Email this page
Print this page
Comments
FeedShipped Shape
IT’S AN ALL-TOO-FAMILIAR scenario—waiting at the baggage-claim carousal with no suitcases left circling. Time has been wasted, and your trip or vacation is on temporary hold. The Bureau of Travel Statistics reports airlines mishandled more than 4 million bags in 2006. That means every day, tens of thousands of passengers are left not holding the bag.
Free luggage check used to be the only air-travel option, but now there’s another choice. Shipping luggage ahead of a flight is the latest convenience. The service debuted within the past few years and is gaining a steady following.
“In the past year, growth has really sped up, and we have a great return-customer base,” says Aaron Kirley, cofound - er of Luggage Forward (866-416-7447; luggageforward.com). “Many new clients weren’t even aware it existed before finding us.”
Shipping luggage can be expensive. Sending a 40-pound bag from San Diego to San Francisco runs from $77 to $193, depending how far in advance the bag is sent. The only fee associated with checking luggage on a plane is for overweight bags. These days, many airlines charge $25 for a bag over 50 pounds, $50 for a bag exceeding 70 pounds.
“The number-one advantage in shipping bags is saving time,” says Kirley. “When you forward your luggage, you don’t stand in line.” And there’s no hauling suitcases to and from the airport. Companies like Kirley’s pick up the suitcases wherever you pack them and deliver to where you’re going. And Luggage Forward guarantees shipped bags will get there on time.
“All our domestic services are guaranteed,” says Kirley. “If your luggage doesn’t arrive on time, we give you $500 spending money, and you don’t have to pay for the service.”
To date, he says, his company has never lost a bag. “We have measures in place so it would be difficult to lose a bag,” he says. “But if a piece ever were to be lost, everything is insured.”
Do you like what you read? Subscribe to San Diego Magazine »
