Hate airport bag check-ins? Japan firm to lighten Osaka tourists' load

A Japanese courier plans to start a service next year that lets international tourists send their baggage ahead of them when they return home. Travelers in Osaka using the service from Airporter will not need to lug their suitcases and check them in at Kansai International Airport. Instead, they can book a pickup by 11 p.m. on the night before their departure and drop off their luggage by 9 a.m. at a designated hotel in Osaka. Airporter ships the luggage to the airline for a flight after 4 p.m. The travelers fly home and pick up their luggage at the airport. The company aims to reduce airport check-in wait times 30% by 2025, said Kunio Izumitani, Airporter's CEO. The planned service could help ease congestion at the main airport in Osaka when the city hosts the 2025 World Expo. Airporter tested the service from July to October, using Japan Airlines flights to Bangkok. The service is expected to charge $35 per piece, part of which will go toward payments for the partner hotels and delivery drivers. Airporter looks to tie up with 250 hotels in Osaka and 60% of airlines at Kansai International. A comparable service for tourists in Japan is available from Chinese logistics company SF Express. Travelers from Hong Kong or Macao can have luggage picked up from hotels and convenience stores in Japan and delivered to their homes. JAL and All Nippon Airways also offer similar services for travelers going overseas from Japan, carrying their luggage from their home or offices straight to their destination airport.<br/>