting subreddit, quickly gained attention and sparked curiosity among users. Many found it more than just “mildly interesting” and were left with more questions than answers after reading the post.
This tale sounds like it could have come from an unrealistic school math problem—except this time, someone actually had to calculate the cost of checking in 75 bags and ensure they all met the weight limit. The man, known as Vit, documented his trip on YouTube, explaining that this wasn’t an ordinary journey. He was delivering supplies to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Over the course of four months in 2022, Vit helped deliver over 10,000 pounds of gear to the UAF. His shipments included essential items such as tourniquets, medical aid, and helmets. The total cost of the supplies exceeded $600,000. At the end of his video, he gave a special shout-out to the personnel at JFK’s Terminal 7, who assisted him in checking in all the bags. They were undoubtedly the MVPs of the day.
The cost of checking in 75 bags was staggering. Vit revealed that it cost him a total of $7,884. He explained that two of the bags were included in the price of his ticket, so he technically paid for 73 bags. One Redditor commented, “I was expecting it to be more. That sounds pretty reasonable.” Compared to shipping all the cargo, Vit seemed to have chosen the most straightforward option for his trip.
In response to a comment, Vit clarified his reasons for checking the bags: “Timing. It would take me 96 hours at most to get the stuff from Connecticut and Maine all the way to Donbas. Shipping would take many weeks. Some equipment was even refused by shipping companies.”
He also shared a picture of part of the baggage receipt, which showed that the 75 bags weighed 1,714 kilograms, or over 3,800 pounds.
Vit didn’t use standard suitcases; instead, he used $4 blue duffel bags made of durable plastic from Amazon. Most of the comments on the post asked why he was traveling with 75 bags, and he responded to one comment by saying, “I am doing my part,” referring to his efforts to support Ukraine’s defense.
People had mixed reactions to this unusual travel story. One user questioned, “There must be much cheaper ways to ship this, right? Even air cargo, still on a plane, but a FedEx plane would surely save a lot of money I think.” Vit replied, “My research didn’t bring any viable results, so I proceeded with the easiest option. But I would love to learn if I made a mistake.”
Another Redditor joked, “The annual McCallister family vacation,” referencing the Home Alone movies and the numerous bags the McCallisters checked in. Another user quipped, “You could have put your checked items into your neck pillow to avoid paying the checked bag fee.” And one final comment read, “Me when I pack for a long weekend away one state over.”
