Hi,
Interesting idea.. Do know that a very few airlines have actually gone down this road already.. for example, United did, until Oct 2011, offered 3rd party baggage delivery..
As to the notion that airlines are required to send bags on the same plane.. that's tricky.. for the most part yes.. but it's not always a government mandate, it depends on the airline and route.
This issue, like all airline security issues, are laid out in painstaking detail in a massive document, what is essentially the airlines security manual, formally called the AOSSP, or Aircraft Operator Standard Security Program.
The AOSSP is drafted by the airline, but must be approved by numerous agencies before it can be implemented.. agencies like the TSA, DHS, FAA, CBP, etc all have a 'say' in the manual relative to the sections that each agency has primary jurisdiction.
The actual contents of the AOSSP itself is restricted information as outlined under 49CFR parts 15 & 1520 so we can't really say what is the actual rule per se.
However, the practicality is that keeping bags and passengers together, on the same flight does have a distinct advantage of making on-time delivery more viable.
There's also the issue of hazmat.. The rules that cover the transport of hazmat is different on commercial passenger carriers than it is when carried by a cargo-only carrier.
Last issue is logistics.. Most cargo carriers are single-service only, so there's only one chance to get the bag there today. if that chance is missed, then for the most part it's going to be the next business day (as most express carriers make only limited Sat service, and even less Sun service)
but overall, I do think it's an idea that's worth exploration in some cases where the logistics and timeline support it.
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