Luggage shipping services are becoming a much more popular option as airline bag check becomes more pricey and unreliable each and every year. By shipping your luggage ahead of time, you have the benefit of knowing your baggage is at your destination before you leave, and you save yourself time avoiding bag checks and pick ups within the airport.
So how does luggage shipping price out when you compare it to airline bag checking?
Luggage shipping costs considerably more, as you are not only having to pay per pound for your luggage, but also fuel surcharges and in some circumstances fees for any additional miles for pickup and delivery.
It seems though many more people are choosing to ship their luggage before hand due to the fact that many more luggage items are getting lost within transfers. This can be very frustrating, and if things are not sorted before your trip ends you could go luggage-less your entire trip.
You will pay more, but with airlines recently raising their fees again, there isn’t as much of a price different as you would think. For those traveling light, it is not the cheapest option, but for those taking longer trips of 20+ days or for those taking large items such as golf clubs, surf boards or skis, the airline restrictions and charges for over-sized pieces are high, not to mention the fact that it gets cumbersome to drag these items through the airport through the airport. Also, often they store these items in special areas of the plane, which means you have to wait until everyone has gotten off the plane in order to retrieve your items. So now you are dealing with delays as an added inconvenience as well.
If you plan ahead and schedule the pick up 5 day in advance, or more if you are shipping international, you will obtain the cheapest rates. Shop around, and make sure you are using a reputable company.
As always, do research and find the option that best suits your individual needs.
