Does It Ever Make Sense to Ship Your Car Via Air Freight?

In the vast majority of cases, if you choose to have your car moved, either domestically or overseas, you will choose from a land option or via ocean freight. Not only are these the most common methods, but they simply make the most sense from a financial perspective. You'll have a far easier time finding a quality company that ships via ocean cargo or via a trailer than you would find one that offers the air method. In some cases though, the air option should be considered.

Even though it is VASTLY more expensive, the following reasons are why it should be considered in rare circumstances:

You Need Your Vehicle Right Away

Traditional methods through ocean moving can take up to three weeks to a month to arrive. Sometimes it can be as little as two weeks, but it depends. By choosing the air option though, it can take just a few days to arrive at its destination. If you happen to need it overseas, this would be perfect for you. If you don't, it is not worth it. Remember though that if your final destination is in a hard-to-reach place, the car will still have to be hauled from the major airport hub that's closest to that location.

It's Rare and Valuable

For some collector vehicles worth in the hundreds of thousands, some people choose to have it moved via air option to have as much peace of mind regarding security and safety standards as possible. You should know though that companies take every possible security and safety measure imaginable to ensure that your auto arrives at its final destination the same way that it was picked up through ocean and/or ground hauling.

Things to Be Aware Of

Just like with ocean or ground delivery, there are requirements that you should be aware of, which are:

• The vehicle has to have below 1/4 a tank of gasoline in it. There are no exceptions to this rule.
• Its battery has to be disconnected once it is on the airplane.
• There are no personal items allowed to be stored in the auto, including in the trunk. Everything must be cleared out.

Get Insurance

You must make sure that you have air cargo insurance. It is not a legal requirement, but it is something that you should have. Otherwise, your regular car insurance in the United States will offer you zero coverage for anything that occurs during hauling. Airlines also don't offer much protection, if any at all.

To be quite frank, the air method should only be chosen as a very last resort and if you have the disposable income to pay for it. It's extremely costly and unless you're in dire need of the vehicle right away, it doesn't make much sense to choose it. Nonetheless, for some people, air freight may seem like the best option for them.