| Signing up to become an air courier is one of the | | | | take several days to pass through Customs to allow |
| easiest ways to travel the world free or at very low | | | | thorough checks of paperwork and packages. Items |
| cost and there's a growing need for couriers, | | | | travelling with a courier are classed as baggage and |
| meaning more chances for more people to travel to | | | | can be under the courier's direct supervision at all |
| many more places than they ever thought possible. | | | | times. Under new more security conscious travelling |
| But you have to know the rules involved as well as | | | | rules, cargo must arrive several hours ahead of flight |
| understand the very simple process of signing up to | | | | time meaning even more delays for sender and |
| become an air courier as well as obtaining regular free | | | | recipient, and there's no priority for cargo, unlike |
| flights. | | | | people, to gain access to a particular flight. |
| Firms who recruit air couriers deal in time-sensitive | | | | Even worse, without a courier to accompany them, |
| material, meaning they must reach their destination in | | | | packages may be bundled with many more items into |
| the shortest possible time. Into this category go | | | | huge storage containers which must be full before |
| contracts needing signatures, medicines a traveller | | | | travelling. More delays, sometimes long ones until |
| may have left at home before travelling, prototypes | | | | those containers are full and that might mean waiting |
| for urgent delivery to potential new buyers, | | | | several days for a flight in comparison to booking an |
| perishable goods like food and delicacies for | | | | urgent flight for a courier who can travel with the |
| restaurants, and so on. | | | | baggage between airports. |
| Some courier companies operate on purely domestic | | | | Cargo sent without couriers can take hours to be |
| routes, say between major towns and cities in one | | | | inspected and cleared for collection at the destination |
| country, so it's important to sign up to a courier | | | | airport, again adding significantly to time between the |
| company covering the locations you particular want | | | | package leaving sender and reaching recipient. |
| to visit. | | | | Courier travel is the solution to all those problems of |
| Air courier duties are not difficult or time consuming | | | | delay and possible mishandling of items travelling |
| and usually involve accompanying the item to its | | | | abroad. Items classed as baggage, specifically |
| destination then handing it over to a representative | | | | 'personal baggage' arrive with the passenger, typically |
| of the receiving company waiting at the destination | | | | an hour or so before the flight, and generally pass |
| airport. On domestic routes, there are few security | | | | quickly through Customs at airports on route. |
| hassles involved for the company using couriers to | | | | Additionally, a passenger seat can be reserved on a |
| accompany their items, few likely delays are possible, | | | | specific flight at a definite time. Now what might take |
| and most items reach their destination in a couple of | | | | days for cargo to reach it's destination can take |
| hours. | | | | hours with a courier. |
| But items being transported between countries are | | | | Plenty of openings are available for freelance couriers, |
| an altogether different matter, mainly due to rules | | | | given that few firms have sufficient workload to |
| and regulations enforced at Customs at airports on | | | | warrant employing full-time staff couriers to |
| route, which are exacerbated where products travel | | | | accompany articles abroad, with all the hassles of |
| alone, that is without courier accompaniment. | | | | employment law and contracts, not to mention |
| The reason firms use couriers to accompany items | | | | full-time wages, holiday pay, sick pay to consider. |
| abroad centres around whether packages are classed | | | | Hence the preference for most companies to use |
| as cargo or baggage. | | | | freelance and standby air couriers. And also the point |
| Cargo travels alone, overwhelmingly on 'cargo only' | | | | at which you now come into the picture. |
| flights since the Twin Towers tragedy and it can | | | | |