Lugging Less: The Benefits of Luggage Shipping Services
Do you hate lugging your suitcases from one place to another when traveling? Or checking them in at the airport and finding them damaged once you land?
Have you ever considered the option of luggage shipping?
Yes, you can actually have your luggage picked up at your home by courier, transported to your destination, and delivered to your hotel or wherever you might be staying.
We’ll tell you all about this wonderful service in the paragraphs to follow. So if you’re interested, stick around.
What Is Luggage Shipping?
Although practices and policies differ from one shipping entity to another, in general, luggage shipping is hiring a professional shipping and/or courier service to transport your luggage for you so you don’t need to check it prior to departure.
It’s a way to avoid airport baggage fees, lugging your bags to the airport, the overall hassle of checking bags before boarding the plane. And then waiting at the carousel for them after landing.
And you have to do all this twice–to and from your destination.
This sequence of events is roughly the same whether you’re traveling by plane, train, ship, bus, or pretty much any other mode of transportation. Who likes to lug suitcases around?
Do the Procedures and Protocols Vary Among Shippers?
Yes, definitely. There are differences in shipping rates, pick-up and delivery locations, transit time, and various other things. When all is said and done, the airlines still have the edge on cost–but perhaps not convenience.
Let’s do some comparisons among different luggage delivery options.
We’ll begin by looking at a few of the popular airlines to find out the cost of checking a 35lb bag on a domestic flight.
American Airlines
On American, you can expect to pay $25 for your first checked bag, $35 for the second, $150 for the third and $200 for the fourth. Each passenger is allowed one free carry-on bag and one personal item
Delta Airlines
Delta charges $30 for the first checked bag and $40 for the second. Two checked bags is the maximum number of checked bags per passenger. Each passenger is allowed one free carry-on bag and one personal item.
Southwest Airlines
This popular discount airline allows up to two full-size bags at no extra charge, plus one carry-on bag and one personal item. Extra or oversize bags cost $75 each, up to the maximum weight and size. Southwest is the only airline this generous, though!
Shipping Companies
Next, we’ll look at two well-established shipping companies. Both shipping the package (in this case, your suitcase) from Rochester, NY to San Francisco, CA. It weighs 35lbs and is 18 x 24 x 6 in.
UPS
Shipping rates for this are estimated to be:
Ground $81.59
3 Day Select $164.39
2nd Day Air $232.67
Next Day Air Saver $307.26
Next Day Air Early AM $346.17
Next Day Air $314.07
FedEx
For the same package:
Ground $77.25
Saver $171.84
2Day $239.41
2Day AM $273.87
Standard Overnight $317.68
Priority Overnight $324.80
First Overnight $357.97
Dedicated Luggage Shippers
Finally, we’ll look at some more recent entrants into the luggage shipping business.
Lugless
Lugless delivers directly to your destination address, but you have to drop the suitcase off at a UPS or FedEx shipping location. Lugless offers only shipping and destination drop-off, no optional amenities.
Luggage Free
This company offers flat rates for delivery within the U.S, meaning your bag would ship in one business day for $219, three business days for $139, and five business days for $99.
Luggage Free offers amenities such as insurance, guaranteed on-time delivery, and luggage delivered to your final destination.
Other baggage delivery services offer comparable prices and services.
Another Option: Local Couriers
Local couriers are delivery services that pick up your luggage from your home (or other location), deliver it to a shipping company like UPS or FedEx for delivery to your destination. They then use the same process to return it to you.
Example: NIN Delivers, New York, NY
We at NIN Delivers will pick up your luggage, carefully wrap it for security and durability, and deliver it to a national or international shipping company.
Or, if you’re traveling within the sunshine state, we can ship your luggage locally.
Advantages of Using a Luggage Shipping Service
There are distinct advantages to having your luggage shipped, which include:
Your Luggage Is Picked Up and Delivered
This will save you time and effort at multiple points in your journey.
It Can Be Cost-Effective with Three or More Bags
Since most airlines charge very high baggage fees starting with the second or third checked bag, you would save money having multiple bags shipped instead of checking them.
The Handling Is Gentler at Pick-Up and Delivery
Airline baggage handling is a rushed process. We’ve all seen bags being tossed onto conveyor belts or tumbling off carousels. While shippers can damage bags too, it’s less frequent and the bags are insured.
Drawbacks to Using Luggage Shipping Services
As you might expect, there are a few downsides to the luggage forwarding services we’ve discussed here.
Cost
Most of the time, luggage shipping services charge more than airlines to deliver the baggage to its destination. To have your baggage arrive on the same day as your flight can be quite expensive. It’s cheaper only if you ship up to a week out.
Get Packed, The Shippers Are Coming!
So, we’ve shown you how and when luggage shipping can be a good option for travelers who can’t or would rather not lug all of their stuff to the airport when traveling.
Why not give us a call and find out what we offer? Perhaps we can help you with your luggage on your next Florida trip.
