Shipping your luggage on the cheap rev. 3.0

With the increased airline security, I've seen a lot of articles about shipping your luggage separately to avoid the hassle of carrying most of your bags to, from, and through the airport.

Shipping your luggage seems like a no brainer. You can avoid having to take your bags to the airport, wait in line to check your bags, wait at the airport to retrieve your bags, and the risk that your bags might be lost by the airline.

The only downside is planning ahead a few days before you leave and paying a little extra money. Also, FedEx could lose your luggage just like the airline can, but at least you have a tracking number. If you ship your luggage sufficiently in advance, you can make sure that it arrives a day before you leave, so you know your bags will be there when you arrive.

There are many specialized services that charge several hundred dollars per bag to ship your bags. The prices are pretty high, though, which prompted me to ask: Can't I just do this myself and save money? The answer is YES. For a typical 40 pound suitcase from California to Washington state, it can cost $20 per suitcase if you can ship it ground at least three days before you leave. If you ship 2-day express air, it costs around $50.00.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Call your destination (hotel, friends, whatever) and ask for their shipping address and whether they will accept packages for you before you arrive. If you're staying at a hotel, ask whether they will charge you for receiving and holding your package. FedEx charges more to deliver to a home than a business, and its more likely that someone will be there to receive your package if you ship to a business.

2. Go to Fedex.com, and set-up a FedEx account. Setting up an account is free and makes the process much easier. Also, if you have an account, you get 15% off the shipping costs.

3. Decide whether you want to put your lugage into a box or not. FedEx allows you to ship luggage without using a box, and they offer a special "Tie-On Tag" just for luggage. Using a box offers increased security because the FedEx personnel won't know that they are shipping luggage. If you don't use a box, you should definitely lock your luggage.

If you are going box-less, login to your FedEx account. Get to the home page. Click on "ship" under "package/envelope services" and a pull-down menu will appear. Select "Order Supplies." A new page will appear. Click on "FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com" and order a supply of FedEx Laser Labels (Item 146525). Then go back to the "Order Supplies" screen and click on "FedEx Express Specialty Supplies." Order a FedEx Airbill Tie-On Tag (Item 150454). These handy hard plastic tags will allow you to firmly attach the Federal Express shipping label to the handles on your suitcase. You'll need one for each suitcase. Although these items refer to "express" shipments, they can also be used for ground shipments.

If you choose to ship your luggage in a box, use the instructions above to order the FedEx Laser Labels only. Measure your luggage with a tape measure, and take into account the handles and straps. Don't rely on the measurements from the manufacturer. You can buy your cardboard boxes from www.uline.com. They have a handy search utility that will allow you to search by size and they sell boxes at reasonable prices.

I have a standard Kirkland 26" rolling suitcase ($139.99 on Costco.com), and it fits perfectly in a 28 x 20 x 12 box. A standard Kirkland 22" rolling suitcase - the largest you can take with you onto a plane ($109.99 at Costco.com) - fits in a 24 x 15 x 11 box.

If you are in a hurry, you can always go to a FedEx/Kinko's and pick-up the Tie-On Tag, manually fill-out the shipping labels, and ship at the same time.

3. Weigh each suitcase on a bathroom scale. Login on FedEx.com and click on "ship" (under package/envelope services), then select "Get Rates and Transit Times." Fedex will give you the price and tell you exactly how long it will take to get from your location to your destination. If you can ship sufficiently in advance, ground is cheapest. Then Click on "Ship" again and select "schedule a Pickup."

You'll have to choose between ground and air service. For shipping your luggage to your destination, I recommend 2-day express air service. Express air service is higher priority than ground. During busy seasons, FedEx will deliver the express air stuff first, while the ground sits and waits. For shipping luggage back home, ground should be fine.

A pick-up costs $4.00 more for Express and $12.00 for ground, which is well worth it. You can also schedule a pickup by calling 800-GO-FEDEX. A ground pick-up requires 24 hours advance notice. An express pick-up can usually be done the same day that you call.

If you want to skip the pick-up, you can always take your package directly to a FedEx/Kinkos.

4. Login to Fedex.com and print out a shipping label. Pull down the "Ship" menu and select "prepare shipment online." You'll need to enter the destination information, including a phone number, select a service (ground, second day, etc.). Before you move to the next screen, be sure to check shipment notifications for "shipment, exception, and delivery" in the right hand column, and enter your e-mail address. Also be sure to enter the value of the items you are shipping, including the cost of your suitcase in the declared value. The default declared value is $100 per package for ground and $500 per package for express. Your clothing and suitcase are almost certainly worth more, so be sure to enter the right amount.

At the bottom, click on "check recipient address" to make sure that the address you entered is correct. FedEx charges extra if they have to correct even the Zip Code, so always run this double-check. Then click on "Get Coutesy Rate" at the bottom to see how much your shipment will cost. After you finish, print out your shipping label and attach it to your box or the Tie-On Tag.

Now, either wait for the pick-up you scheduled or go the nearest Fedex/Kinko's and drop off your shipment.

If you don't have a FedEx account, you can simply go to a FedEx/Kinko's, fill-out the necessary paperwork by hand, and ship your luggage all at once.

Either way, be sure to get a receipt showing your tracking number.