OT - Lost Golf Bags, Rangefinders & Lithium Batteries

[Wayne_Kozun]

Apple AirTags are pretty cheap.  Put one in your bag permanently - that won't help you from the airline losing your bag, but at least you should know where it is.

[Rob Marshall]

Apple AirTags are pretty cheap.  Put one in your bag permanently - that won't help you from the airline losing your bag, but at least you should know where it is.

I think I got 4 for $99. Always have one in my golf bag.

[Daryl David]

I have told this story before. An Airline exec that I know very well told me this. Our job is to get the passenger from point A to B. We are not in the cargo business. We hope to please the customer on the baggage, but it’s not our core business. He then told me he always sends anything important like golf clubs via FedEx or DHL. They are in the cargo business and live and and die by satisfaction of the shipper. They are much more likely to get your clubs from point A to B. As an aside, has anyone ever heard of FedEx or DHL refusing to ship a golf bag either due to weight restrictions or lithium batteries?  I have not.

[Wayne_Kozun]

I have told this story before. An Airline exec that I know very well told me this. Our job is to get the passenger from point A to B. We are not in the cargo business. We hope to please the customer on the baggage, but it’s not our core business. He then told me he always sends anything important like golf clubs via FedEx or DHL. They are in the cargo business and live and and die by satisfaction of the shipper. They are much more likely to get your clubs from point A to B. As an aside, has anyone ever heard of FedEx or DHL refusing to ship a golf bag either due to weight restrictions or lithium batteries?  I have not.

That works domestically in the US but not so much when you are going internationally when it gets very expensive.
I fly with my clubs 3-4 times per year and have yet to lose my clubs or not have them show up before I was set to play golf.  My closest call was when I went to Scotland in 98 my bags were late arriving - but they showed up at by BnB in Carnoustie at 2 am the night before my first round.

[Rob Marshall]

I have told this story before. An Airline exec that I know very well told me this. Our job is to get the passenger from point A to B. We are not in the cargo business. We hope to please the customer on the baggage, but it’s not our core business. He then told me he always sends anything important like golf clubs via FedEx or DHL. They are in the cargo business and live and and die by satisfaction of the shipper. They are much more likely to get your clubs from point A to B. As an aside, has anyone ever heard of FedEx or DHL refusing to ship a golf bag either due to weight restrictions or lithium batteries?  I have not.

How is any passenger happy to get from point A to point B and then not have luggage? If he told me that, I'm flying another airline.

[Ben Sims]

I have told this story before. An Airline exec that I know very well told me this. Our job is to get the passenger from point A to B. We are not in the cargo business. We hope to please the customer on the baggage, but it’s not our core business. He then told me he always sends anything important like golf clubs via FedEx or DHL. They are in the cargo business and live and and die by satisfaction of the shipper. They are much more likely to get your clubs from point A to B. As an aside, has anyone ever heard of FedEx or DHL refusing to ship a golf bag either due to weight restrictions or lithium batteries?  I have not.

Every single airline tracks baggage metrics. Every one. What’s more, it’s important enough to track and report daily in the Network Operations Center.


That to say, I’ve said some flippant things at a dinner party too.

[Daryl David]

I have told this story before. An Airline exec that I know very well told me this. Our job is to get the passenger from point A to B. We are not in the cargo business. We hope to please the customer on the baggage, but it’s not our core business. He then told me he always sends anything important like golf clubs via FedEx or DHL. They are in the cargo business and live and and die by satisfaction of the shipper. They are much more likely to get your clubs from point A to B. As an aside, has anyone ever heard of FedEx or DHL refusing to ship a golf bag either due to weight restrictions or lithium batteries?  I have not.

Every single airline tracks baggage metrics. Every one. What’s more, it’s important enough to track and report daily in the Network Operations Center.


That to say, I’ve said some flippant things at a dinner party too.

I forwarded your comment to my airline friend. He said you are exactly right. It is tracked and reported. Then he asked me if I had any idea who ranked first and who ranked last in that stat. I was stumped .  I think I will follow his advice and stick with FedEx.   

[Ben Sims]

I have told this story before. An Airline exec that I know very well told me this. Our job is to get the passenger from point A to B. We are not in the cargo business. We hope to please the customer on the baggage, but it’s not our core business. He then told me he always sends anything important like golf clubs via FedEx or DHL. They are in the cargo business and live and and die by satisfaction of the shipper. They are much more likely to get your clubs from point A to B. As an aside, has anyone ever heard of FedEx or DHL refusing to ship a golf bag either due to weight restrictions or lithium batteries?  I have not.

Every single airline tracks baggage metrics. Every one. What’s more, it’s important enough to track and report daily in the Network Operations Center.


That to say, I’ve said some flippant things at a dinner party too.

I forwarded your comment to my airline friend. He said you are exactly right. It is tracked and reported. Then he asked me if I had any idea who ranked first and who ranked last in that stat. I was stumped .  I think I will follow his advice and stick with FedEx.   

I don’t disagree that Ship Sticks (or any other “shipping” method) can be very reliable and hassle-free. I’ve also never had a lost or delayed bag in 25 years. Perhaps I’m lucky and my number will come up soon.

[Wayne_Kozun]

Does Shipsticks pricing make sense for Americans, because it sure doesn't for Canadians.  For example, here is a quote from Toronto to Edinburgh:

Outbound $434.99 (3-5 days in transit)
Return $354.99 (2-4 business days in transit)

[Mark Smolens]

I have told this story before. An Airline exec that I know very well told me this. Our job is to get the passenger from point A to B. We are not in the cargo business. We hope to please the customer on the baggage, but it’s not our core business. He then told me he always sends anything important like golf clubs via FedEx or DHL. They are in the cargo business and live and and die by satisfaction of the shipper. They are much more likely to get your clubs from point A to B. As an aside, has anyone ever heard of FedEx or DHL refusing to ship a golf bag either due to weight restrictions or lithium batteries?  I have not.

Every single airline tracks baggage metrics. Every one. What’s more, it’s important enough to track and report daily in the Network Operations Center.


That to say, I’ve said some flippant things at a dinner party too.

I forwarded your comment to my airline friend. He said you are exactly right. It is tracked and reported. Then he asked me if I had any idea who ranked first and who ranked last in that stat. I was stumped .  I think I will follow his advice and stick with FedEx.   

I've told this story before, but beware of shipping with FedUp. I sent my clubs to Az for my brother's bachelor party. They made it to Memphis. Then they denied my claim for damages. I've never used FedUp again (my firm had an account that spent upwards of $25k per year that shifted over to Brown). F Fed Up

[JohnVDB]

Does Shipsticks pricing make sense for Americans, because it sure doesn't for Canadians.  For example, here is a quote from Toronto to Edinburgh:

Outbound $434.99 (3-5 days in transit)
Return $354.99 (2-4 business days in transit)

I shipped my clubs one way to Dornoch from New Jersey last year.  The cost was $275 US. It was only one way because I was leaving here.


I could have brought them over for free with BA, but there were so many bags being delayed or lost last year that I chose to pay the price.


Shipsticks was great. The place I dropped my bag off at didn’t give it to DHL when they came in.  Shipsticks proactively called my to ask if I’d dropped them off yet.  I told them I did and that my AirTag showed they were still sitting there.  They made sure DHL picked them up and rushed them so that they actually got to Dornoch three days earlier than originally promised.

[Daryl David]

It only takes one golf trip ruined by the airline to make the added expense of shipping seem like peanuts. I was on a trip with a guy to Scotland a few years back that had his clubs “misplaced” at Heathrow. The entire 8 days of the trip his clubs chased us. Always getting to the hotel just after we left. He finally got them after our final round. The topper was his clubs didn’t make it back to the US with him!   

[David_Tepper]

I have also heard that traces of fertilizer in the dirt on your golf clubs, bag towel, shoes or bag can trigger a security inspection that may delay your golf bag making your flight. Not a bad idea to make sure everything is clean.