I haven't used Luggage Forward, but I've heard from friends that it makes shopping things like golf clubs or other large pieces a lot easier. Always nice not to have to wait at that baggage carousel for an hour!

you know i have researched this rather extensively, pricing out alot of the companies that offer this service. i LOVE the idea of having my luggage, not just waiting for me on my arrival, but actually unpacked and hung up and my toileteries(sp.?)all arranged as well. however, it is fairly expensive to ship luggage using these service companies and/or UPS etc. i would rather save the $1000, or so, and dine extravagantly at alain ducasse or something like that.....

For the record, there's Luggage Concierge, Luggage Free, Luggage Forward, Luggage Club, Sports Express, and a few others. But, I'm sure that Sports Express has no idea what they are doing since you obviously need the word "Luggage" in your brand's name to be in this business. Just kidding... :)

Let's see. If you check your bags on the plane, you'll likely be subject to a $25 checked luggage fee. If your bag is overweight or oversized you'll usually get charged an extra $50 or more. But, on the plus side, having some random TSA employee who rummages through your undergarments is entirely complimentary from what I understand. Oh, and there's a very good chance that they'll lose your luggage along the way!

Or, you can pay a little extra for a door-to-door shipment to your destination.

Hmm... I just can't decide.

ummm, it is more than just a little extra, if you tend to overpack. i have researched extensively and since i take everything i own everywhere i go, it is prohibitive....fyi

Exactly how heavy is your luggage?? How heavy do your bags need to be for it to cost $1,000 with UPS?

so i just did a quick quote, one way la to ny with 3 day delivery (next is the cheapest option, which is ground) for 4 bags (2 travelers) and it was almost $700. i would rather spend that at alain ducasse or per se...

[quote:loml95:]so i just did a quick quote, one way la to ny with 3 day delivery (next is the cheapest option, which is ground) for 4 bags (2 travelers) and it was almost $700[endquote]

So what shipping weights and options are you using for your luggage to get that quote?? It seems awfully high. If packages cost that much to ship, I think the UPS wouldn't have nearly as many customers. You've got to be doing something wrong in your calculations.

I also did a quote on UPS, using a pre-paid method and residential pickup options on four individual 40 Lb packaged bags (which should be far more than adequate for a vacation to New York), with a declared replacement value of $500 for each bag and here's what I came up with:

Ship To: NEW YORK, NY, 10001, UNITED STATES
Ship From: LOS ANGELES, CA, 90001, UNITED STATES
Shipment Date: Monday, July 21, 2008
Total Shipment Weight: 160 lbs.
Drop-off / Pickup? I will schedule a pickup via: UPS.com
Destination Type: Residential
Number of Packages: 4

Package Weight Dimensions Declared Value
1 40 lbs. 20 x 16 x 9 in. 500 USD
2 40 lbs. 20 x 16 x 9 in. 500 USD
3 40 lbs. 20 x 16 x 9 in. 500 USD
4 40 lbs. 20 x 16 x 9 in. 500 USD


Time and Cost Summary

Rates By Service

Service Guaranteed By Total
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPS Next Day Air Tuesday, July 22, 2008 1,124.12 USD*
Early A.M. 8:00 A.M., By 8:00 A.M.

Days In Transit: 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPS Next Day Air Tuesday, July 22, 2008 973.08 USD*
By 10:30 A.M
Days In Transit: 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPS Next Day Air Saver Tuesday, July 22, 2008 930.68 USD*
By End of Day

Days In Transit: 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPS 2nd Day Air Wednesday, July 23, 2008 786.52 USD*
By End of Day

Days In Transit: 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPS 3 Day Select Thursday, July 24, 2008 544.56 USD*
Same Day Pickup By End of Day

Days In Transit: 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPS 3 Day Select Thursday, July 24, 2008 539.24 USD*
Future Day Pickup By End of Day

Days In Transit: 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPS Ground Friday, July 25, 2008 241.52 USD*
Same Day Pickup By End of Day

Days In Transit: 4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPS Ground Friday July 25, 2008 237.12 USD*
Future Day Pickup By End of Day

Days In Transit: 4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPS Express Critical
Our same-day service provides U.S. customers with reliable
delivery of urgent shipments to every U.S. address and more
than 180 countries worldwide.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Result estimates calculated by UPS:
Saturday, July 19, 2008 11:18 A.M. Eastern Time (USA)

* Rate includes a fuel surcharge.

* Based on Flight Availability.
Not available at UPS Retail Locations.
Please visit or call 1-800-714-8779 for rates
and additional details.

* Rates are estimates only based on Prepaid service.


By the way, if you have to ship more than 160 lbs of luggage between two people for a weeklong trip to New York, you've got major packing issues!

If you plan a few days in advance, you can get the cost down to $240 to ship all that heavy luggage. In my opinion, a $240 delivery is worth the convenience of not having to carry 160 lbs of luggage between two people.

Luckily for me, I don't need to pack that heavy, so I can easily get by with a single 40 Lb bag on a one-week trip. And it only costs $60 to ship one bag four days in advance with UPS. That's a bargain when you consider that airlines are charging you all of those extra fees to check your bags these days.

By the way, United.com is currently showing the following domestic fees:
UNITED.COM - Cost to Check Two bags:

$15 (for first bag)
+ $25 (for second bag)
------------------------------
= $40 each way or $80 total

And don't forget about the "overweight bag" fees. Each overweight bag (those over 50 lbs.) would incur a $125 fee in addition to the standard fees!

In other words, if you were to check two overweight bags, it would come to:
UNITED.COM - Cost to Check Two "Overweight" bags (50+ lbs. each):

$15 (for first bag)
$125 (overweight fee for first bag)
$25 (for second bag)
+ $125 (overweight fee for second bag)
------------------------------
= $290 each way or $580 total

When you break the math out like I've done above, the cost of shipping two overweight bags in advance is actually cheaper than checking them on United.

For example, the cost to send two 60 Lb bags with UPS (keeping the rest of the shipment information the same as the UPS quote above):
Service Guaranteed By Total
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPS Next Day Air Tuesday, July 22, 2008 757.50 USD*
Early A.M. 8:00 A.M., By 8:00 A.M.

Days In Transit: 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPS Next Day Air Tuesday, July 22, 2008 681.96 USD*
By 10:30 A.M
Days In Transit: 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPS Next Day Air Saver Tuesday, July 22, 2008 653.22 USD*
By End of Day

Days In Transit: 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPS 2nd Day Air Wednesday, July 23, 2008 550.26 USD*
By End of Day

Days In Transit: 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPS 3 Day Select Thursday, July 24, 2008 386.50 USD*
Same Day Pickup By End of Day

Days In Transit: 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPS 3 Day Select Thursday, July 24, 2008 383.84 USD*
Future Day Pickup By End of Day

Days In Transit: 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPS Ground Friday, July 25, 2008 153.50 USD*
Same Day Pickup By End of Day

Days In Transit: 4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPS Ground Friday July 25, 2008 151.30 USD*
Future Day Pickup By End of Day

Days In Transit: 4
-----------------------------------------------------------------


So, when traveling domestically with two overweight bags, it's clearly cheaper to ship your luggage in advance:

(Cost via UPS) = $151.30 < $290 = (Cost via United)

In essence, the luggage companies like LuggageForward and LuggageConcierge are really just shipping companies that use white gloves. Mainstream shipping companies like UPS will obviously get the job done for a better price than those "white glove" shipping companies.

So, not only has the cost of shipping luggage become more attractive with these new airline fees, but by shipping your luggage you also don't have to put up with things like: possibly losing your luggage, having TSA search through your undergarments, or a back ache from carrying 40-80 lbs of luggage!

wow, forager, thanks for all your hard work. it certainly makes a compelling argument for shipping luggage via ups....

No problem.

Don't get me wrong... If given the choice, I'd also rather spend that money on a nice meal at Alain Ducasse or Per Se. It's just a shame that the airlines have to charge for checked luggage these days — with gas prices being so high and all.

I just discovered that Delta now charges $80 for each piece of luggage over 50 lbs. It's as if they'd rather you ship it than check it with them. $80 is quite a penalty, especially if they get you going both ways!

Who do I contact about shipping luggage to Italy and does anyone have an idea how long it takes to get there?

Like loml95, I've researched this extensively and over the past few months sought around a dozen quotes from unaccompanied luggage shippers and major global couriers. I'm not from the US, nor am I going there (not this year anyway), and I was seeking quotes from Turkey to Milan, then Venice to Dubai, then Dubai to Melbourne, for various times.

The cheapest quote I could get for 2 carry-on sized bags at 27 kilos each (and, no, I don't have packing issues, I'm a travel writer, so I simply wind up with a lot of paper (press kits, brochures, books, etc) after each research trip) started at US$1200, with DHL (UPS quoted a higher rate for the same amount, incidentally).

However, what I found really interesting was that so many of the companies that claim to ship "anything, anywhere, anytime", don't in fact. Most only shipped with the US, UK or Australia as their start/end points for example, so it was virtually impossible to find anyone other than a Turkish company to ship from Turkey. And as we'd already used a couple of Turkish couriers who lost packages on both occasions, I thought I'd give that a miss.

The problem with companies shipping to Australia was the extraordinary amount of complex paperwork required by Australian authorities, firstly, and then the amount of time the luggage would spend in customs, a major problem for me, as I was heading down under to write up a book while I spent time with family and so needed the materials immediately.

After all my enquiries I couldn't find a single company who could do the job fast and for a reasonable price. In the end, I sought an excess luggage waiver from the airline I was flying and got it - they gave us 50 kilos extra each! - that waiver is for journalists only and I was asked not to brag about it, as they're not sure this is something they can continue to offer in the future, with the new luggage restrictions most airlines are starting to adopt.

And if you thought $80 for more than 50 lbs was shocking, Etihad Airlines charges UK£ 37 per kilo!!! Do the math!

I own a company where we save corporations (from Samsung America to Vera Wang) on their express shipping. www.csadistribution.com

I am now starting a company www.luggageahead.com based on the request of clients to ship their luggage. It will move via FedEX but at a substational savings over list rates.

Email me if you would be interested in being contacted about this service when it is formally launched, or if you have an immediate need and would like to receive a quote.

Anthony

carusoson@aol.com

Delta's fees just went up. Now it's a $50 charge for a second suitcase each way (up from $25). And if either your first or second suitcase is over 50 lbs, you'll now be charged $90 in each direction for domestic flights and $150 each way on international flights!!

I can see it now. It won't be long before they start asking you how much you weigh before you buy your tickets and charging you accordingly!

I'm locally famous for my extensive wardrobe. How'd I get it? By schlepping luggage only one way. Leave with a credit card and little else, return home with a suitcase or two of new clothes that will become memories. (I got this in Bermuda, the dres came from Hong Kong, we wre shopping in th souk and I had to have it!) Hey, it's not like you aren't going to shop, anyway, right?

Just to mention a variation on jewel fiend's approach, try leaving on your trip with two or three days' of clothing that you were going to get rid of anyway, discard all or most of it at your end destination and (especially if the pricing is attractive and the variety and quality of the clothing is top-notch where you're going) buy your new wardrobe there and enjoy! My wife and daughter used such an approach when they would travel to Hong Kong.

When we travel for pleasure, we often find that our luggage is heavier and bulkier on our return trip home than when we're first beginning our vacation. (That's usually because of shopping and purchasing things along the way.) So, at least for DOMESTIC trips within the USA, where there are no customs inspections involved, we find shipping our luggage BACK TO OUR HOME to be just as, if not more, convenient as shipping it ahead to our destination.