Has anybody used Sports Express?

I'm getting ready for a trip to California. Since bike season is on hold here, I'm taking my bike. Hope to get a training ride or two in with Trek420 before the Cinderella Classic. So now I'm preparing to ship my bike. Will get it boxed Tuesday. But question is to take it as checked luggage or ship it. Looked up luggage situation on United's web site. They'll charge $80 for checked luggage. UPS charges about $60 for surface freight, including only $100 insurance. Additional insurance at 10% of added value covered. But on United site they advertise a service called "Sports Express". They'll pick up and deliver (packed!) sports items, door to door service, base insurance is $500, and the rate they quote for 1 standard size bike is a bit less that UPS's ($56-something) for surface service (about 1-2 weeks). You type in when you want the item to arrive and they suggest a pickup day. Coming back I'd have to check the bike anyway, since Trek420 can't hang around the house for the pickup, and delivery back here would be while I'm away. But I'm wondering if anybody out there has experience with Sports Express and can say whether this is as good an option as it looks on paper.