Are you forgetting anything? Your toothbrush? Your laptop? Your bag?! These are the thoughts that might plague your mind the morning of your flight. How would it feel to find your carefully packed bag waiting for you at your hotel, without the hassle of checking it in at the airport? A few companies are seeking to alleviate the stress some travelers feel regarding flying with their bags. The WSJ researched four different services and provided feedback to let the reader decide if it’s worth the money.
This company targets finicky frequent fliers, those who try to cram as much stuff into their bags as possible. They allow you to choose between three black roller bags that vary in size and you receive a “welcome kit” (aka an empty suitcase) at your home. You fill this suitcase with whatever you need for your next trip and FedEx it back to DUFL’s warehouse. A week before you’re traveling, you can open their app and select the items you want at your destination. After your travel has come to an end, the suitcase is shipped back to the DUFL warehouse and your items are cleaned for the next trip.
The WSJ states that it costs $9.95 a month for storage then $99 per round trip including shipping. Their trial run ran smoothly: the empty suitcase arrived two weeks before the trip and the items were inventoried on the app within a few days. When they arrived at the hotel, the suitcase was there with all the requested items folded neatly inside.
This company targets style-conscious female travelers who are wary of commitment. This company allows female travelers access to an inventory of more than 7,000 women’s designer pieces (including Diane von Furstenberg and Tory Burch) that you’re allowed to rent for as long as two weeks. You must answer 20 questions (preferences, size, style) and are assigned a personal style concierge to choose the types of items you’ve requested. Once you’ve viewed and finalized your items, they’re sent to your destination for $65 per item per trip.
The WSJ said packaging was unimpressive, however the dresses looked new and fit properly. Returns were easy, and they left them at the front desk of the hotel in a prepaid shipping package.
This company targets toiletry hoarders who want to pack everything without dealing with getting it flight-ready. Pack Simply allows customers to choose among the 200 travel-size toiletries (for both sexes) on their website, from hair products to sunscreen. If you’ve ordered more than $30 worth of toiletries, it comes with a free, clear plastic bag. Each item will cost between $2-$6; their selection includes mostly drugstore-brand products.
The WSJ said the items were shipped to the home, with everything they ordered arriving in a clear plastic bag (with a handwritten thank-you note from the founders), ready to be packed away for travel.
Finally, this company targets the scatterbrained occasional traveler and tech-savvy tweens. Adero prides themselves on remembering the essentials. The standard kit comes with three smart tags for your luggage and three “taglets” which attach to your must-have items. Adero creates a digital container to ensure your items are in your luggage bag before you leave. If the tag on your luggage appears red when you press it, it means that you are missing one of your essential items. Naturally, a green light means you’re all set. It costs $120 for a standard kit.
The WSJ found downloading the app and following the setup instructions to be simple. The app worked as promised, though it seems more like a novelty, not worth the hefty price tag.