Wired had an article called Save a Buck (and Stick it to the airlines) by Shipping Your Luggage. I think that's pretty cool because it's something I've been doing for a while. I hate checking luggage, absolutely hate it, and so I try to avoid doing so whenever possible and just do carry-on. I am usually able to manage with either a small carry on rolling suitcase or a backpack. Rolling up my clothes works great on saving space, and I just bring stuff that doesn't wrinkle. And since I cannot heft a 50 lb bag over my head into an overhead compartment (I'm just not that strong), I limit my packing to what I can carry.
That said, some items like my wetsuit are just too bulky to pack. The last time I visited my parents in Florida, I stuffed my wetsuit into a large Priority Mail Flat Rate box and mailed it ahead of me to my mom and dad. And on my way home, whatever didn't fit into my suitcase, I stuck it in a box and mailed it to myself. The highest Flat Rate box is $12.95, so shipping a package there and back costs a little less than $25, a bargain compared to what the airlines are now charging. You also save yourself the hassle of standing in line at the baggage claim trying to be ever-vigilant that somebody doesn't walk off with your suitcase.
Although if I do check a bag, I have a special suitcase for that. I painted that suitcase so garishly that nobody would ever mistake it for their own. I painted a large green dragon on the front, and I painted my first name in block letters on all the other sides of it.
Photo courtesy of Flickr user ToastyKen.
