Courier Travel

Locations in this article:  Hong Kong Los Angeles, CA

Now you may have heard about courier travel, where people can transport cargo internationally for dirt-cheap prices. Those days are long gone, but there are still some options.

When you work with a courier service, you pay a portion of the airfare in exchange for forfeiting or limiting your luggage allowance.

That way the courier company can send their goods as passenger luggage, not as cargo, which can get stuck in customs.

With many courier companies these days, you can actually plan your schedule in advance.

The International Association of Air Travel Couriers offers regular listings of courier flights, lodging recommendations and access to a network of other couriers.

Or you can contact courier companies directly.

Jupiter Air, for example, sends one courier a day between Los Angeles and Hong Kong.

Round trip tickets this summer are going for $600, which is less than half the regular fare.

But in today’s economy, fare sales mean you might be able to beat the price on your own.

So as always, do your homework before committing to anything.

For more tips, visit our Budget Travel section.

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