Luggage services to St. Barth
I looked at two services which promise to send your luggage from the US to St. Barth (but not Martinique or Guadeloupe - I guess they know their customers). One is Luggage Express, which says it will ship one 50-lb bag from the US to St. Barth for $403 one way economy, $500 one way priority. I tried this last week, and the rate was cheaper; I don’t know if this is a reflection of rising fuel costs, rising shipping costs, or failing dollars. Luggage Express quoted $1,209/$1,500 for three bags, which doesn’t look like a discount.
Luggage Express says economy transit times may be seven days compared to five days for priority; your transit time will be given and guaranteed when you place your order.
The other service is First Luggage, which promises to send a 30-Kg suitcase for $376 one-way. First Luggage says it has a quantity discount, but that comes into play with four or more items of luggage: 5% discount for four, 10% discount for five or more.
Luggage Express says it partners with FeEx, UPS, and other freight carriers, and First Luggage says it works with FedEx, so it’s always beneficial to see what FedEx and UPS charge for the same shipment, although door-to-door luggage collection and delivery is very convenient rather than having to deliver to FedEx and pick it up yourself. As Luggage Express puts it, the difference between luggage delivery and luggage shipment is what you’re paying for.
Both services deal with big bulky items as well as bags: bikes, kayaks, skis, surfboards, and such. Check their guarantees about on-time delivery and what they promise if the miss the delivery. Read the fine print concerning requirements of cases, contents, and damage.
If you find the luggage problem at St. Martin aggravating, it may well be worthwhile to use a service to get your bags to St. Barth ahead of you and not have to worry about what flight they get on from St. Martin to St. Barth.
See also the post about personal travel assistants: Travel Like Jennifer Aniston.
2 months ago