If you’re traveling with a gaggle of kids to a wedding, or are moving across international lines, consider using a specialized shipping service such as Luggage Forward.
Golfers and skiers are more likely to be familiar with this as there are several companies like... Luggage Forward that specialize in shipping clubs, skis, bikes, and other sports gear, but you can send any kind of luggage, domestically or abroad.
“What we’re seeing right now, and why it’s such a massive problem at airports around the world, is a unique combination of airline/airport staffing shortages and cancelled flights (also due to staffing and pilot shortages). Adkins says all of these factors “reduce the ability for airlines to reunite misrouted bags with passengers.”
Sometimes the solution might include avoiding airport baggage altogether, said Casto, of Flight Centre. Companies including ShipGo, LugLess and Luggage Forward specialize in bag-delivery alternatives.
The benefits of using a luggage shipping service extend beyond being able to travel hands-free. They also come with added security compared with checking in luggage, not to mention allowing you to skip long lines at airports and other transport hubs, avoid irritating fees and negotiating public transport with heavy bags.
If you decide you want to travel with your skis, you have options on how to get them there, including sending them ahead of you so you don’t have to schlep them through the airport.
The benefits of using a luggage shipping service extend beyond being able to travel hands-free. They also come with added security compared with checking in luggage, not to mention allowing you to skip long lines at airports and other transport hubs, avoid irritating fees and negotiating public transport with heavy bags.
Andy Abramson, a frequent air traveler who runs a communication firm in Los Angeles, started downsizing his luggage long before airlines began charging for checked bags. "I always only check what's required," he says. "My rolling backpack has everything for a few days: medications, tech gear, change of clothes." Everything else gets shipped to his final destination through a luggage service like Luggage Forward.
Newer entrants are bringing prices down, notably Lugless, which is owned by Luggage Forward. It offers a budget version of its parent company’s service.