Taking the 'lug' out of luggage
As airlines start charging passengers to check their luggage, shipping baggage to the final destination is becoming a more attractive option. Dan Grech reports costs are similar, but there is a distinct advantage.
Luggage lined up (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)
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Scott Jagow: Today, Delta Airlines starts charging $50 for checking a second piece of luggage. Other airlines will probably increase their baggage fees as well. It's getting so expensive that some people have decided to mail their suitcases instead. Dan Grech has more.
Dan Grech: Luggage Concierge, Virtual Bellhop, The Luggage Club. A growing number of companies offer guaranteed door-to-door luggage service. But it will cost you -- from $120 to $200 for a single bag.
Jewelry artist Julie Ashton decided to ship the clothing she needed for an upcoming vacation. She boxed it up and took it to the post office a week before her trip. First class mail cost her $16.
Julie Ashton: It really seems a lot easier in the end to do that than to lug it around the airport, check it, pay the fee, and then stand around at baggage claim waiting again.
UPS and Fedex say more people are shipping luggage, though the companies don't break out the exact numbers. A medium-sized suitcase sent by ground costs between $40 and $70, depending on where it's going. Shipping your luggage offers a big perk: unlike the airlines, you get your money back if your bags don't arrive.
I'm Dan Grech for Marketplace.
Comments
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From Grand Rapids, MI, 08/05/2008
I recently travelled on Cathay Pacific, Royal Nepal, and Bankok Air and had real silverware, free cocktails, great food (even on a 3 hour flight) and great service. What is it that the US air companies are doing wrong that they cant make it work but other countries can?
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