Ship, don't schlep

How to choose
If you’ve committed to shipping bags instead of trusting them to the airlines, the obvious question arises: Should you go “naked” and ship directly with the couriers or pay more for the extra services offered by the luggage shippers? There’s no consensus among business travelers.

Doug Jensen, a Boston-based computer specialist, is convinced that FedEx or UPS is the logical choice. He cites the price advantage and prefers handing his luggage over to his normal package-delivery person. He also likes the fact that UPS and FedEx do not require any special notice, whereas you have to make advance arrangements for a pick-up when you use a luggage shipper.

But Andy Abramson, the chief executive of Communicano, a communications agency based in Southern California, is a Luggage Forward fan. He cites a recent on-the-fly international itinerary change that was simplified by having a Luggage Forward staffer involved. “With one call, they changed the pick-up details, sent new paperwork, worked with the hotel concierge, and coordinated everything. There were no hassles with customs, and they made it effortless and easy,” he told me.

The fine print ...
What’s a nascent industry — luggage shippers mostly began appearing after 9/11 — without a juicy scandal? An early player called Universal Express, which owned the Virtual Bellhop and Luggage Express services, collapsed last year after its founder drained the company of assets. A court-appointed receiver reported that Richard Altomare spent more than $500,000 of company funds on jewelry, then hocked it and pocketed the money. The Securities and Exchange Commission claims he sold billions of unregistered Universal Express shares on the penny market, and a judge characterizes him as a “repeated and remorseless” violator of securities regulations.

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