Traveling as an air courier can save you hundreds of dollars on your next international flight. Betsy Stevens, Cornell assistant professor of Hotel Administration, details the ups and downs of traveling as an air courier in a new 51-page guide titled How To Travel as an Air Courier.
"I'm a firm believer of the old adage 'you get what you pay for,' but this is an exception," Stevens said of traveling as an air courier. "It is a great opportunity to see much of the world at bargain prices."
Traveling as an air courier, Stevens saved close to $1,300 on a round-trip ticket from New York City to Hong Kong, $2,500 on a round-trip ticket from New York City to Bangkok and $800 on a round-trip ticket from New York City to Caracas.
An air courier, also known as freelance courier or casual courier, is an individual who carries documents on international flights for a courier company. Using air couriers enables courier companies to check packages through as luggage, which is often cheaper and more expedient than shipping material as cargo, which can sometimes take days to clear customs.
"It's a quick way to get mail and other goods to a company or individual overnight," Stevens said. As an air courier on a trip to Tokyo, Stevens accompanied computer software and international mail for a major U.S. advertising company.
The chief benefit to traveling as an air courier is the sharply reduced air fare. Savings as high as 80 percent can be found on various routes. "These are terrific savings and well worth the minor inconveniences one encounters in traveling as an air courier," she said. In most cases air couriers are prohibited from checking personal baggage on a flight; only carry-on luggage is permitted. Also, someone traveling as an air courier will have a less flexible travel schedule. Flights carrying air couriers are not as frequent, and seats tend to be limited.
A frequent question that usually gets posed to freelance air couriers like Stevens is how does one know the packages they are escorting are not contraband?
"You never touch the package; there's no responsibility on your part for its contents," Stevens said. "Courier companies are legitimate shipping businesses that must adhere to all airline regulations." Packages shipped by courier companies are examined by customs and require proper documentation.
Traveling as an air courier, Stevens contends, is still something of a well-kept secret. "Some people don't know this is an option," she said. "That's why I wanted to write this guide, so those who are willing to be flexible travelers can find terrific savings."
How to Travel as an Air Courier (Finger Lakes Press, 1997) is available for $8.95 by calling 255-8373 or by writing Finger Lakes Press at 162 Westview Lane, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850.