Avoiding Long Check-In Linesby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 12 Aug 2006 06:37 PM The uncovering of the recent alleged terror plot and implementation of new travel restrictions (see my previous blog: "Travel Alert-What You Can't Pack In Your Carry-On") has been a shot in the arm to some travel related businesses. Luggage forwarders, which pick up, ship and deliver bags for passengers (for a hefty price), are seeing brisk business as a result of the events in the United Kingdom. Luggage forwarders have been using the recent terror alert to advertise their services to airline passengers looking to avoid standing in long check in lines. In fact, just yesterday, luggage forwarder Bags, Inc. announced that the number of bags it checked in for passengers at airport parking lots, convention centers, cruise ships and hotels rose sharply in the past three days. You should know Bags Inc. doesn't deliver door-to-door, but "acts more like mobile skycaps and operates its own screening machines." The bags they pick up fly with the passenger airlines, not cargo shippers. However, if you are looking for a luggage forwarder that offers door-to-door delivery service you may want to contact Luggage Free . The company announced yesterday their number of customer calls has "tripled" since Thursday-most of them from frantic flyers needing last minute pick ups. The company also said that it would not be raising their rates despite the sharp increase in demand. Another option is Luggage Forward a company, which "resells cargo delivery service by picking up bags from passengers and delivering them to their destination." The company's founder says they have seen a significant increase in customer inquiries since the new travel restrictions were issued. The company says it also saw a sharp increase in demand from customers in Europe, particularly from passengers traveling from European countries to the USA. Earlier I made reference to the high prices luggage forwarders charge per bag. I should mention, in most instances (at least prior to last week's events), luggage forwarder's services are used primarily by business travelers who travel on expense accounts. If you opt to go with a luggage forwarder you eliminate having to wait in line to check and pick up your bags, and you avoid paying the penalty fees (about $50 to $80) that come with violating the airline's weight restrictions. However, the service is not cheap. Luggagefree.com charges about $120 to ship a 50-pound bag from Boston to Las Vegas. But, keep in mind, luggage forwarders' track record for actually getting bags to their final destination is substantially better than that of the airlines. Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevanttravel tags User Comments clhough (5) 27 Jun 2007 08:29 AMI used luggagefree.com in October of 2006 for a cruise out of Los Angeles. The bags were traveling from Atlanta to my hotel in San Pedro, two days earlier than my arrival at the hotel, and three days prior to the cruise departure. I took out extra insurance on all three bags. When I arrived at the hotel, the bags were not there, and I was assured by Aly at LuggageFree.com that they would be there before the cruise started. This never happened. They gave me verbal authorization to spend $1000 (for two people) to replace what I could, but nothing in writing, no email, nada. I had 40 minutes at Target before they closed at 10pm to gather anything I could for the cruise that departed the next morning, with it being winter they had very few items. Shorts, tshirts, socks, underwear, and a bag were top priority, which I was able to get. When I arrived home the following week, I was told that the bags were lost, and they would file a claim with their insurance company. It turned out that they shipped the bags DHL and the insurance company was the shipping company itself. They deducted the $1000 from my claim (despite that being an extra expense) and when I disputed this, my bags magically appeared at my door nine weeks after returning home. The bags were shredded, but my lugggage protected my belongings well. The bags had been cut open, and my belongings pilfered through. All I asked from LuggageFree at this point was for a replacement of my bags that could no longer be used because of the cuts in them, and I was denied. My advice is to skip the middleman and save valuable money and frustration by taking your bags directly to a shipping carrier of your choice such as FedEx, UPS, or otherwise. Community Tags airport, bags, luggage, Travel Discuss this article
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