Jane E. Fraser

Put your suitcase in the post?? July 30, 2010

Could posting our luggage become an alternative to paying airline baggage fees?

 In the United States, shipping giant UPS is taking on the airlines by pushing its freight services as an alternative to paying baggage charges on domestic flights. The company is producing lightweight cardboard ‘suitcases’ that can be packed, shipped and delivered to a traveller’s destination or hotel, “taking the lug out of luggage”.

UPS says interest in luggage shipping has picked up since airlines began increasing their fees for checked and carry-on luggage. It says its prices compare favourably with airlines’ fees, particularly for extra items such as golf clubs and skis, and the service saves travellers the hassle of long queues and security searches. However, luggage shipping is limited to flights within the US, due to duties and taxes on international shipping.

The UPS move comes as statistics show airlines are getting better at keeping track of the luggage they carry. Figures from aviation IT consultancy SITA show mishandled bags dropped nearly a quarter in 2010, although there were still more than 25 million bags that missed flights or were sent to the wrong destinations. SITA says 52 per cent of baggage mishandling occurs during aircraft transfers, while 16 per cent comes under the category of ‘failed to load’.

This article is an excerpt from Jane E. Fraser’s weekly travel column in The Sun Herald, Sydney