Airlines tend to lose luggage, and although they issue customers with handy security checking tags, luggage handlers are human and make mistakes. My friend once waited two weeks to reunite with her lost luggage, and staying in a foreign country stranded without your clothes is not a great feeling. Travelers in a popular Jetsetter forum recently discussed why they mail their bags to their destinations instead of checking their luggage. Would you consider the new trend?
1. Cheaper Than Checking Bags
One person notes that their flight tickets don’t hurt their wallet, but the pricey $60 checked bag fee does. Instead of forfeiting that money, they mail out their luggage five days before their plane ride for $21 at the UPS store.
2. Pack the Essentials in a Backpack, Mail the Rest
Some airlines try to charge for backpacks, depending on the measurements, but if you assemble your belongings correctly, you won’t have to pay an extra $30-$45 for bags. This traveler suggests leaving or mailing the clothes you’ll need to your destination and packing the essentials in your carry-on. “Paying $250 to $300 a year for baggage fees versus leaving a set of clothes and not having to deal with a suitcase seems like a no-brainer. Happy travels!”
3. Long-Term Benefits
“I have thought of this as a potential hack for long-term stays while traveling, too. Instead of checking a big bag or even bringing multiple suitcases, you could mail yourself clothes and other needed items to the address where you’re staying, as long as there is someone there to receive them (e.g., visiting a friend overseas for three weeks),” a globetrotter states.
4. Gifts
When I studied abroad in London, I bought an overwhelming amount of gifts in terms of weight. I worried I wouldn’t be able to board a flight without doling over my savings account for overweight bags, so I stuffed all of the heavy items into my carry-on backpack. I swear I suffer back pain from that journey to this day, and I wish that I had thought to mail the items.
5. Saving Time
Running late for a flight spikes nerves and may cause you to arrive later than expected. Forego all of that anxiety by mailing your luggage days before your trip. That way, you can breeze through security without standing in an outrageous line at baggage drop-off.
6. Ubers Fancy You
Do you know the pain of hauling 40-pound bags into the trunk of an Uber? My family once ordered an Uber on the way to an airport for an international trip, and the compact car struggled to sort our belongings into their trunk. Avoid this at all costs.
7. Smells Better
Dirty laundry weighs down bags. I always sort my dirty clothes into a plastic bag, yet the smell permeates through my luggage, leaving residual grimy scents scattered across my clean clothes. Sort your dirty clothes into boxes and mail home what you’ve worn so your suitcase holds light, clean linens.
8. Fragility
Many souvenirs are fragile and must be handled with care. Baggage handlers throw suitcases on the moving belts to speed up their jobs. They do not care if you have an expensive tea set in your bag.
“I did this coming back from a three-week trip. I took lighter, more delicate souvenirs like a teapot and some jewelry I got for my sister, wrapped them inside my clothes and mailed them back to me. Some of the stuff took three weeks to get back to my house, but it all got back there eventually without any damage,” one person dishes.
9. Climate Difference
“My aunt went on a long and varied trip around the country this year, visiting family and friends. She was going to multiple climates with vastly different clothing requirements, so she mailed boxes of clothing to three of her stops and left the prepaid boxes ready to ship home once she got back. My aunt is one smart cookie,” a user details.
10. Reliability
Mail handlers are less likely to lose your luggage than airport baggage handlers. Their systems operate seamlessly, and you can trust security tags and checking numbers more than those distributed in airports.
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