Tag: luggage

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LugLess Info

I recently heard about this company. Has anyone used this one or one like it?

LugLess introduced the first cost-competitive alternative to checking bags at the airport by enabling travelers to ship luggage directly to their destination for as little as $15.

Problem: Carrying, checking, and reclaiming bags at the airport is inconvenient, time consuming, and increasingly expensive. Travelers will pay more than $4.5 billion in checked baggage fees this year in the US alone.

Solution: LugLess leverages existing logistics networks to make shipping luggage easier and cheaper than checking a bag. Our shipping search engine finds and compares the absolute lowest UPS and FedEx rates to generate the cheapest shipping label for any travel itinerary. If that’s all you need from us, there is no other cost to using our platform.

But if you need a little more help with your shipment, we’ve got you covered. For an additional fee, you can add extra features, like additional coverage or a doorstep pickup. You can even opt for live support, which means you’ll have access to a LugLess team member who will answer any questions you have.

Key features:

 ➔ Rates: Starting at $15/bag. Rates based on distance, size and speed of delivery. On average, people pay $28 to ship one bag or $54 to ship two bags.

➔ Model: After getting the cheapest shipping label, users can add extra features, such as additional coverage or live support, for a fee and only pay for what they use.

➔ Users: Mass market, budget conscious travelers including: families with children, golfers, skiers, students, and people making small moves.

➔ Scale: In the same way that Amazon leverages UPS and FedEx to bring the shopping experience to your front door, LugLess leverages these carriers to let travelers avoid the hassles of checking luggage.

➔ Technology: The LugLess platform is integrated with multiple carriers to find the lowest rates and generate shipping labels instantly. The LugLess API allows publishers and travel booking platforms to fetch rates and create reservations in their own environment.

➔ Geography: LugLess provides service to and from every zip code in the United States.

Team

The LugLess leadership team has worked together for fifteen years. They have launched, acquired, and operated businesses in the logistics and travel space, including Luggage Forward, which is a premium doorstep to destination luggage delivery service focused on the global luxury travel market. The introduction of LugLess’ ultra-low-cost service provides a no-frills luggage shipping solution to the frustrated traveling masses who are increasingly dissatisfied with the inconvenience and rising costs of carrying and checking luggage at the airport. www.lugless.com

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Your Luggage Isn’t There

According to the Department of Transportation, the vast majority of bags are reunited with their owners within hours. If your luggage isn’t on the carousel when you arrive, here are some steps to get you started.

Before you leave the airport, report your missing luggage to your airline’s customer service. If you took a connecting flight with multiple carriers, file a report with the airline that brought you to your final destination.

According to the Department of Transportation, you should insist on creating a report no matter what, even if the airline says your bag will be on the next flight. Before you leave the airport, ask for a copy of the report with a file reference number, and a follow-up phone number. Ask about delivery options.

Some carriers allow their employees to give you a cash advance at the airport for purchasing necessities, such as toiletries and a change of clothes. Others will reimburse you for these purchases later. When you report your lost luggage at the airport, ask the agent how your airline handles reimbursement for necessities. You are entitled to this compensation even if your bags are later returned.

International note: For bags that don’t show up after international flights, make a report with your airline as described above. After you receive a delayed bag, international regulations give you 21 days in which to submit a claim for reimbursement for necessities purchased in the interim.

After you’ve made a report, the airline will start tracing your bag. Most airlines will be able to deliver your bag within a day or two. If you receive no notice within a reasonable time after making your initial report at the airport, follow up with the airline by calling the phone number you received. Most carriers will also allow you to track the progress of your report online.

At a certain point, if an airline can’t locate your bag, its status will change from delayed to lost. For domestic flights, the amount of time varies by airline, though it shouldn’t be more than a few weeks. For international flights, luggage must be declared missing if it doesn’t show up within 21 days.

Once the bag is officially declared lost, you may begin the claims process for a lost bag. The exact claims process varies by airline. Regulations cap reimbursement at $3,500 per traveler for domestic flights and around $1,600 for most international flights.

Southwest Airlines and American Airlines, for example, allow customers to initiate a claim if their luggage isn’t located within five days. United Airlines allows customers to do so after three days.

As part of the claims process, you’ll fill out paperwork detailing the contents of the lost bags and their value. The airline will likely ask for sales receipts or other documentation to back up your estimates. The Department of Transportation cautions that if you don’t have these records, you can expect to negotiate with your airline.

Once your claim has been submitted, it can take an airline anywhere from four weeks to three months to reimburse you.

If you’re traveling with valuables, declare them before you fly. There are caps on reimbursement, and travelers with high-value luggage may want to declare and purchase excess valuation when checking their bags.

I know people who have never recovered their lost luggage…but it is rare. Bottom line…if you know what to do ahead of time, it may make your life easier when the baggage carousel stops, and you have no luggage. Maybe…

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Did Your Luggage Make It?

Traveling with checked bags?

Preventing, or at least lessening the chance, of losing your luggage may involve a few preventive steps. This won’t guarantee your luggage arrives with you. But, it might increase the chances.

When you book your flight, think about the time of your layover. Chances are if it’s a short one, your bag might not make it onto the next leg of your journey. This is especially true if you are flying internationally. It would be a good idea to ask about time in between flights, before you book that amazing flight deal.

Think about putting some type of marker on your bag…especially if it is a medium sized, black bag. I mean…how many of those do you see on the baggage carousel? It’s easy to wrap a piece of red tape around the handle.

What’s your luggage tag look like? If you don’t have one and opt to use the paper ones provided by the check-in counter, the chances of it getting ripped off somewhere along the line are good. Instead, use one with a code or microchip so you can track your bag. At the very least, get one that doesn’t come off easily.

When packing, place a copy of your itinerary inside. Put it on top so if the airline has to open your bag to re-route it, it’s right there in front of them.

While you’re at it, take some photos of your bag. Use your phone and take a couple of the outside, the inside, and anything of value.

Check in early enough. Give the check-in desk and the baggage handlers enough time to get your bag on your flight.

Of course, you could always ship your bags and not worry about them. This might be best, and cheaper, if you need to have oversized or overweight bags.