Peter Greenberg: Becoming an Air Courier

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2009-06-19

Dear Peter, I am a recently retired teacher in excellent health, and I love to fly. I understand that air couriers fly to distant locations at little or no expense. How do I find a list of companies that I can affiliate with?
–John, Terre Haute, Ind.
 
Airline-courier gigs are not as common as they used to be, nor does the travel cost for you as a courier represent a substantial discount—for a number of reasons. Companies just don’t need to use couriers to expedite shipments as much as they used to, because freight shipping has become much more speedy and efficient. And post-9/11 security regulations have made it more complicated for couriers to transport cargo.
 
There are still a few companies offering courier flights, but they are not as cheap as you might think. Back in the 1970s, it might have cost you only $100 to fly to London, but these days you’d only pay about 30-60-percent less than the retail price. This means a European flight could work out to $400 round-trip, and an Asian flight could cost $600. You can often find comparable prices on regular, discounted commercial flights.
 
Furthermore, as a courier, you don’t have much flexibility in where and when you can go. You can only go where the freight needs to go, which includes several destinations in Asia, a few in South America, and one or two in Europe and Africa. You usually have to leave at the last minute, and there are often restrictions on how much baggage you can take with you.
 
If you’re still interested in becoming a courier after reading all the caveats, try the International Association of Air Travel Couriers, the Air Courier Association, or the Global Courier Guide. These organizations usually charge annual membership fees, but in return, you get a pre-screened list of companies and flights that use couriers.
 
Of course you can also try to do your own research. For example, Jupiter Air is one company you can call directly and inquire about last-minute, first-come, first-serve specials.