Luggage: Easing the hassle

Seasoned business travelers make every effort to travel lean, boarding flights with only carry-ons, but that’s not always possible, especially for extended-stay trips. Leisure travelers, too, might want to consider these emerging alternatives to the angst of waiting for bags at the luggage carousel or schlepping bags to a hotel after landing:

United and almost all other domestic airlines have expanded their optional baggage delivery service, provided by BagsVIP. It’s now available for arriving passengers at 270 airports, cruise ports and resorts nationwide. For rates of $29.95 for one bag, $39.95 for two, up to $49.95 for three or more, passengers can bypass bag pickup and have luggage sent anywhere within a 40- to as much as 100-mile radius. Important note! These charges are in addition to airline checked bag fees. The service is made available by a company called maketraveleasier.com. You’ll find more information about the service here.

Trakdot is a cool new way to nab your bag quickly after landing. The gadget was introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, and first shipments launched back in June. It’s an FAA approved battery-powered gadget that has a built-in GSM chip. Toss it in your checked bag (it’s small and runs on AA batteries) and when you land, log on to the company’s smartphone app to see whether the bag actually traveled with you. You’ll get an alert when you’re within 30 feet of your bag. You’ll find details here.