Traveling Light

Travel question of the week

Dear Rolf,

Is it possible to get a free one-way flight by being an air courier — i.e. delivering documents for a company? If so, how do I contact these companies?

—David D., London, Ontario

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Dear David,

Air courier companies have been known to issue last-minute tickets for free, but this certainly isn't very common.  How much you save as a courier varies, but it's usually around 30% to 60% off the normal price.

Courier travel isn't the bargain it once was.  Air courier tickets were once a great budget-travel strategy, but courier opportunities have diminished in recent years due to post-9/11 airline regulations and new international trade barriers — as well as the ubiquity of cheap air tickets online. Thus, when researching courier opportunities, be sure to check normal airfares, since you can often find prices that are just as good or better by shopping around online.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, air courier travel is an arrangement that allows travelers to save money on economy-class overseas plane tickets by forfeiting their luggage space to a shipping company. This means that you can only take carry-on luggage. Usually, your luggage space is used for "overnight" documents (not drugs!). The only obligation is to carry a bit of paperwork to the courier representative at your destination. Often, traveling as a courier can allow you to cross the Pacific or the Atlantic for just a few hundred dollars, but there are a few things to consider:

1. Due to the practicalities of the service, courier travel is always a solo affair, so don't expect to be able to coordinate your trip with a friend or partner.

2. It's easiest to score a courier ticket if you can be flexible about your destination. Rigidly specific destinations can be more difficult to arrange.

3. Most courier tickets are round-trip, within a one- to two-week range.  Missing your return flight means losing your courier deposit (usually around $100).

4. From the West Coast of the U.S., courier flights mainly go to points in Asia. From the East Coast they fly to Europe and South America. Other destinations, such as Africa or the Caribbean, are less common. Traditionally, the most popular destinations from U.S. hubs have been Amsterdam, Bangkok, Beijing, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Hong Kong, London, Johannesburg, Madrid, Melbourne, Mexico City, Milan, Paris, Quito, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Tel Aviv and Tokyo.

5. It may help to join a courier organization should this type of travel interest you. Membership is not always a requirement to travel as a courier, but often it's the easiest way to find flights that suit your specific travel needs. Courier organizations include:

• International Association of Air Travel Couriers
• Air Courier Association
• Global Courier Guide

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