By Sheila Sobell
When we arrived at the airport 18 months ago to fly to our new life in the United Kingdom, you couldn't see us for our luggage. We somehow managed to pack life essentials into six suitcases and two cabin bags along with our laptops. Thanks to points accumulated on credit cards, they were checked free — unless you count the wear and tear on our musculoskeletal system and psyche.
You know the old cliche about "the best laid plans of mice and men." When the permanent resettlement didn't materialize, we needed a fast flight back to the United States. The challenge was getting our belongings home without loss, damage, and breaking the bank or our backs.
Used to crossing "the pond" on a single carrier with just two carry-ons, we never considered the cost of checking luggage. Booked on Norwegian, we discovered the cheapest way for low-fare passengers to check baggage from Gatwick to LAX, our first stop, was a $100 package that included one 45-pound suitcase, seat reservation and nosh. Each additional case cost another $238 or $950 for our extra four.
Our priorities — low fare and breaking up the flight in Los Angeles — involved changing carriers and thereby paying luggage costs twice. On the U.S. segment flying American Airlines, each passenger had one complimentary bag; the second cost $100 and all others $200 each.
Enter the send-ahead luggage saviors. Independent of airlines, luggage couriers take the ache out of backache and in some situations don't break the bank, either.
We tested three different services to understand their operation, advantages and shortcomings.
Send My Bag's door-to-door service costs $79 to $135 for a 35-pound to 60-pound suitcase by its Express Delivery (three to four working days, depending on ZIP code). First Luggage's VIP (three business days) delivery for up to 40 pounds is $155, $119 for four- to six-day service. Luggage Free's International Priority (four business days) is $305; International Economy (six business days) is $255.
Today a wide spectrum of travelers find the convenience, dependability and security of knowing their luggage will arrive intact and on time is worth the expense. Biggest users are the elderly, travelers on multistop holidays involving different wardrobes, young families with children and their accompanying gear, passengers with sports equipment, second-home owners, relocators and students studying abroad.
That's a big change from a decade ago, when such services first debuted.
"They were more costly and not many people were aware of them," said Nigel Freedman, chief commercial officer of First Luggage. "Once airlines began charging more for the privilege of having you take your luggage to the airport and queue at the other end to collect it, then transport it all home, people found that it could be more cost-effective to have luggage delivered door-to-door."
Tempted? To choose the company that's right for you, start by putting priorities ahead of price. Do you want a luxury service with guaranteed pickup and delivery times that does all the paperwork and provides real-time tracking, storage and multibag discounts? How important is weekend service and high-value insurance?
Send My Bag is the new kid on the block. Until recently, when it expanded into the United States, its primary market was student shipments within Europe. Its advantage is that it carries heavier bags at a lower cost. But using Send My Bag made us nervous because its delivery schedule meant we'd have to courier the bag to a friend who would have to track delivery. To avoid unnecessary waiting, Send My Bag sends a notification email/SMS alert once shipment is collected. But you still have to self-track as delivery can occur between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., possibly later.
"Timed pickups and delivery are being piloted, and automated tracking and weekend service could be added soon," according to Myles Quee, travel team supervisor.
Free insurance ($165 per bag) is less than the other two couriers, but travel insurance, the credit card used to pay shipping, and many homeowners' and renters' policies also cover loss or damage.
First Luggage promotes its specific service slots with guaranteed on-time pickup, delivery and weekend service ($33 extra); "real time" tracking, tracing and proof of delivery; creation and attachment of shipping labels; shrink-wrapping baggage for protection; and free insurance of $1,980 per shipment. Thanks to weekend collection and delivery options, our luggage was picked up on a Sunday night.
Luggage Free touts its "precise pricing" (you only pay for weight packed); its "on- time guarantee or it's free" policy; plus up to $500 per bag for inconvenience and complimentary $1,000 per shipment insurance. Need the luggage delivered before you arrive? Its tracking system notifies time of delivery and signature. Will having a specific collection time ease your mind? Included at no cost is pickup with a four-hour window. Saturday delivery is $50 additional. Great for us was having our delivery date customized with an agent storing our bags until we arrived, plus the company's more liberal shipping policy that allowed packing art prohibited by the other couriers.
All of the companies offer multibag discounts.
Traveling with a tour operator? Its price might be cheaper as many pass on courier discounts to customers. Luggage Free and First Luggage partner with cruise ships, hotels and tour operators; First Luggage also links with British Airways and Eurostar.
Worried about items disappearing from your suitcase, delayed luggage or the anxiety resulting from long check-ins and gate changes? According to the Department of Transportation, in 2014 four out of 14 major U.S. airlines lost more than four bags in every 1,000. Courier company statistics suggest that such risks are impressively reduced.
So after testing all three companies, what did we learn?
There are two parts to luggage couriering. Administration (customer service) books orders and tracks. Subcontractors such as FedEx, DHL and local companies deliver. Their coordination determines the customer experience.
Send My Bag, the newest and least expensive, surprised us with excellent automated tracking and timed delivery as part of its pilot program. First Luggage excelled at on-time service, although we had to chase tracking updates and couldn't determine from a confusing email whether our bags were in the United Kingdom or the United States.
Luggage Free, the most expensive, disappointed. Our July 4 morning pickup failed and phone calls to what purportedly was a U.K. office were redirected to New York. The emergency operator told us the offices were closed on Independence Day. Despite promising to find us help, he disconnected three additional follow-up calls. We finally reached a company executive, who rescheduled pickup.
Phoning the local courier, we learned the driver eliminated our original collection once he realized he wouldn't arrive on time. Had we been flying that day, we would have had to check our luggage with the airline at exorbitant cost and inconvenience.
To use a luggage courier successfully, determine if administration is in the same time zone where you and your luggage will be, its hours and emergency strategy. And obtain contact details for the local delivery company.
Overall, traveling without luggage meant whipping through arrivals, bypassing customs, snaring taxis more quickly and paying less for smaller cabs. Everything arrived on time and intact. Luggage shrink-wrapped by First Luggage experienced less wear and tear.
Arm yourself with information and you'll arrive stress-free and refreshed. Isn't that how travel is supposed to be?
WHEN YOU GO
www.sendmybag.com, 855-642-1167
www.luggagefree.com, 800-361-6871
www.first luggage.com, 866-449-9532
Sheila Sobell is a freelance travel photojournalist. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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