Luggage services instead of carrying on plane

[tropical dreams]

With all the negative press Heathrow is getting I am worried about my bag ever making it to the cruise. Luggage forward was mentioned but they also have some negative reviews. Anyone have any advice?

[jsn55]

I have an older friend who used luggage services for years.  But her last two cruises were nearly ruined by missing bags. Several years ago, I signed up with HAL for a service that removed our bags from the ship in Seattle, and checked them in at the airport.  I thought that was a 'no brainer' test, if things didn't work, we wouldn't much care, and we'd get our luggage eventually.  I happened to be down at Reception the day before we got back, and asked to verify all the info. 

 

HAL had no record and no interest in verifying that everything was set up correctly.  Finally got someone in charge and was told ... "oh, we don't do that any more".  I was stunned at the lack of concern about a service I had recently purchased through HAL. I suppose eventually someone would have done something about our bags left in our stateroom, so what did HAL care?

 

I think you're right to be concerned about baggage at airports these days.  I'd check into shipping a bag via DHL, UPS or FedX. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

Let’s get two things straight about “luggage forward” and similar services:

1) Some lines have preferred providers who are allowed to access your luggage early in the process (e.g., having a rep onboard). This restricts who can best handle the challenge.

2) Folks who are cruising on bargain lines may keel over when they find that shipping their luggage costs more than their cruise.

 

Also, FWIW: having FF status with a particular airline - sufficient to get you a highly visible “priority” sticker attached to your bag tags can make a big difference if your connections are within that airline’s consortium hubs and partners’ handling.

 

[Silver Sweethearts]

1 hour ago, tropical dreams said:

With all the negative press Heathrow is getting I am worried about my bag ever making it to the cruise. Luggage forward was mentioned but they also have some negative reviews. Anyone have any advice?

 

We have used Luggage Forward for years for both domestic and international travel and are most pleased with the service they provide.  Go to their website for answers to any questions you may have and for pricing.  The service is expensive, but better of course than your luggage getting lost or your back giving out while you are trying to muscle your bags.  Also say goodbye to waiting at baggage claim.

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Also, FWIW: having FF status with a particular airline - sufficient to get you a highly visible “priority” sticker attached to your bag tags can make a big difference if your connections are within that airline’s consortium hubs and partners’ handling.

 

Yeah, sure....in normal times maybe.

 

I was just reunited with my bag a few days ago after a nearly two-week absence. I have FF status on the airline, was flying full business class and had both a priority sticker and FF tag on the case. As well, I had an ample layover of nearly 5 hours within a major hub of my "alliance."

 

It made no difference at all.  I've never seen things like they are this summer.

 

I will say that if it wasn't for the escalation due to my FF status I probably still would have no idea where my bag was or when it would show up.

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

12 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Yeah, sure....in normal times maybe.

 

I was just reunited with my bag a few days ago after a nearly two-week absence. I have FF status on the airline, was flying full business class and had both a priority sticker and FF tag on the case. As well, I had an ample layover of nearly 5 hours within a major hub of my "alliance."

 

It made no difference at all.  I've never seen things like they are this summer.

 

I will say that if it wasn't for the escalation due to my FF status I probably still would have no idea where my bag was or when it would show up.

 

I feel your pain (though not quite as much). At FRA in May, we used almost half of our layover’s three hours just getting through passport control.

[azalice]

We are going to book with Luggage Free, another ship your luggage company. We found it less expensive than Luggage forward. Check it out.

[capriccio]

On 7/22/2022 at 11:15 PM, cruisemom42 said:

 

Yeah, sure....in normal times maybe.

 

I was just reunited with my bag a few days ago after a nearly two-week absence. I have FF status on the airline, was flying full business class and had both a priority sticker and FF tag on the case. As well, I had an ample layover of nearly 5 hours within a major hub of my "alliance."

 

It made no difference at all.  I've never seen things like they are this summer.

 

I will say that if it wasn't for the escalation due to my FF status I probably still would have no idea where my bag was or when it would show up.

 

My sister and brother-in-law were just re-united with their luggage on Friday afternoon from a flight that began - and should have ended - on Monday but didn't end until Tuesday morning which included many hours of delay sitting in the airport in Toronto. Meanwhile their luggage never left the airport.  During the week they received notice twice that the luggage would be on flight XXX arriving at DCA so my BIL went to meet (they live within 5 minutes of the airport) the luggage at the carousel.  Oops, the luggage wasn't on either flight.   She sent me a picture of the bright priority sticker still on the luggage sitting on her porch on Friday afternoon.  Air Canada first class was only good for using the lounge since one out of two of her flights in each direction were cancelled and they were re-booked in economy.  Unfortunately they have another trip on them in a few weeks and they've decided to expect the worst and hope for the best.

[cruisemom42]

45 minutes ago, capriccio said:

Unfortunately they have another trip on them in a few weeks and they've decided to expect the worst and hope for the best.

 

That's about all you can do right now... 😒

 

I have two short hop trips for work coming up but I can do carry-on for both of those.  I only hope that by the time of my next major travel (Italy in October), things will have normalized.