Don't Feel Like Carrying Your Luggage? It Might Make Sense to Ship It
Wouldn’t it be great if you could travel bag-free? There would be no bag-check lines, no waiting for luggage, no lost luggage, and best of all, no restrictions. Well, it is entirely possible. And traveling with your beloved bicycle? That is possible, too. How? Ship it.
Shipping Your Luggage:
Shipping your luggage might be the ultimate indulgence. So you must be aware that, first, it is not cheap. Second, you will have to pack and send your items a few days in advance.
Here are four companies that specialize in shipping luggage:
Shipping vs. Checking Bags
To hone in on the best choice, you need to do the math. In general, if you have luggage that is overweight (50-70 pounds), you will be better off paying the airline’s overweight fees.
If your bag is oversized (larger than 62 in/158 cm), that’s when it is worth shipping.
For an oversized, overweight bag on a domestic flight, you can pay up to $400 extra. On an international flight, you simply can’t take the bag onboard.
Comparing Rates
Unfortunately, there is no set formula for knowing when to ship and when to take your bags on board. There is however, a way to effectively compare rates for both.
At www.farecompare.com, there is a great chart that compares baggage fees for different airlines. Also, www.seatguru.com has comparison charts for shipping vs. checking your bags.
Shipping luggage can get a bit messy. Be sure to research and compare your options before you make any decisions!
Sonia Gil has a language learning company called Fluenz and believes that, like learning a language, traveling well to the right destination takes work. Showing people how to do it inspires her travel blogs and videos: “Sonia’s Travels” and “Almost Free.”
