With air travelers increasingly checking bags, skycaps at airports have been doing better business. But Bags to Go and BAGS, Inc. (an acronym for Baggage Airline Guest Services) take the skycap business to the next level, by letting passengers check bags and get their boarding pass offsite — at locations such as hotels, convention centers, or cruise ship terminals.

It’s a great idea, and it’s bound to get a boost in coming months. Depending on the location, you can check your bag as early as 24 hours in advance, or as late as 2 hours before the flight. They take your bag to the airport, where it’s screened, etc. Since they also issue you a boarding pass at the remote site, you just get in line for security when you get to the airport.

San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center, Chicago’s McCormick Place, and Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center already have agreements with BAGS, while Bags to Go is limited to Las Vegas — the convention center, and the Venetian. Bags to Go charges $20 per person (not per piece) for the service, while BAGS rates vary by location.

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