Absolutely! Too much hassle and not much cheaper if at all.

It might be a good solution for a third bag as luggage fees increase exponentially, though. But then again, where were the OP's colleagues going? Two checked bags and a third per FEDEX. Jeez! RTW trip for two months? If it was work related equipment like tech or fair booth materials the employer would take care of transport cost. So this must be personal belongings. I can't believe anyone on this board would still travel and pack this inefficiently. Is that really possible?

People should do a little adventurous reading in the Travel Products forum and on OBOW and onebag.com where they can find everything on traveling light. I can do six days with projector and computer in a single 22" roller plus briefcase without any problem, even if I take two suits and an extra pair of shoes. Something's wrong there. :confused:

Till

+1 for Fedex ground. But agree, it should not be needed on most trips.

I've heard the most complaining about baggage fees from people planning longer cruises, as some of the lines have formal nights requiring men to be in tuxedos and women in long ball gowns. I don't quite get it that they spend thousands on lengthy cruises and then balk at $50 for their suitcases, but that's just me. :confused:

For me, there is the security issue. If I need to bring something very valuable on a trip that can't be carried on, I'd rather ship it via Fedex and know it will arrive safely, plus I can track it along the way. Do airlines still offer the possibility of insuring valuable items in baggage? What happens when TSA opens the bags and steals the item? Will the airline cover it, or do they tell you to "seek redress" from TSA?

My sense is that there WILL be a viable (albeit limited) business shipping luggage -- or, more accurately, the CONTENTS of that luggage -- now that most domestic US airlines are charging $25/bag.

The problem is that the most travel savvy folks (um, that would be us) don't often pay to check luggage: we tend to pack sensibly and, when possible, simply carry-on our baggage, or we have elite status that lets us check it for free.

I'd also be a bit leery of sending luggage in advance to most hotels. I guess the fancier properties probably have reasonable procedures, but what if you want to send it to a run-of-the-mill airport motel? I'd guess they're more likely to misplace it than an airline.

It would be interesting to get a better summary (the airfare watchdog site is a good start) of the best luggage shipping options. I assume they're different based on your destination. Like is the Post Office best for longer distances, like Hawaii, where private services are likely to charge you extra? I also assume it's not worth the cost to ship overseas, especially since "reasonable" amounts of int'l checked luggage still tends to be free.

What kind of Package type did you choose?

It's the first time I'm doing this and I'm wondering if I really need a package for my bag.

Thanks!

It was mentioned earlier in the thread that with FedEx you can ship your bag as is, no box required.

UPS sells cardboard suitcases meant to be shipped, they can pack your suitcase in a box if you want, or they can ship just the suitcase

http://avupsstore.com/wp-content/upl...uggage-Box.jpg

Your choice, based on how much protection you want for the bags. Fedex probably has something similar.

i am not registered. can someone check the ups rate for a generic 50 lb package, nyc-lon, or nyc-par?

This is a semi-common scenario for me...traveling with some non-elite friends on a guys' trip or whatever. I usually just add enough people to my PNR to cover all luggage needs.

Backup plan on DL...especially if you (the elite) are redeeming an award or flying an alternate route making it impossible to book a single PNR...would be to tell one of those guys to get the DL Amex. Then the non-elites can book under a single PNR and have one bag each.

all those fees quoted were for domestic. i think tatl ups shipping is a bit more. like in hundreds more.

I don't really understand all the talk about shipping luggage, with the exception of very unusual circumstances. $25 isn't too much, and you can send up to 50 pounds of stuff. 50 pounds of stuff on UPS is much more than $25. With the airlines, it is there same day. On UPS the cheapest (yet still more expensive option) will take a week. Want it there next day? (still slower than airlines) It will cost you in the hundreds. Afraid someone is going to steal your stuff on airlines? You've obviously never worked for UPS, as things get stolen frequently there as well, not to mention the days its sitting at the hotel waiting for you.
I feel that people who ship luggage mostly do it to "stick it to the airline." However the majority of time, they are just screwing themselves.