On one hand, it would be nice if we could transport to destinations via Star Trek technology that some future generation might enjoy, skipping the airports, flights, transfers and meals along the way.  Just right to the place we want to visit, without jet lag, expense or time.  On the other hand, getting there is half the fun to many travelers. Researching and planning in advance of travel, then the unexpected surprises that come up along the way make for some great stories later.  Here is one of those.

My entire life I had never lost luggage one time, until two entirely different cruises on as many cruise lines started out less than smoothly due to lost luggage. The takeaway from those two nearly-ruined trips:

Never Check Luggage Ever Again

I see people who travel all the time, million-milers who have probably earned the ability to check a car if needed.  Savvy travelers choose to use two pieces of luggage: A carry on that maximizes the amount of overhead storage available and a personal item that maximizes the amount of space under the seat.  This is how I travel most often, completely eliminating the possibility of losing my luggage ever again.

Not checking luggage pretty much takes care of the potential lost luggage problem. If you don’t give it to them, they can’t lose it.  If it gets lost now, that’s on you which brings us the first of three sets of tips about luggage today

YOU MUST CHECK LUGGAGE

Tips on how to maximize the odds of that checked luggage making it with you to your final destination:

1. Use your smartphone to capture an image of your luggage- At the lost luggage counter in Barbados then again far away in Marseilles, France, they use the same ‘identify your luggage’ mugshots, asking those afflicted to choose one that most closely matches the look of their wayward luggage.  None of them ever matched our luggage.
2. ‘Many Bags Look Alike’, we’re told at luggage carousels around the world.  Want yours to stand out?  Take a can of spray paint to it, tagging all sides so you can be 15 feet back in a line of people looking for their luggage and see yours.  This should also help eliminate the fear of  ‘Did someone else take my bag?’. Those colorful do-dads we see at airports around the world are more common that one might imagine.  Gang-style tagging; not so much.   Make your fashion statement elsewhere, luggage is all about having it.
3. Initially, The Cruise Line Will Be Absolutely No Help- Regardless of how your airfare was purchased (independently via a travel agent or through the cruise line),  once that first flight takes off, you’re on our own. Know  how to file a claim for lost luggage and appropriate phone numbers or contact information.  You will be dealing with the airline, not the cruise line, to locate your luggage.
4. Later, The Cruise Line Jumps In- Once lost luggage is located, the cruise line gets involved, coordinating with the airline to deliver luggage at a future port. Cruise lines commonly try to do what they can to minimize the disruption to travel once they have you on board.  The Hotel Manager one cruise line had a personal items kit delivered to our stateroom and invited us to pick something to wear from the ship’s gift shop.  That was really just a nice to do sort of thing, they had no obligation to provide relief in this situation.
5. Buy Travel Insurance that has flight delay and lost luggage coverage. Lost luggage is one solid reason for some sort of travel protection.  I have an annual plan with TravelGuard which includes a Concierge Service that I would have turned to in both cases if going through normal channels did not work.
6. Cross Pack between checked and carry-on, think “If I never see this checked luggage again, what will I lose that I can not do without”.  Other than items that can not be brought into the passenger cabin of an aircraft, try to have at least a sampling of other necessities;  a change of clothes comes to mind.  This is something we have done for years but came from a time when luggage took a long time to get delivered to cabins on embarkation day.  Then, we included a swimsuit and something to wear to dinner, just in case luggage did not arrive until late.  If you have been reading this space as your cruise history has developed, your luggage probably has been delivered to your stateroom sooner recently.  It’s a cheap perk that will probably stick around for upper-level past guests.
7. Consider Connection Time Between Flights- On one trip, we flew from Orlando to Miami first.  Our original flight delayed, arrival was late in Miami.  Running to the gate to make that flight to Barbados, we barely made it.  Our luggage did not.  We suggest at least two hours between connecting domestic flights, 3 hours for international flights, keeping in mind it’s not just you that has to make it to the next flight but also your luggage.

In our case, we did not let lost luggage incidents ruin travel.  We’ve seen that happen too.  Lost luggage, delayed flights, itinerary changes, that jerk ahead of you in line, lines in general; all could be hard to shake incidents that ruin travel for us.  Don’t let that happen.  Isolate those incidents, compartmentalize them as separate events; deal with them and move along.   Getting there can indeed be half the fun when we realize and accept that not everything is going to go as planned.

 

I DON’T WANT TO CHECK BUT I HAVE LOTS OF STUFF

Ship Your Luggage, Luggage To Ship,  FedEx Luggage Shipping and others all do the same thing: charge you a fee to deliver your luggage directly to the ship. It works and it’s worth it if to travelers who don’t want to be concerned with handling luggage at all.  Simply prepare it, have it picked up and the next time you see it is on the ship.  The reverse process is also available.

 

I HAVE SHIPPED LUGGAGE AND LIKE THAT PLAN BUT WISH IT COST LESS

Lugless is a true low-cost alternative to airline checked baggage fees.

Most US airlines have quietly raised their pricing to $30 for the first checked bag, but what is even more shocking is the price of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th bags.  According to Bloomberg, which broke the story last month, the fee for checking a second bag on JetBlue is also going up from $35 to $40 while the fee for checking a third bag is moving from $100 to $150. CNBC reported that last year, U.S. airlines charged travelers more than $4.6 billion in checked baggage fees led by American, Delta and United.

We all look to Southwest as the best value with its bags fly free policy, but even this airline earned $43 million in fees for overweight and oversized bags last year.

Innovative, cost-effective luggage shipping created by LugLess provides a user-friendly solution that will replace the age-old “one size fits all” airline baggage fee pricing model. This cutting edge company is leveraging technology to improve how you get your bags from point A to point B> LugLess is making the process less expensive, and more flexible, by providing US travelers the ability to ship their luggage based on weight, size, and distance their bag travels on their trip.

With the convenience of ordering an Uber or having your favorite restaurant delivered via DoorDash, LugLess ensures transportation of your bags to your final destination without the long list of hassles and rising expenses that have become the unavoidable annoyances in the travel industry.

Here is how Lugless works

1. Just type in LugLess.com.  Quickly and intuitively punch in your travel dates and final destination. You may have to plan ahead for the cheapest options, but this ‘airline fee’ busting pricing is easily available and the information is clearly spelled out at booking.
2. Lugless finds you the cheapest shipping label, which you just print out and drop off at a convenient  FedEx or UPS location. LugLess has dynamic pricing based on distance, weight and speed with pricing as low as $15 for one bag.
3. Now, you don’t have to worry about getting to the airport early to stand in the snaking bag check line with maybe 1 or 2 airplane employees barely making a dent in this seemingly endless queue while you stress about the weight of your bag….is it over 50 pounds?  Will I have to take something out so the fees don’t suddenly jump from $30 to $75?
4. Head straight through security knowing that your bags will actually beat you to your final destination whether it be a hotel, your parent’s house, an Airbnb or a convenient FedEx location who will hold onto your bags while you hit your business meeting straight from the plane.

•  You can track your bags online so you know exactly where they are and when they will arrive. Unlike the 22.7 million bags that were mishandled by airlines globally in 2017.
• Skip the annoying baggage claim on the other end!  No more waiting by the spinning wheel of doom, just hoping that your bag finally pops out after up to an hour of wasting time!  Waltz straight through the airport directly to your car service or rental car without breaking your back or your stride.
• Once you arrive at your destination to find your bags waiting for you, you will be thanking LugLess for making the process completely painless, hassle free and less expensive.