Usually yes: shipping your suitcase separately tends to cost less than paying excess at the check-in desk. But not always, and the difference depends on your ticket, not on an average. The way to know is to compare two specific numbers: what your airline charges for that weight in your booking, and the fixed price we give you from the suitcase's weight and size.
You can get both before going to the airport. Ours, at luggage shipping: tell us what is inside, how much it weighs, its dimensions and which country it is going to, and we fix the price on WhatsApp before we collect it.
The airline's number is in your booking
We don't publish airline fees: they change by route, date and fare type, and a table in a blog is out of date before you read it. What works is checking yours:
- On the airline's website or app, inside your booking, add a bag or extra weight and note the price before paying.
- Compare it with the airport desk price: buying at the airport is usually dearer than in the booking.
- With that number in hand, ask us for ours.
If the airline already includes the bag and you are only slightly over, paying that excess is sometimes the cheapest option. We will tell you if that is your case.
Size counts as much as weight
This is where almost everyone gets caught out. With courier shipping you pay the higher of two weights: what the scale shows, and the volumetric weight, worked out from the dimensions: length × width × height in centimetres, divided by 5000.
An example with numbers. A large 75 × 50 × 30 cm suitcase:
- 75 × 50 × 30 = 112,500
- 112,500 / 5000 = 22.5 kg volumetric
If that suitcase weighs 15 kg on the scale, it is charged as 22.5 kg. If it weighs 25 kg, as 25. That is why we ask for the dimensions as well as the weight: with both, the price we give you is the price you pay.
The practical upshot: a full suitcase works out better than a half-empty one. If you have room to spare, pack more or use a smaller case.
When shipping it pays off
- When what you have spare is a whole suitcase, not two kilos. The extra-piece fee is where it shows most.
- When you are flying outside Europe, where excess usually costs more.
- When you are not flying with it: if you are moving, coming back from a course, or the suitcase is for someone who lives there.
Within the European Union, a suitcase of personal effects does not go through customs. Outside the EU, if your shipment attracts duties at destination, we explain it before sending.
If it is going to the Philippines, there is a guide of its own: sending a suitcase to the Philippines instead of paying excess. And if what worries you is what to pack, see what can go in a suitcase sent by courier.
How it works with us
1. You message us with destination, weight, dimensions and contents.
2. We give you the fixed price on WhatsApp.
3. You bring it or we collect it. We are at Carrer de Camprodon 21 (Metro Verdaguer), Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 19:00. In Barcelona city we collect on route days; elsewhere, tell us where you are and we will tell you whether we can reach you.
4. It travels with its own tracking to the delivery address.
Before you close it, read how to prepare a suitcase for shipping.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to ship a suitcase than to pay excess baggage?
Usually yes, especially for a whole suitcase and a trip outside Europe. But it depends on your ticket: check what your airline charges in the booking and ask us for our price with weight and dimensions to compare.
Why do you ask for the dimensions as well as the weight?
Because with courier shipping you pay the higher of the real weight and the volumetric weight (length × width × height in cm, divided by 5000). A 75 × 50 × 30 cm suitcase counts as 22.5 kg even if it weighs less.
How long does it take?
It depends on the country and we tell you when we give you the price. We don't publish a single transit time for luggage because there isn't one.
Does it go through customs?
Within the European Union, no, for personal effects. Outside it, if your shipment attracts duties at destination, we explain it before sending.
Can I ship several suitcases?
Yes. Tell us how many, with the weight and dimensions of each, and we give you the price for the lot.
Got the weight and dimensions? Message us on WhatsApp at +34 626 78 54 28.