Step 1. - Determining your destination city

Step 2. - Determining your gateway city

Step 3. - Determine your time frame for travel

Step 4. - Visas requirements

Step 5. - What to pack

Step 6. - Departure day

Step 7. - Arrival at your destination

Step 1. Determining your destination city

Use the Flight Finder to locate your chosen flight. At present, it is possible to travel to 52 countries, or 63 international cities, by Courier, Standby or by the Wholesalers we list on the member-side of our website. Cities include: Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, London, Manila, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and many more!
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Step 2. Determining your gateway city

Air Courier flights depart from "Port of Call" cities, also referred to as Gateway cities. These include but are not limited to Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Newark, San Francisco, Las Vegas, London, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore. As a general rule most East Coast cities service Europe and Africa, although there are flights from NY to Hong Kong. The west coast cites of Los Angeles and San Francisco service entry into Asia from which you can travel further to explore the continent. Your destination will determine your option of gateway cities.
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Step 3. Determine your time frame for travel

The wider and more flexible your time frame, the easier it will be to find a suitable flight. The Air Courier industry, like the travel industry, has peak and low seasons. Peak season is generally the summer, thus if your departure date is fixed, plan ahead and book your flight early. After filling out these three search criteria, you are ready to search for a flight. Browse the results and click on the suitable flight. Contact information for the courier company will be displayed.
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Step 4. Visas requirements

Now that you have your travel plans you need to know if you require a visa to visit that country. With a U.S. passport, many countries do not require visas. Refer to the visa requirements on the courier reference desk. Another way to inquire about visa requirements is to contact the Consulate General for that country (often located in major cities) and ask to speak to the Visa Section, or ask your Courier Company.
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Step 5. What to pack

The key to packing for a courier flight is to plan. You must pack light. You are generally only allowed 2 items of carry-on luggage. One piece of luggage must not exceed 44 lbs. while the other must not exceed dimensions of width + length + depth = 45 inches. Please check with your courier company and the airline for more details. In the worst case scenario, they may want to check your luggage in at the gate. You can also check your bags in as excess luggage at check-in, you may be asked to pay a fee. Remember, you are getting such a tremendous discount on your airfare that the extra fee may not be significant.
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Step 6. Departure day

You will be required to meet a courier company representative several hours prior to departure for check-in. Global Courier Travel has never heard of anyone missing a flight due to courier company representative tardiness. Beware that extreme tardiness on your part can cause the cancellation of your trip. The courier company representative will check-in the courier shipment, hand you your ticket, delivery instructions and a manifest. For both your safety and the Courier Companies you are not required or allowed to handle the shipment.
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Step 7. Arrival at your destination

Upon arrival at your destination, exit the plane and proceed to Immigration. Follow the guidelines given to you from the courier representative in your departure city. Make contact with the courier company's representative in your destination city at the predetermined location (usually prior to clearing Customs). Hand the manifest to the courier company representative and proceed to Customs. If you are not meeting the courier company representative prior to customs, present the Customs official with the manifest and explain you are traveling as a freelance air courier for such and such a company. This is an everyday occurrence for Customs officials. They are very familiar with freelance air couriers and will not cause you any unnecessary delays or hardship.
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