MW As more airlines charge for checked bags, travelers are looking for ways to save money. Is shipping your luggage worth it?

By Aditi Shrikant

For overweight or awkwardly sized luggage, shipping might be the more affordable option

With the end of Southwest Airlines' beloved "bags fly free" policy, fliers on all domestic airlines are stuck shelling out money to check their bags - and some are exploring creative ways to offset the cost.

While Southwest $(LUV)$ travelers used to be allowed to check two pieces of luggage at no additional cost, they must now pay $35 for their first bag and $45 for their second.

The change comes at a time when fewer Americans are opting to go on vacation, with many citing higher costs. This summer, 46% of Americans plan to travel, according to a recent Bankrate survey, down from 53% in 2024. The No. 1 reason people are staying put is money, with 65% saying they can't afford to travel.

One strategy airline passengers are using to save money is shipping their luggage instead of checking it. While it may sound unconventional, the option can make financial sense, said Elaine Glusac, who writes the Frugal Traveler column for the New York Times.

"If you are checking multiple bags on one reservation, shipping can be the better option," she said. "Keep in mind that many airlines increase their fees with the number of bags checked, so a third bag can cost $150."

Luckily for travelers who want to ship their bags, there are businesses that specialize in this service - and at least one has seen an uptick in demand following the implementation of Southwest's new checked-bag policy. Some bag-shipping businesses offer door-to-door service and even send clients shipping materials. Other, more affordable services require travelers to pick their luggage up from a FedEx or UPS office.

Even if it costs more to ship bags, it might be worth it in terms of convenience, Glusac said. "When luggage shipping works, it's seamless and makes transit more effortless," she said.

Fewer airline passengers are checking bags

Airlines charging a fee for checked luggage is a relatively recent practice. In 2008, American Airlines $(AAL)$ became the first carrier to institute such a fee, requiring passengers to pay $15 for their first bag.

Since then, fees have continued to climb - and to aggravate fliers.

In 2024, 41% of travelers said selecting luggage allowances when booking a flight stressed them out, according to a YouGov poll. This might partly explain why even though there were 100 million more fliers in 2024 than in 2022, the number of checked bags only increased by 25 million over the same period, according to Transportation Department data.

The other factor behind the drop in the number of checked bags could be the cost: For passengers on American Airlines, the first checked bag costs $40, or $35 if paid for online. The second bag costs $45. Delta Air Lines $(DAL)$ charges $35 for the first piece of luggage and $45 for the second. And United Airlines $(UAL)$ charges $40 and $50 for the first and second checked bags, respectively, with a discount of $5 each when passengers pay online. On all three airlines, a third bag costs $150.

The relative lag in the number of checked bags in recent years could also be "because people experienced or heard horror stories of lost, delayed or damaged bags," said Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog director at U.S. Public Interest Group.

'If you are checking multiple bags on one reservation, shipping can be the better option.'Elaine Glusac, travel writer

Last year, more than 2.7 million bags were mishandled, meaning they were either damaged, delayed or completely lost. Travelers looking to save money might be packing lighter in order to avoid paying for a bag that they are worried might get lost anyway.

Lugless, a bag-shipping service that finds the cheapest FedEx $(FDX)$ and UPS $(UPS)$ rates, has seen an increase in people shipping carry-on-size bags within the last two years, said CEO Audrey Kohout.

"I hypothesize that this is tied to the budget airlines and the fees associated with them," she said.

Carry-on bags for passengers flying Frontier $(ULCC)$ or Spirit $(FLYY)$, for example, can cost up to $60, which is about $10 more than what Lugless charges for shipping a 25-pound bag from New York City to San Francisco. For people traveling a shorter distance, say from Dallas to Phoenix, shipping a carry-on using Lugless would cost $35.

Southwest's move to eliminate free checked bags has also benefited Luggage Forward, Lugless's white-glove sister service, Kohout said. "Just in the last couple of weeks, the Southwest decisions affected our business in a positive way," she said.

When it makes sense to ship your luggage instead of checking it

While shipping a bag won't always help lower travel costs, there are some instances where it could, Glusac said.

If a bag is heavy, for example, shipping it might be cheaper as well as more convenient. "If they weigh more than 50 pounds, then shipping can be a financial gain, too, as checked-bag fees tend to soar above that weight limit," she said.

Mailing a 75-pound suitcase from Chicago to Dallas using Lugless costs $60. With Luggage Forward, the same bag would cost $154 to ship. Checking an oversize bag on American Airlines, meanwhile, would cost $235.

Ship & Play, another luggage-shipping company, allows customers to mail bags weighing up to 65 pounds for $100 - which still might be more cost-effective than checking a bag with American Airlines, which charges $135 for luggage that weighs between 50 and 70 pounds. For travelers flying economy or premium economy on United Airlines, the maximum weight for a checked bag is 50 pounds.

Bags that are unwieldy to haul on public transportation might also be worth shipping.

"If checking a large item means you might need a taxi or Uber to or from the airport versus taking public transit, you should work that price differential into the is-it-worth-it calculation," Glusac said.

For Glusac, even though the cost of a shipping service hasn't always turned out to be lower, it still provides a convenience she appreciates.

"Luggage shippers have their business down to a science, and my experience with them has been effortless if not inexpensive, in that they send the shipping materials with detailed instructions on how to arrange a pickup or make a drop-off," she said.

Also read: A birth chart to buy bitcoin? Why people are using astrology for financial decisions.

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-Aditi Shrikant

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June 05, 2025 12:21 ET (16:21 GMT)

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