Audrey Kohout, Co-CEO of Luggage Forward, says: “With airlines deprioritising the traveller as operational efficiencies and costs increase. In 2026, thoughtful travellers will consider volunteering their carry-on at the gate when prompted, or even consider luggage shipping services to send bags ahead of time via a third-party delivery service.”
Audrey Kohout described Japan as a 'wonderful place for souvenir shopping'.
The co-CEO of Luggage Forward told The Mirror: 'People are purchasing a huge amount and are upgrading to a bigger suitcase, as they didn't plan ahead.'
Audrey Kohout, Co-CEO of Luggage Forward, told the Mirror: "A few things in Japan have led to this trend there as opposed to other surging places. Japan is a wonderful place for souvenir shopping. People are purchasing a huge amount and are upgrading to a bigger suitcase, as they didn't plan ahead.
"You combine that with checking a bag on an airline, and it leaves people a bit squeezed and not wanting multiple bags. The dollar is strong there. You merge that with Japan having a lot of high-quality, affordable options and fun knick-knacks. It lends it to be a strong souvenir destination.
Game-changing luggage courier services like LuggageFree, LugLess, and Luggage Forward help savvy travelers skip airport hassles — though the price can be steep — while luggage accessory brands offer space-saving compression bags that help fit more in carry-ons.
Read More: https://www.islands.com/1988772/united-airlines-new-checked-luggage-policy-improvement-international-travel/
On a recent trip, I turned to Luggage Forward, a door-to-door luggage shipping company that picked up my suitcase from my apartment and had it waiting for me at my hotel by the time I arrived at my destination.Â
“We are in a new era, where free perks are sold to us as premium add-ons,” said Audrey Kohout, Co-CEO at Luggage Forward. “These frustrating sales models will give way to a change in customer behavior, like booking services to ship bags ahead to save time.”
For many travelers, checking a bag has become the “kryptonite of air travel,” according to Audrey Kohout, Co-CEO of Luggage Forward and LugLess. With excessive fees, long lines, and potential fraud posing threats, many are turning to a better way of traveling known as luggage shipping. This innovative travel hack, which was once for the 1%, has now become more realistic for the average traveler.
In order to help you manage packing for an almost year long round the world cruise, Royal Caribbean teams up with Luggage Forward to arrange for your bags to go directly to the ship: perfect for a long trip!
If you’d rather skip hauling your gear altogether, services like Ship Sticks or Luggage Forward will pick up your clubs and deliver them directly to your destination. It’s not the cheapest option, but it can certainly make navigating parking lots, airports, rental car areas, and hotels a lot easier.