On the other hand… IAPA also reports that American Airlines has introduced a service that will deliver checked luggage to an office, home or hotel for a fee.
“While the concept of a luggage delivery service has been around for years, the airline hopes that passengers won’t mind shelling out extra cash to forget about their bags until they’re comfortably situated at their destination away from the airport. Most baggage delivery services charge as high as several hundred dollars for door-to-door, next-day service. This might be out of reach for some passengers. For the extra work of carrying your bags to the airport yourself, American hopes that a price that starts around US$30 for same-day service could be more appealing. For the service, American is partnering with Bags VIP Luggage Delivery.
“American is making the baggage delivery option available on its website up to two hours prior to flight time. There are limitations to the service, however. There are some airports (mostly in the Caribbean) where the service is not available, and the only international cities where it is available from are those that have US Customs pre-clearance services. (NB: These include Dublin Airport.)
“The airline’s delivery partner promises baggage delivery within four hours of arrival for destinations within 40 miles of the airport. Longer trips up to 50 miles from the airport can take up to six hours and will cost $1 more for each mile above 40. A passenger can check as many as 10 bags for $50. It might sound like a bargain for those with many bags to check, but before you ask if this takes the place of the fee that the airline charges for checked luggage, know this: it does not. All delivery charges are in addition to the per-bag fee that American charges for checked luggage.
“For those with tight schedules or multiple pieces of equipment, it may be an option worth considering. But, as with most services, the fine print is also a worthwhile read. In it American states: ‘Baggage delivery service is provided by Bags VIP Luggage Delivery. American Airlines is not responsible for products and services offered by other companies.’ So, if something doesn’t go quite as planned, you must deal with the company in possession of your luggage. If American delays, damages or loses your luggage, the delivery company can file a claim on your behalf and provide you with the claim information, but the rest is between you and the airline. For cancelled or rerouted flights, VIP Luggage Delivery asks customers to notify them of the flight changes as soon as they are known. The company will accept liability for bags in their possession up to $500 per bag or $1,000 per passenger for loss or damage.”
