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Pricing

Why your air freight is charged on chargeable weight

Aircraft run out of space before they run out of lifting capacity on lightweight cargo, so airlines charge on chargeable weight: the greater of the actual (gross) weight and the volumetric weight.

For air freight the standard volumetric formula is length × width × height in centimetres ÷ 6,000, which gives kilograms. A carton measuring 60 × 50 × 40 cm is 120,000 cm³, or 20 kg volumetric. If it weighs 12 kg on the scale, you are charged for 20 kg.

Two practical lessons follow. Right-size your packaging, because empty space in a carton costs the same as product. And measure every piece at its widest points once packed, including pallets and crates, before you request a quote. Our dimensional weight calculator does the sums for you.

Perishables

Five habits that keep perishables fresh by air

The flight is often the shortest part of a perishable shipment. Most quality loss happens on the ground at either end, so the following habits matter more than the choice of airline.

1. Pre-cool the product before packing — warm goods put into a cold box simply warm the box. 2. Pack for the longest likely journey, not the scheduled one; delays happen. 3. Use leak-proof inner packing and absorbent liners for seafood and meat so nothing contaminates other cargo. 4. Tender close to cut-off to minimise time on the dock. 5. Have the paperwork ready — phytosanitary or health certificates should be issued before the goods are packed.

Finally, tell the consignee exactly when to expect the goods and what to bring to the cargo terminal. A pallet waiting for a missing document is a pallet losing shelf life.

Documents

The documents behind almost every international air shipment

Most international air shipments rely on the same core set of documents. Errors or mismatches between them are the most common reason for delays at customs.

The air waybill (AWB) is the contract of carriage between shipper and carrier and travels with the cargo. The commercial invoice states what is being sold, to whom, at what value and on which terms; customs uses it to assess duty and tax. The packing list shows what is in each package, with weights and dimensions. Depending on the goods and the countries involved you may also need a certificate of origin, export or import licences, or health and plant-health certificates.

Check that descriptions, quantities, values and the consignee’s name and address are identical across all of them, and that the description is specific — “spare parts” alone is not enough; “hydraulic pump, steel, model X” is.

Planning

Booking air cargo ahead of the busy season

Air cargo demand is not flat through the year. In the weeks before major retail and holiday periods, more goods compete for the same aircraft space, and last-minute bookings face higher rates or longer waits.

To protect your delivery date, work out when the goods must be in the destination country, then add time for packing, documentation, customs clearance and a buffer for delays. Share forecasts with your forwarder early so capacity can be planned, and consider splitting a large order into an early and a late shipment.

Finally, make sure packaging, labelling and paperwork are complete before the cargo is tendered. In busy periods there is less time to fix problems at the airport.

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