United Airlines' New Door-to-Door Baggage Service Takes the 'Lug' Out of Luggage

T2F Note: What an interesting concept. The question is whether travelers will pay $149 one way for their favorite clothes to show up. For golf clubs and extremely large items, the convenience factor could make sense. Time will tell.

PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- United Airlines today becomes the first U.S. airline to offer overnight baggage shipping service via an overnight courier that will provide customers with a more convenient and easy way to travel -- without their luggage.

United's new service, Door-to-Door Baggage, enables customers in the continental U.S. to conveniently ship their suitcases, or other travel items like skis or golf clubs, overnight from a home or office directly to their destination within the 48 contiguous United States. At $149 one way for flights less than 1,000 miles, or $179 for longer flights, United's prices are simple and more economical than similar overnight services offered by other luggage shipping services. Door-to-Door Baggage may be purchased on united.com and shipments can be easily tracked online.

"Door-to-Door Baggage is another new service from United's Travel Options portfolio that puts more choices into the hands of our customers and provides them with the flexibility to customize their own travel experiences," said Dennis Cary, senior vice president and Chief Marketing and Customer Officer. "While offering customers a new benefit, it also provides United with a new revenue stream that, when combined with our other ancillary revenue and fee initiatives, is expected to generate more than one billion dollars in 2009."

United's Door-to-Door Baggage service is easy. Up to 10 days prior to travel, customers may visit united.com/doortodoor where they select their appropriate trip and then schedule and pay for their shipment. Next, customers print their shipping documents that will be attached to the bags by the courier service. On the scheduled pickup day, the bags are picked up at a home or office -- generally between noon and 6 p.m. -- or dropped off at any of the courier's authorized shipping centers. By 4:30 p.m. the next day, the bags are delivered to the customer's final destination.

In addition to the new Door-to-Door Baggage service, customers may further enhance their travel experiences with other services from United's Travel Options portfolio. For example, starting at $14 one way, customers may sit in United's Economy Plus seating section that has up to five more inches of legroom (for elite customers, access to Economy Plus is complimentary). Also, with United's Award Accelerator offering, starting at $9, customers may earn travel awards faster by multiplying the amount of miles they receive when they fly.

More information about United's new Door-to-Door Baggage service and other Travel Options by United(SM) offerings is available at united.com/traveloptions.

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