Alternative To Dealing With Airline Bags

By Author: Steve Robinson
Total Articles: 468
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Some travelers discover that after finding cheap travel deals such as cheap airplane tickets and discount hotel rooms or cheap vacation packages that the only part of the trip they tend to dread is the hassle of handling luggage to be checked on planes.

Passengers have to wait in lines to check their bags, then pay for the privilege, sometimes discover that the bags did not make it to the correct destination, that the airline may have no idea where the bags are, and finally if lost, that airlines refuse to accept responsibility (i.e. paying) for lost valuables including electronics, jewelry, and many other items that may be costly to replace.

An alternative to paying for checked bags, whose fees seem to keep climbing, is to ship your luggage in advance. Depending on what you are shipping, it may be cheaper to ship it in advance and you can insure your belongs as well as track your shipment.

The following are suggestions as to how to avoid delays and unnecessary hassles when shipping your bags:

• When shipping your belongings to a hotel or company make certain you have the correct shipping address which sometimes is different than the address on their website. When calling where you want your bags shipped ask:
1. For the correct shipping address
2. Whether they will accept shipped luggage
3. Whether your bags will be stored in a secure place
4. Whether there is a fee to receive and/or store your bags

• Be aware of the importance of packing your bags correctly. If an item is not packed properly, it may not be insured for damage. Shippers such as FedEx offer boxes specially designed to protect items such as laptops or cell phones.

• While shipping companies may offer money back guarantees on packages that arrive late, this does not necessarily mean that you will receive a full refund. You need to ask up front what your refund will be in the event of a delay.

• You should to be particularly careful when filling out international documents for shipping. If your shipment has faulty documentation or is missing customs forms, your luggage could be held up or you may be charged with unnecessarily high custom fees. Before leaving your bags, confirm with the shipping company whether your paperwork is filled out completely and correctly.

• Make certain that you provide your shipment enough time to get to your destination. December is one of the busiest months for shipping companies. FedEx advises shipping before December 17th for arrival by Christmas Eve if you choose the FedEx Ground option, which is less expensive.

• To be on the safe side, pack your luggage in as small a box or boxes as possible, as large boxes are often the first to be set aside if there is not enough space.
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