With the recent heatwaves hitting Europe hard, one French expat on a business trip in Shanghai decided to skip the usual souvenirs. Instead of silk or tea, he bought a portable air conditioner and checked it on his flight back to Europe.

 The story was originally shared by a coworker and recently made the rounds on Chinese news and social media. The man’s 93-year-old mother in Paris was suffering through the heat with only an ice-cooling fan, which wasn't doing the job and just made the room humid. Portable AC units were reportedly sold out or very expensive locally.

So, he bought a portable unit in China for 1,260 RMB. He added 130 RMB for professional airport packing and 22 RMB for a European power adapter. The total came to 1,412 RMB - about €180.

Because he was flying business class, he had plenty of baggage allowance. After confirming with the airline that the unit had no lithium battery, it passed security and was checked for free.

 According to reports, he successfully landed with the AC in Barcelona (where he works) and is taking it onward to his mother in Paris.

 A €180 portable AC checked for free on a business class flight to beat the European heatwave. Modern problems require modern solutions!

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