Luggage Forward: Enjoy the Journey as Much as the Destination

Do you hate lugging heavy bags to and from the airport? Are you tired of hauling luggage while wrangling your children? Have exorbitant baggage fees decimated your travel budget? Have you ever spent half of your vacation waiting for lost suitcases to arrive? If so, it might be time to turn the tables and let your luggage wait for you instead.

Luggage Forward has been helping their customers travel without these hassles for more than a decade. RewardExpert spoke with Anna Bedney, the company’s manager of client loyalty, to learn more about the inspiration behind the luggage shipping service, how it works, and how you can use it ensure a more relaxing journey.

Founding and Inspiration

Luggage Forward was founded in 2004 by Aaron Kirley and Zeke Adkins, two friends who wanted to fundamentally change the way people travel.

“Our co-founders are pretty brilliant,” Bedney said. “They founded Luggage Forward on the simple idea that we should all be able to enjoy the journey as much as the destination. It sounds a little bit cliché, but each and every one of us truly live to sell the product that way. None of us believe that a travel experience should involve carrying or checking any luggage. And we’ve grown to become the leading provider of door-to-door baggage and sports equipment delivery across the globe based on that type of foundation.”

Now headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Luggage Forward has offices across the globe and more than 25 employees worldwide. They began acquiring similar brands in 2009, working to consolidate what had previously been a fragmented industry and strengthen the company’s leadership position in the market.

“We’ve grown by at least double digits the last 12 consecutive years,” Bedney added. “As the travel experience has become more inconvenient, and checked baggage fees continue to increase, the most sophisticated travelers are looking for an alternative to carrying and checking their bags.”

How Luggage Shipment Works

While any traveler can benefit from the company’s services, Bedney described Luggage Forward’s typical client as a luxury leisure traveler. “They are going on a trip of a week or more and travel with some frequency,” she explained. “As a result, they appreciate the value of not carrying their baggage, standing in lines and waiting at the counter and carousel.”

Joining Luggage Forward’s savvy customer base is easy, whether you choose to book your luggage shipment from a desktop computer or a mobile internet-connected device. Just navigate to the company’s website and enter your city of departure and destination.

Next, you’ll provide a few details on the luggage you intend to ship as well as pickup and delivery dates. Luggage Forward will instantly provide you with your one-way trip total. Select ‘Add Return Leg’ for round-trip pricing.

Pricing is based on the size and number of bags you are shipping—from small carry-ons to oversized luggage—as well as your destination and how quickly you need Luggage Forward to get it there. In addition to suitcases, the company regularly ships golf bags, skis, snowboards and bicycle cases.

“We facilitate with one of our shipping partners to make sure that the luggage is picked up from the doorstep of the client’s choice and transported to their vacation destination,” Bedney said. “We deliver to just about any home, office, golf course or cruise ship in more than 200 countries worldwide and over 900 country pairs across the globe.”

Additionally, “Clients receive email, text and phone notifications when their baggage arrives and likewise once we’ve collected it,” Bedney continued. “We stay ahead of the shipment throughout the transit process so we can let our clients know where their baggage is at all times.”

Making the Most of Your Luggage Forward Experience

To get the most out of your Luggage Forward experience, Bedney always suggests that customers plan ahead.

“By booking in advance, travelers will have access to all of our services and a variety of price points to fit most budgets,” she said.

The savings can be substantial. For example, based on current prices, sending a standard-size bag from Denver to Chicago will cost $94 for economy shipping (seven days). However, the price increases to $209 for priority+ (2 business days) and $219 for express (1 business day).

She also suggests that travelers do not hesitate to “send it all.”

“Sending all of your luggage will help you avoid any of the inconvenience of checking bags at the airline like standing in check-in lines, waiting at baggage claim, and the risk of anything lost,” she said. “Most of our clients send just about everything, taking only a small carry-on with their medications on so forth on their flight. Then they can relax. Unlike other shipping services, every item shipped through Luggage Forward is monitored around the clock by a team of experts. We also have a predictive tracking algorithm that identifies and corrects any potential delays before they impact the client.”

In fact, they are so confident in their methods that they offer an On-Time Guarantee on all their shipping services. If your luggage doesn’t arrive on-time (by end of day on or before your scheduled delivery date), Luggage Forward will refund your shipping costs and reimburse you for incidental expenses of up to $500 per late bag as well.