NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Tired of schlepping your bags to the airport, wrestling for room in the overhead compartment or waiting forever at the baggage claim? You are not alone.

More and more travelers are paying a premium for someone else to pick up, ship and deliver their bags, according to a report Tuesday.

With U.S. airlines losing nearly 10,000 bags a day in 2005, according to figures from the Department of Transportation, these new niche companies are profiting from travelers willing to pay for convenience, USA Today said.

Prices vary depending on bags' weight, the number of days in advance bags are picked up and destination, the paper said.

Shipping a 70-pound suitcase and hard-sided golf bag from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles and back could cost as much $500, according to a recent test by USA Today.

Satish Jindel, president of SJ Consulting, which works with transportation logistics firms, told the paper that the luggage-delivery industry is likely to remain a niche service as long as airlines continue to permit passengers to check two bags for free.

Jindel also noted that business travelers who work for large companies can bypass luggage-delivery companies because their employers typically have discounted corporate accounts with FedEx (Research), UPS (Research) or DHL.

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