The Basics of Air Freight

It is important for your package to arrive at its destination on time and in good condition. That means you have to trust it into the right hands but sometimes that is a hard decision to make. This decision can be especially hard if you must ship something by air freight. You constantly have to worry about the packages being loaded onto the wrong flight and being misdirected to another destination and being lost. Or you have to worry about them being damaged in flight. Plus there is the additional factor of how much it will cost you to ship the packages. It can be enough to make your head spin around in circles. In this article we will cover the basics of air freight and hopefully answer some of the basics where this is concerned and before it is all over you will have a greater understanding of what this valuable service has to offer and where you can turn to for your shipping needs.

What is air freight?

Air freight is the process of shipping materials and goods through a service that utilizes planes to transport their packages to other parts of the world and country. This allows them to reach farther destinations in a much more efficient manner than by automobile, train service or by ships. In the past before the advent of air transportation it may have taken weeks or months for a package to arrive at its destination whereas now it may only take a few days for it to make it from one side of the country to the other. It is a very fast and efficient means of shipping an item where you need it to be.

How does it work?

Okay, let’s say that you live in Boston and you need to ship a package to Seattle, Washington. The first step is to take the package to your local air freight shipping center. It will be weighed and they will ask you how you want to ship your package and how soon you want it to be there. This is where air freight comes in. Your package is quite large and you have multiple packages that must go and you need the package shipment to be there in two days. The air freight company will take the packages and load them onto a plane where they will be transported to the final destination and then await delivery. It is that simple. It will not be as cost efficient as ground but it will definitely be time efficient.

What companies offer air freight?

There are several companies that offer air freight services. FedEx, UPS, and United Air Freight are just a few. Some air freight companies offer pick-up services up to a certain amount of pounds per package whereas some will require that you deliver the package to their terminal. You will have to check with the individual shipping company to ensure what their services cover.

How much does it cost?

The cost of the air freight shipping will vary depending on: location, how soon it must be there, the nature of what it is you are shipping, the value of the item(s) in question, how many item(s) you are shipping and how much each item weighs. It also depends on what company you go with. Many large companies have contracts with shipping companies that provides them with a discount since they ship frequently. You will have to check around for pricing information before you decide on a company to ship with.

Where can I ship my products to by air freight?

You can ship a package by air freight basically to anywhere that is serviced by an airport. There may be some exceptions with some companies. Take for example UPS. They cannot ship to areas that are considered hazardous such as a war zone. That area is reserved only for the postal systems such as the United States Postal Service.

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How long does it take for my package to arrive by air?

If you are just shipping to the airport terminal and then picking up the package yourself or someone is picking up the package themselves then you can usually have the package within a day or so. If it has to be delivered then it may take longer. UPS generally has an overnight delivery service as does FedEx. You will have to inquire from the shipping service as to their delivery times. It will take longer to send a package to another country because it must go through customs and improperly prepared paper work can slow the process down so make sure everything is in order before you leave the shipping center.

Should I take out insurance for my package?

Most air freight services will only cover packages up to a certain dollar amount. You should always insure your package if it is valuable. If you are taking the time and money to ship a package by air freight chances are that it is valuable to you. Insurance does not cost that much and it is well worth the price if something were to happen to your package. It is better to be safe than sorry.

How many packages can I ship through air freight?

You can ship as many as you want. They will be glad to take your packages and your money. Some may have a limit as to how many they can pick up but if you are delivering the packages then there probably will not be a problem. They will be delighted to take that credit card information and deliver all of those wonderful packages.

What is the weight limit for packages?

Some shippers do have a weight limit for picking up packages. They may require that you deliver the packages to their air freight terminal yourself or arrange for delivery yourself. You will need to check with the shipping company to see what the weight limit is and how you should properly prepare the packages for shipping. It is important to follow their guidelines if you want your packages to arrive at their destination in one piece. Some may require special stickers to be placed on the packages to let the handlers know the weight of the package so that they are not harmed during lifting.

Are air freight packages delivered separately?

For companies that specialize in air freight then the answer is no. They only deliver air freight packages and that is all that they do. Other companies such as UPS and FedEx may have to deliver the packages separately if there are many that are arriving. It all depends on the number of packages, the weight of the packages and so on.