Air shipping is one of the most popular options to ship your goods in the best manner possible, but you may not always know when to use it and why. With air shipping, you send your items to the airport where they are loaded onto a plane, flown to their destination city, and taken by truck to the final arrival point.
When determining whether air shipping is the most effective method to ship your items, you must consider time, cost, and the volume or dimensional weight.
The Pros and Cons of Air Shipping
The primary benefit of air shipping is the speed with which a shipment reaches its destination. It can arrive to its final location within two weeks of being sent. This compares very favourably to ocean shipping, which can take more than two months.
Another benefit of air shipping is the way packages are handled. They are often more secure with air shippers than on ocean liners. Although packing is different for each shipping method, the timeframe for air shipping is shorter compared to ocean shipping, which may also mean less of a chance of incurring any damages.
The main disadvantage of air shipping is the cost. It is more expensive than other shipping methods, and the impact to business profitability should be considered.
Process of Air Shipping
Air shipping follows a specific procedure. The items must first be securely packed based on specific air shipping requirements and then transported to the airport terminal for additional shipping preparation. You can either drop off the items at a shipping company or go straight to the airline.
When preparing a package for shipment, labelling is important and should be handled correctly. This includes all documentation, as well as dimensional weight and the required arrival timeline. Once all the information and documentation is provided, you will receive an airway bill.
Based on the air shipping route, your shipment may be transferred from one plane to another before arriving to its destination. You also have other options with drop off by a client or partner.
Once the shipment reaches the destination terminal, you have 24 hours of free storage before it needs to be moved. The shipment will have to go through customs before being delivered to the customer.
Potential Delays
For major cities, most packages ship and arrive to their location within 12 to 48 hours. More secluded locations can take as long as 7 days for arrival, but that is still less than ocean shipping timelines.
You should also consider the possibility of delays due to problems with customs or airline carrier issues.
Air shipping is the fastest shipping method and best option if you have a tight deadline. However, if you have plenty of time and a limited budget, ocean shipping is more cost effective.