This article was originally published on August 8, 2023, and was most recently updated on November 4, 2026, to include current information.
Few moments are more frustrating during travel than when the baggage carousel stops and you realize your bag didn’t make it. Airlines have made significant improvements in baggage tracking in recent years, but even with a slew of mobile tracking apps and new technology designed to help ensure your checked luggage arrives at your destination safely and on time, the system remains far from perfect. In 2025, 4.9 bags were mishandled per 1,000 passengers, according to SITA, an IT provider for the air transport industry. That amounts to approximately 24 million delayed, damaged, lost, or stolen bags worldwide. While that figure is down 23 percent from the previous year, it’s still enough to disrupt plenty of vacations.
Airlines are required to reimburse passengers for reasonable, documented expenses incurred while waiting for delayed luggage, and some offer additional compensation, such as frequent flier miles. But for travelers who would rather avoid checking a bag altogether, there’s another option: luggage shipping services.
These companies arrange for suitcases, boxes, and sporting equipment to be picked up from your home or another location and delivered directly to your hotel, vacation rental, cruise ship, or other destination. These services are particularly useful for travelers heading out on extended vacations, bringing multiple bags, or transporting bulky equipment. They offer a potentially attractive alternative to checked bags, especially for those who don’t relish the hassle of lugging bags through busy airports.
Some services even cost less than checked baggage fees on airlines, in particular if you’re shipping multiple bags. While most U.S.-based airlines charge between $39 and $59 for your first bag, the prices increase significantly with additional pieces of luggage. For example, on United, the first bag per customer is $45, then $55 for a second when purchased at least 24 hours in advance (or $50 and $60, respectively, if paid for within 24 hours of departure). A third bag costs $200. Special items, such as bikes, skis, and golf clubs, are often subject to oversize luggage surcharges. Shipping companies, however, offer the same price per bag, no matter how many you send.
Luggage shipping companies also offer at-home pickup and drop-off, in addition to shipping bulkier items like golf clubs, ski equipment, or bicycles. However, prices vary by destination, weight, dimensions, shipping speed, and optional services. Travelers also need to plan ahead, since their bags generally won’t travel on the same schedule they do.
Here are 11 useful luggage shipping services, in alphabetical order.
1. Luggage Forward: the company that focuses on cruise ships
Cost: $99 for a 25 lb. bag; $144 for a 50 lb. bag; $164 for a 75 lb. bag. Also, $139 for standard skis (or $129 for snowboards); $129 for a small golf bag; $259 for a bicycle case for five business days of shipping.
Denver-based Luggage Forward ships luggage domestically and in more than 200 countries worldwide. But it specializes in shipping to cruise ships—meaning the company coordinates with cruise lines and port staff to have bags waiting in the passenger’s stateroom upon embarkation. Luggage Forward’s prices include doorstep pickup and delivery, 24-hour phone support, insurance that covers lost and damaged items, and shipping labels mailed to clients. The company also offers an on-time delivery guarantee that promises a full refund and up to $500 in additional expense reimbursement if the bags don’t make it by the quoted date.
2. Luggage Free: the white-glove company that does it all
Cost: Prices vary depending on the services selected. Some examples include $115 for a 50 lb. bag shipped from New York City to Los Angeles, $285 for a bag shipped from the USA to London, $585 for a bag shipped from the USA to South Africa.
If you’re looking for white-glove service and are willing to pay a premium for it, New York City–based Luggage Free is a good option. All you do is pack your bag, and the service will take care of pickup and drop-off, shipping labels, and customs forms.
Luggage Free ships between 150 countries and has guaranteed on-time delivery. If, for some reason, your bag doesn’t make it on the designated day, excluding circumstances such as weather or customs delays, the company will waive the fee (up to $500). There’s also a complimentary insurance policy on every shipment, up to $500 for loss or damage.
3. Luggage To Ship: the low-cost company that also stores luggage
Cost: Prices start at roughly $32 and increase based on how far your luggage will travel and the overall weight.
This New York City–based, budget-friendly service ships around the world using carriers including FedEx and DHL. The company is able to ship everything from suitcases to boxes to sporting equipment. What makes Luggage To Ship unique is that it offers free storage: It will store items for up to six months. After six months, the cost is $10 per package, per month. The service is convenient for those who don’t have extra space around their home for big items like ski gear or who would like to settle into a new location before all their belongings arrive.
4. LugLess: the company that scales cost based on timing
Cost: Prices start as low as $25, but increase based on bag size and weight, distance traveled, and optional extras.
LugLess, which is part of the Luggage Forward family, focuses on affordable domestic shipping through FedEx and UPS. Often the rates are comparable (or cheaper) to what the airlines charge for checked bags—if travelers are willing to send their suitcases off five or six days in advance of their departure and receive them five or six days after their return.
Prices for LugLess are calculated based on the size of the bag, how far it’s going, and how fast you want it. With that in mind, sending one 50 lb. bag using the company’s slowest service costs between $25 and $50 (within the continental United States). The quicker you want the bags sent and the more service you want with those bags—such as optional doorstep pickup and drop-off (versus dropping the luggage off at a UPS location), insurance, customer support, and refundability—the more the price rises. Note that LugLess doesn’t offer international shipping.
5. My Baggage: the company that specializes in customs
Cost: Prices start at around $30 for shipping within the United Kingdom and $38 for international shipments. Actual prices depend on the route, luggage dimensions, weight, and applicable surcharges.
For people moving abroad, studying overseas, or traveling with large amounts of luggage, My Baggage, a U.K.-based company, offers an alternative to excess airline baggage fees. Once you start your order, you’ll be prompted to answer a handful of questions about the items you’re sending, and My Baggage will direct you to the appropriate customs forms for that country. After you’ve filled out the forms, My Baggage will submit them on your behalf. The company also offers shipment tracking, customer support, and complimentary compensation coverage, with the option to purchase additional protection.
6. SendMyBag: the company that focuses on travel in Europe
Cost: Prices are the cheapest within Europe, starting at $37, for bags up to 44 lb. From the United States to Europe, expect prices to begin at $159, depending on the destination.
SendMyBag, a U.K.-based shipping service, is a solid choice for those traveling within Europe. In many cases, its rates are cheaper than airlines. (Shipping from the United Kingdom to Spain, for example, is $45, for a 20 kg—or 44 lb.—bag.)
The company is also a good option for those moving to a new country, either long-term or to work abroad, as SendMyBag provides users with all the information and forms they need to help their shipments clear customs. Beyond suitcases, SendMyBag can also send boxes, bicycles, ski bags, and golf bags.
Travelers just need to print their labels and schedule a day for pickup, either from their home, dorm, or office. From there, SendMyBag collects the bags and gets them to the other address. Most bags are delivered within four or five business days, and for an additional fee you can use “Express” shipping, with bags arriving in two to three work days.
7. Ship&Play: the company that will ship most anything
Cost: Prices start at $60 and vary from there based on the weight and size of your shipment, how far it will travel, and how quickly you need it delivered.
Ship&Play, a Florida-based company, makes it easy to ship a wide array of boxes and bags, including suitcases, duffles, golf bags, ski or snowboarding bags (and boot bags), boxes, trunks, and bikes. The company has also become a luggage-shipping partner for several cruise lines.
In late 2025, it announced partnerships with Azamara Cruises, Emerald Cruises, and Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, allowing passengers to ship their bags directly from home to their staterooms and back again. Oceania Cruises also now offers the service. It will send you a shipping label in an email, which you’ll affix to your shipment. Then, on the scheduled day, a driver will pick up the items at your hotel, house, or cruise ship and whisk them to your next stop. The company services 180 countries and territories, and if your bag doesn’t arrive on time, you’ll get your money back.
8. ShipGo: the company that delivers to remote locations
Cost: Starts at $35 and may increase based on how far your luggage will travel and the overall weight.
ShipGo, headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, will pick up bags from your home, business, or hotel and have them delivered to a destination of your choosing in more than 180 countries, including some fairly remote locales, like Fiji, Bangladesh, and Seychelles. Travelers can schedule the shipment date online and then attach the provided shipping labels. ShipGo offers an on-time delivery guarantee, free insurance that covers loss or damage on every shipment, and real-time tracking.
9–11. UPS, FedEx, and DHL: the usual suspects—and for good reason
Cost: Prices depend on the package’s actual or dimensional weight, route, delivery speed, packaging, and pickup requirements.
Of course, traditional shipping companies, like UPS, FedEx, and DHL, can get your bag to your destination, too. Just don’t expect the same amenities as boutique operators that specialize in sending luggage. You’ll still have to drop your suitcase (either as-is or boxed) at one of the companies’ shipping centers or schedule a one-time pickup several days before you leave. You’ll receive a tracking number so you can follow your items along in their journey.
