Which should I use: air freight or sea freight?

If you have goods or personal belongings to send internationally, and your consignment is too large for a courier service, you can use a freight service instead.

For international freight, you have two options: air freight and sea freight. Which is the best option for you? Let’s take a quick look at what both have to offer.

Air freight

• This service is airport to airport (door to airport with collection).
• It’s much faster than sea freight.
• It has a flexible departure schedule (daily).
• You can choose the airline and route in advance.
• You can opt to use your own clearing agent at the destination.
• It’s the more expensive option.

Sea freight

• This service is seaport to seaport (door to seaport with collection).
• It’s a great economy option – longer transit times, but low cost.
• Ideal for large volumes of goods or heavy goods weighing 100kg or more.
• Not as cost-effective for smaller shipments.
• It has a less flexible departure schedule (weekly).
• It’s the green option – lower CO2 emissions.

Both air freight and sea freight services differ from courier services in that deliveries are made port to port, rather than door to door. Consignments are dropped off at a designated receiving centre, and must be picked up by the receiver at the destination port.

However, if dropping off is not feasible for you, you can book an optional collection service to have your consignment picked up from your door.

Destination charges

Please be aware that air and sea freight are subject to handling, brokering and customs surcharges at the destination port. These can vary according to destination, commodity and clearing agent, so they are not included in your quote. Any destination charges will need to be paid by the receiver.

If you contact us prior to booking, we can provide you with details of the clearing agent, so that you can look into any additional handling charges before proceeding—but you will also need to check the customs regulations for your destination country.

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Get quotes for air freight and sea freight from Transglobal Express.

For queries or advice, please contact [email protected]. Alternatively, call us on 0345 145 1212, or use our Live Chat facility.