United Airlines is betting heavily that you will pay pretty much anything to have a speedier experience at the airport.

Yesterday the legacy carrier announced the start of its new door-to-door baggage shipping service.

Here's how it works: Customers flying domestically in the Lower 48 can ship their suitcases and what not to their destination. Just leave your luggage at a FedEx or have United pick it up at your home or office. Your stuff will arrive the next day at your destination, be it a hotel, motel or your in-laws' house.

The cost? $149 one way for flights less than 1,000 miles and $179 for longer flights.

Naturally, what United's press release doesn't tell you -- but what you'll quickly find out if you log on to United.com to use this service -- is that those prices are per bag.

You can order the service up to 10 days before your departure. There's convenient luggage tracking on the Web site.

United hopes that customers will see the chief advantage of this: Let somebody else hump your bags, while you simply stroll into the airport with a small carry-on or purse feeling free, unencumbered and satisfied as you walk past that huge line for checked baggage.

But how much is this "freedom" worth to you?

Say you're flying from Philly to Denver, a flight of more than 1,000 miles. You have two bags to check (a suitcase and skis).

Under United's basic checked baggage fees, it will cost you (round trip) $30 for that first bag and $100 for that second (starting Nov. 10, United's fee for a second checked bag is $50 one way). So, $130 in all.

Avail yourself of United's new door-to-door program and you will pay (again, round trip) $358 per bag, or $716 in all.

Maybe I am looking at this wrong, but that doesn't even seem like a choice. What do you think?

Filed under: Airlines, Consumer Activism