Packing bikes for air travel

After reading many sites, here's what I know:
There are 4 ways of packing:
Box: the most common, you could either get one at a bike shop, or buy one from the airline for about 10USD. Yet not much protection.
Clear plastic bag: very rare, lets cargo workers know it's a bike and treat it more carefully. No physical protection, though.
Bike bag: more expensive, little protection, yet convinent.
Bike hard case: too expensive. Max protection, yet heavy, massave and may need additional shipping fees due to the size.

Guess I'll go the box way. Some one said that Cannondell boxes are best because they are smaller and easier to handle. With a trip to the bike store, I realized that most boxes are rectangle, designed to fit bikes with the rare wheel still on: a little over sized for me who will be taking off the rare wheel. Cannondell boxes are said to be square, fit for my style of bike disassembly, yet as Cannondell bikes aren't all that common, so are the boxes. The shop I went to threw them out.

I should take off:
both wheels, seat (maybe leave the post in place), paddles, rare derailer, chain.
The handle, if needed

Let out the air from the wheels.

Prepare:
foam or Styrofoam for padding, tape for fixing everything in place to prevent damage, paddle wrench, hex wrench to detach derailer, hard paper tubes to strengthen the box sideways, spacer for fork.
And maybe a 2nd, larger box for protection.

*rare derailer should be taped to the rare triangle for protection. Throw in bags, sleeping bags and other gears except helmet, and try to fill up the box to provide padding for the bike.
*Baggage handlers handle boxex by throwing them around roughly, so make sure there is enough padding.

Reference:
http://blog.so-net.ne.jp/its_a/2006-02-04
http://www.bike-nz.com/faqs/packing/
http://maxp.net/bike/packing.php
http://www.switch-backs.com/switchbacks-pack-mountain-bike-travel.html
http://www.bikeaccess.net/bikeaccess/Articles_db.cfm?Search=box%2Cbag%2Ccase&Article=Wrapping%20Your%20Bike%20in%20Plastic
http://www.bikeaccess.net/bikeaccess/Articles_db.cfm?Search=box%2Cbag%2Ccase&Article=Packing