Say "goodbye" to Luggage Service IPS

[luvtojump]

IPS has finally lost it's contract with Regent. The last straw was the World Cruise fiasco. It was official last month.

 

This is such a convenient (albeit expensive) way to travel. There are good shipping companies out there. I hope travelers don't lose heart because of one bad apple.

[Paint Horse]

It is about time. I hope they find a competent replacement.

[LOGHL]

I have used "luggage forward" numerous times , and have never had any trouble....Even had to cancel the last minute, and they were very understanding..

[luvtojump]

I believe they have given the contract to Luggage Free.

[rkacruiser]

I was aboard this year's world cruise on the Amsterdam. Many people had many problems with their luggage delivery; IPS was the company Holland America was using.

 

We were told en route home that IPS had gone into bankruptcy and that a different firm would be used to return luggage to our homes. The company that was selected was DHL. I have not heard of anyone having delivery problems. We disembarked on a Sunday; four of my five bags arrived on Thursday with the fifth bag arriving on Friday. They were more expensive, however, than IPS had been.

[luvtojump]

Hi RKA,

 

Were you on Regent's WC? If so, I am happy to hear that HAL is no longer using IPS also.

 

IPS is not out of business, unfortunately. It is interesting that you were told such information.

 

I heard from an agent at Regent's reservation center. He/she stated that a memo had been sent out to all agents that IPS was no longer handling Regent's luggage services. All further services were to be handled by Luggage Free. They in fact may be using DHL.

 

Fortunately Luggage Free was competent enough to organize the mess that IPS created. It was not an easy task.

 

Maybe it was more convenient for Regent/HAL to say that IPS was in bankruptcy.

 

In fact, it may not be long before that statement is true.

[Judyumcer@aol.com]

i wish there were more luggage services and they were less expensive. What a treat not to have to worry about dragging your luggage. We have in Las Vegas most hotels and rental car companies that you can drop off your luggage and they will see that it gets to your flight. It is a minimal cost of about $5 per bag. Really worth it! Judy

[traveller333]

judyumcer, which service do you use in Las Vegas? I'd like to try this.

[count florida]

We used Luggage Free to ship a bag home from Hong Kong between our Circle Pacific segment (Osaka to HK) and an two week tour of China - we wanted to make sure we got our money's worth after going that far. Luggage Free cost slightly more than half as much as IPS, and was absolutely fine - timely delivery, no problems. We did not try to have them pick up at the ship, but rather at the hotel while we were in Hong Kong.

 

We were completely satisfied with Luggage Free and look forward to using them again when the situation warrants. When we go directly to a ship at the embarkation port and return home soon after the cruise from where we disembarked, we haven't felt the need to use a luggage shipping service, but if the cost of bringing an extra bag with us on the airplane gets out-of-hand, that may become the preferred option. Or we'll stop dressing up on formal nights and cut back by one bag - after some serious negotiations with my dear loving spouse, of course!

[wishIweretravelling]

If paying your own (rather than the WC inclusion for luggage shipping), another to look at is First Luggage--at least for international shipping. It's a bit cheaper than Luggage Free and I've heard some good recommendations for it. It's UK based, and so price will depend on the exchange rate (not so hot right now, but still better than Luggage Free), and it's a flat rate per bag (up to 66 lbs) rather than by weight. It offers the same price for within U.S. as international, so is not a good choice for within U.S.