What's up with that? Air Couriers
Jul 26th, 1998, 07:52 PM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Never flown as a courier but if you go into the Eurotrip website and click on WEB LINKS then click on airlines/airfares a list comes up. On that is info on air couriers, and flying Air Tech and Air Hitch. Many people in the Cheap Flight Forum are trying this and promised to report back to us. Air Tech is usually preferred because of their guarantee to refund your $$ if they can't find you a flight in the 4 day time period you specify. There are some articles written by people who have flown using these menthods.
www.eurotrip.com
www.eurotrip.com
Jul 28th, 1998, 04:31 PM
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
I found the following info on air couriers in the 1998 Frommer's Munich guide:
Couriers are hired by overnight air-freight firms hoping to skirt Customs hassles and delays on the other end. With a courier, the checked freight sales through Customs as quickly as regular luggage.
Don't worry - the courier service is absolutely legal and can lead to a greatly discounted airfare; sometimes you can even fly free. You're allowed one piece of carry-on luggage only (your baggage allowance is used by the courier firm to transport its cargo). As a courier, you don't actually handle the merchandise you're transporting to Europe; you just carry a manifest to present to Customs.
Upon your arrival, an employee of the courier service will reclaim the cargo. Incidentally, you fly alone, so don't plan to travel with anybody. Most operate from Los Angeles or New York, but some operate out of Chicago or Miami. Courier services are often listed in the Yellow Pages or in advertisements in travel sections of newspapers.
You might contact Halbart Express, 147-05 176th St., Jamaica, NY 11434 (718/656-8189) or Now Voyager, 74 Varick St.,Suite 307, New York, NY 10013 (212/431-1616).
The International Association of Air Travel Couriers, P.O. Box 1349, Lake Worth, FL 33460 (407/582-8320), publishes Shoestring Traveler, a newsletter, and Air Courier Bulletin, a directory of courier bargains around the world. The annual membership fee is $45. The fee also includes access to their 24-hour fax-on-demand system and computer bulletin board, which are updated daily with last minute flights and bulletins.
Couriers are hired by overnight air-freight firms hoping to skirt Customs hassles and delays on the other end. With a courier, the checked freight sales through Customs as quickly as regular luggage.
Don't worry - the courier service is absolutely legal and can lead to a greatly discounted airfare; sometimes you can even fly free. You're allowed one piece of carry-on luggage only (your baggage allowance is used by the courier firm to transport its cargo). As a courier, you don't actually handle the merchandise you're transporting to Europe; you just carry a manifest to present to Customs.
Upon your arrival, an employee of the courier service will reclaim the cargo. Incidentally, you fly alone, so don't plan to travel with anybody. Most operate from Los Angeles or New York, but some operate out of Chicago or Miami. Courier services are often listed in the Yellow Pages or in advertisements in travel sections of newspapers.
You might contact Halbart Express, 147-05 176th St., Jamaica, NY 11434 (718/656-8189) or Now Voyager, 74 Varick St.,Suite 307, New York, NY 10013 (212/431-1616).
The International Association of Air Travel Couriers, P.O. Box 1349, Lake Worth, FL 33460 (407/582-8320), publishes Shoestring Traveler, a newsletter, and Air Courier Bulletin, a directory of courier bargains around the world. The annual membership fee is $45. The fee also includes access to their 24-hour fax-on-demand system and computer bulletin board, which are updated daily with last minute flights and bulletins.
Jul 29th, 1998, 01:46 AM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
isn't it risky though? you don't know what's in the luggage, so you'd have to take their word for it what's in there. so you don't know what you're carrying that could 'blow up' later, figuratively and literally. how can you be sure and what guarantees are there for YOUR safety?
Aug 1st, 1998, 11:20 AM
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
I have done computer work for World Courier in the past.
No this is not dangerous. In order to clear customs the packages must all be inspected and precleared through customs. Generally these places do not have any problems with booking flights back as these type of routes are the ones that are done every single day of the year. Times that could not be guaranteed return are usually handled by a regular courier, not a tourist looking for a bargain. The same goes with packages not already cleared, or any other package not on a specific, prescheduled well in advance, known route.
What you can/cannot cary varies, often it is only one suit case, but not always. In the case for the courier I did work for they have specific days that you leave (for example all routes to Milan go on Thursdays), and an exact time you come back. Almost always this is a stay of about 7 or 8 days, presumably to get the cheaper over the weekend air fairs.
World Courier charges about $100 as far as I know.
No this is not dangerous. In order to clear customs the packages must all be inspected and precleared through customs. Generally these places do not have any problems with booking flights back as these type of routes are the ones that are done every single day of the year. Times that could not be guaranteed return are usually handled by a regular courier, not a tourist looking for a bargain. The same goes with packages not already cleared, or any other package not on a specific, prescheduled well in advance, known route.
What you can/cannot cary varies, often it is only one suit case, but not always. In the case for the courier I did work for they have specific days that you leave (for example all routes to Milan go on Thursdays), and an exact time you come back. Almost always this is a stay of about 7 or 8 days, presumably to get the cheaper over the weekend air fairs.
World Courier charges about $100 as far as I know.
