Air Courier vs. Air Freight: Which Should You Choose?

By Cory Levins
Jul 25, 2021

a close up of a netted cargo pallet being shuttled to a plane

Source: Jaromir Chalabala/ Shutterstock.com

Summary:

When choosing between air courier and air freight, there are advantages and disadvantages with each.
Air courier is more expensive than air freight but offers the convenience of door-to-door shipping. Air freight is much cheaper but may have numerous hidden costs.
If you’re ordering a heavy or bulk shipment from a faraway country, air freight can be a more cost-effective option.

Shipping by air is the most expensive mode of transport used to send goods internationally. It’s usually the last resort unless the shipment needs to reach its destination quickly, such as highly perishable goods or those ordered via express shipping. If shipping by air is impossible to avoid or if you simply don’t want to wait for months for something to be shipped by sea, then using an air courier is the right choice. However, few people are aware that air freight is also an option. Air freight has some significant benefits over an air courier, such as offering small package deliveries. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using air courier vs. air freight.

Air Courier

Almost everyone has used an air courier as a shipping method. Air courier shipping is performed by well-known services such as FedEx, DHL, UPS and others and includes door-to-door service. When something is sent via one of these services, you receive it at the address you indicated, often with an invoice for customs. While this is undoubtedly the most convenient method, it is also the most expensive. For example, shipping a package weighing 10kg from China to the United States via FedEx is roughly $350, or $35 per kg. Shipping Cargo? Air Sea Containers Has All the Labels and Materials You Need a wide body cargo plane being unloaded

Source: Dushlik/ Shutterstock.com

Air Freight

Air freight, known interchangeably as air cargo, is also the name given to the price you pay for the freight. In air freight, cargo is transported by a freight company, either on their own planes or on a plane belonging to a third party. For example, safe cargo may travel with luggage on a passenger flight, while cargo that contains hazardous materials packed in hazmat boxes can be freighted on a cargo plane. The difference between an air freight service and an air courier is that you are paying the company for airport-to-airport service, which means that you’ll have to pick up your cargo yourself at the airport if you order via air freight. You can arrange to have the cargo delivered to your home using a secondary mode of transport, but this will incur an additional cost. The second and most important difference is that air freight is cheaper than air courier, usually by about 50% for the freight. This is because the cost per kg (chargeable weight) is determined by the higher number between the actual weight and the volumetric weight (the dimensional weight of the custom shipping boxes or the package.) In addition, volumetric weight is calculated differently for air courier and air freight (the dimensional factor for air courier LxWxH is 5000, while it is 6000 for air freight), which results in a higher overall chargeable weight for air courier. The catch is that air freight may include a bunch of hidden costs. If you have ordered in bulk or a large quantity of something that can’t simply be transported in your car, you may spend up to $200 more for delivery to your door. In addition, there are likely to be additional customs brokerage charges and terminal handling fees that you need to pay before they release your goods to you. Shipping Cargo to Europe? Know the Regulations with the EACP Handbook from Air Sea Containers a line of cargo containers being prepared for loading onto a cargo plane

a line of cargo containers being prepared for loading onto a cargo plane

Source: Peter Gudella/ Shutterstock.com

Air Courier or Air Freight: Which Is Better?

Given the potential additional costs of air freight, a good rule to follow when comparing air courier to air freight services is to consider the volume of the shipment. It makes sense to use an air courier for small shipments if you need your shipment to arrive fast. For large packages or bulk goods weighing tens or hundreds of kg, it is more cost-effective to choose air freight. If you are shipping via air courier or air freight, it’s best to consider which method of transportation best suits your purposes and the costs involved. While each has advantages and disadvantages, it will come down to convenience and what you’re prepared to pay. If you are shipping goods via air courier or air freight, Air Sea Containers offers a broad range of UN-certified containers and packaging, as well as hazmat labels for hazardous materials. This includes hazmat boxes, custom shipping boxes, drums, gallon totes, shipping barrels and many other useful products for packaging and labeling.