Is Shipping Your Luggage Cheaper Than Checking it?

Should you use a courier or check these when flying from Toronto?

If you’re flying out of Toronto, using a courier may be cheaper to ship your luggage ahead of you, versus checking it.

An investigation by a consumer watchdog group called “Which?” revealed that you can cut costs by using a courier to send bags in advance, rather than paying to transport them on the plane.

They looked at couriers versus airlines in the UK and found that, “It would cost just under £140 to send a 30kg golf bag from London to Malaga and back with one courier, FetchMy, compared with £500 to put the bag in the hold on Ryanair flights – a saving of £360.”

That’s in the UK. How about in Canada?

Each airline has a different policy for checked bags. For example, if you’re flying economy air Canada from Toronto to Ottawa, you’re allowed:

• Your 1st bag is Free
• 2nd bag is $20 CAD/USD (per direction)
• Each additional bag is $100 CAD/USD (per direction)
• No overweight or oversize charges apply when the additional bag fee is paid.
• Max. weight per bag: 23kg (50lb)
• Max. linear dimensions per bag: 158 cm (62in)
• Overweight bag: $75 CAD/USD (per direction) for bags between 23-32kg (50-70lb)
• Oversized bag: $75 CAD/USD (per direction) for bags between 160-292cm (63-115in)
• If a bag is both overweight and oversized, the $75 fee is charged only once

That’s pretty good for the average traveler, but it can get expensive if you’re traveling with things like ski equipment or other heavy gear.

Also factor in the convenience of skipping the part where you have to claim this baggage and lug it to your destination.

“Using a courier offers the advantage of having your luggage picked up from your home and delivered to your hotel, saving the effort of carrying it around airports and waiting to check it in or leave it at bag drop,” said Which?.

“It also saves time at your destination, as there is no need to collect luggage at the baggage reclaim.”

So before you hand the airline your money, call us to see if you can save some money and hassle by shipping with a courier from Toronto.