• What's elliott?
• About elliott
• Contact us

t o p i c s

• Business
• Commentary
• Destinations
• Help
• Leisure
• Technology
• Vault

Copyright Elliott Publishing. All rights reserved. For more information, call (305) 453-4781 or send e-mail to us.

Cost Cutting Courier
Ask Chris · August 5, 1999

Q: I am very interested in learning more about flying as a courier. I know that there are many limitations, such as being able to travel on almost no notice, but the reported low fares are very tempting. I do notice, however, that most of these courier services charge a membership fee, and I'm wondering how realistic my hopes of cheap travel are. What is the truth about these fares?

-- Dorothy Stone

A: Traveling as a courier can be a cheap way to fly. But you're right: There are a number of limitations. Generally, you give up your baggage space -- either in the overhead bin or from your check-in allotment. You are at the mercy of the courier service's schedule. And there can be some paperwork over and above the usual customs forms once you've arrived.

Perhaps the biggest drawback is that even with these limitations, the trip usually still costs you. Fees start at around $100 for the flight, not including a one-time membership charge for the intermediary service that matches you and the courier company. Once you factor in all the hassles, you really have to wonder if it's worth the trouble.

I'm not saying that it isn't -- only that you've got to be very careful when agreeing to act as a courier. Read the fine print carefully. Don't jump at the first opportunity that comes your way on the Internet. Weigh the pros and cons.

While researching this column, I called three services that help people become couriers and I came away with a funny feeling. Why? Well, all of the companies I contacted appear to be legitimate associations, with names like the Worldwide Courier Association and The International Association of Air Travel Couriers but are, in fact, businesses in search of warm bodies to fly to far-flung locations at their bidding (and to pay for it.)

I called the Worldwide Courier Association and identified myself as a reporter, which threw the operator into a panic. "No one is here to answer any questions," she said.

What if I was just an average Joe wanting to know how to become a courier? "I'm sorry, but the person you need to talk to is gone until next month," she replied, and then hung up. Usually, when people act like that, they've got something to hide.

I also phoned The International Association of Air Travel Couriers, again identifying myself as a reporter. A woman took a message and promised a call back by the end of the day, but no one ever contacted me. Not only does that kind of behavior annoy me, it makes me suspicious, too.

When I discovered that the IAATC is based in Lake Worth, Fla., my misgivings only deepened. In my experience, many travel-related ventures incorporate in Florida because any other state would have run them out of business a long time ago. The Sunshine state is the capitol of those infamous card mills, where you pay a few hundred dollars to "be your own travel agent." I couldn't be entirely sure if the IAATC was playing it straight.

To its credit, The Air Courier Association, a group based in Golden, Colo., did answer my questions. I got through to spokesman Richard Hughes, who assured me that a courier service was "the most inexpensive way to travel on earth." But first there's the matter of the membership fee: $39 a year or $78 for three years. In exchange, you're able to sign up to take a trip up to 90 days in advance.

A lot of customers tell ACA that they'll "go anywhere" and, as a result, they get sent anywhere. For example, a trip from Los Angeles to Bangkok with a week's stay at a hotel cost just $250, said Hughes. Now that's a bargain.

I have never acted as a courier, but a thorough reading of the ACA's Web site or the other two sites I mentioned earlier will give you a rundown of the basics. I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who has been a courier in the past for a possible follow-up story. What did you think of it? Was it a good deal? Would you do it again? E-mail me at christopher@elliott.org with your feedback.

Christopher Elliott's column appears on Thursdays. All e-mailed questions to ChrisCrossings become property of Ticked.com and may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion. You may reach Elliott at christopher@elliott.org. Or visit his home page at http://www.elliott.org.