Fliers shipping more bags to combat airline fees

A local UPS store owner says more and more people flying out of the Twin Cities are shipping their bags rather than checking them in with the airlines.

"It wasn't uncommon before for people to come in and just weigh them (baggage) to find out if they were over the limit. But now, when we see people come in with luggage, it's normally to ship it," Golden Valley UPS store owner Randy Holst explained.

With Delta recently announcing they were raising the price of the second piece of checked baggage to 50 dollars, consumers are looking for ways to keep their traveling costs down. More airlines are expected to follow Delta's lead as a way to combat high fuel costs.

The key, Holst says, is advanced planning. "You would have to bring it in ahead of time to be able to get the ground service rates," he added.

We put the theory to the test. We packed 3 days of clothes into a duffel bag that we wanted to get to Florida. Holst said travelers get the best rate if they put the bags in a box, so we obliged. The bag weighed 17.6 pounds. Holst said he could have it shipped (by ground) to Florida for 30 bucks. The key is we had to ship 3 days before our trip to make sure the package arrived at the hotel before we did.

In this case, the UPS rate was 20 bucks cheaper than the soon-to-be $50 rate for a second checked bag with Delta.

Shipping a golf bag and clubs, however, would cost us $50.08 by ground. That would actually add 8 cents to our cost, but Holst says shipping saves us the headache of dragging the equipment around the airport to check-in. He says you can also save time by not waiting for them at the baggage carousel.

Beatrice Roy of Seattle, Washington said she wasn't sold on the idea, adding that she understands why the airlines are charging more for checked bags. "I think that I will always be checking, I won't do any shipping. It would be too confusing for me," she said from her seat at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport.

Here are a couple things to keep in mind if you do ship your luggage ahead of time. Holst says it's a good idea to call your hotel and let them know your bags are coming. UPS and Fed Ex officials also tell CNN that shipping luggage is only efficient and guaranteed when traveling domestically, not internationally.