Don't Pay for Air When Flying or Shipping Parcels, Warn Industry Experts
As the holiday season gets underway, International couriers ParcelHero say be careful you are not charged for empty space this summer.
International courier ParcelHero is warning travellers and anyone sending parcels overseas to pack items tightly this summer. Otherwise the unwary could find themselves paying significantly higher prices than they were expecting.
ParcelHero’s Head of Public Relations, David Jinks MILT, says: ‘Don’t fall into the trap of packing very light items in large bags or boxes. The cost of a parcel or baggage can be affected by the amount of space that it occupies on an aircraft, rather than the actual weight.’
Says David: ‘Airline passenger’s checked-baggage has not only a weight limit, but generally a size limit as well. If travellers pack sloppily their luggage could stray outside the size limit, even though it is under the weight limit. For example even for hold baggage straying over a typical 90 x 75 x 43 cm limit customers will typically pay around $60-$150 extra just for transporting the empty space inside their baggage.’
And David continues: ‘It’s a similar story sending parcels. As a golden rule never send a very light package in a large carton. It may give an item visible protection but you will be penalised. The reason for this is the cost of a shipment is often affected by the amount of space that it occupies on an aircraft or in a truck, rather than the actual weight.
David reveals: ‘This is called the ‘volumetric weight’ in parcel delivery-speak. Carriers will charge whichever is greater: the volumetric weight or the actual weight.’
David explains: ‘It can get a bit like a maths lesson working out volumetric weight, so fortunately there is a free volumetric calculator on the ParcelHero website. For budding Einsteins, however, here is how shipping companies work out volumetric weight: let’s say an international shipper has adopted a volumetric divisor of 5000. If a parcel has a width of 40cms, a height of 50cms and a length of 60cms, the calculation is 40 x 50 x 60 = 120,000. Divided by 5000 that equals a volumetric weight of 24 kilos. Frankly, it’s simpler to use the ParcelHero tool and remember that securely packaged items are both safer and cheaper to send than sending a small item in a large box stuffed with polystyrene chips!’
For more information on volumetric weights see www.parcelhero.com/support/volumetric-weight-calculator
For more information please contact David Jinks, Head of PR, on david@parcelhero.com or by phone on 0208 7584962 (07772 055748 out of office hours)
Leading international online courier ParcelHero® strategically partners with the world's leading, logistics companies, including DHL, UPS and DPD to provide a flexible, cost-effective range of parcel delivery services to over 220 countries worldwide. Huge bulk purchasing power allows ParcelHero® to offer highly competitive pricing with no compromise in service quality.
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