Cheapest Way to Ship Luggage to avoid Airline Baggage Fees
 

some people in my traveling party don't have status with delta- wondering what luck people have had with shipping luggage.

FedEx.

Fedex Ground, to be more precise....

Depends on how far you're going - if it's a transcon, FedEx Ground could take a week or so.

$15 for the first bag is pretty much always going to be cheaper than (or at the same price as) FedEx/UPS Ground. Much better getting it that day too than waiting 3-4 days for your bag.

Depends if it's international (two free up to weight limit), premium class, or economy. If this is domestic travel and the bags don't exceed the weight limit, I doubt one is going to get them to the destination any cheaper than the $40 for two bags ($15 first, $25 second) on Delta.

Cheapest Way to Ship Luggage to avoid Delta Baggage
 

does the luggage have to be in a box or can you ship as is?

You can ship as is. FedEx Kinkos has a special pouch that is zip-tied to luggage that attaches the shipping label. I've done it numerous times.

I actually often ship stuff via FedEx two day and it isn't very expensive...

If I'm going to be in six cities in six days, I put what I'll need for the last three days into a medium FedEx box and ship it to whatever hotel I'll be at on the fourth night. At the third hotel, I'll get a FedEx box and ship home my laundry. This lets me keep to one carry-on (travel with projector and computer, so space is limited to stay within one bag and personal item) which allows me to be flexible getting on earlier flights. Heavy stuff like shoes of jeans comes with me. Light stuff - socks, t-shirts, etc., goes via FedEx.

Sticking to the FedEx boxes keeps the price down. (As does using my company's negotiated rate.)

My luggage rides piggyback on top of my trade show booth, making it essentially free and much more convenient than dragging it through the airport.

Cheapest Way to Ship Luggage to avoid Delta Baggage
 

thanks for all the help. i just shipped a piece of luggage at a fed-ex kinko's. it weighed 37 lbs. and will arrive in two days and it only cost me $28. two people in my traveling party already checked two bags each and the third would have cost over $100, so i think this is a convenient way to avoid paying that fee.

As this topic is not particularly Delta-specific, I am moving the thread to TravelBuzz for continued discussion.
Obscure2k
Delta Moderator

Hi CJKatl and everyone,

I was wondering, are hotels typically ok with getting FedEx boxes for guests? Are luggage deliveries better received? Do you need to do any special coordinating either way to make sure that your stuff gets accepted and that you can find it when you arrive?

Thanks so much for your additional guidance.

Here's a comparison of the prices shipping vs. checking-in

Interesting chart but there is all the hassle of getting it to the shipper, the need to do it ahead of time, etc. I have trouble imaging this really being workable for most folks. But if it works for you, go for it. I won't be doing it.

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.