Originally Posted by
pinniped
But aren't those firms typically registered and licensed as such?
Also, when I used to see ads for those services (1990s, mainly), it was always clear that the traveler never handled the cargo directly. Your main job was taking the associated paperwork to the destination.
It's been so long since I've seen an ad or even heard someone talking about courier travel, I just assumed that security regulations in most parts of the world had mostly killed it off...
National Geographic Traveler recently covered this as a recommended travel app (or was it Travel+Leisure, can't remember), but clearly it's still a thing that is passing the sniff test by at least some editors.
I agree, this sounds super sketchy, but how do current-day couriers do it? Or are they typically carrying things like documents and medical items (blood, organs, etc) that are documented in advance by the airline?
This sounds really interesting, and I would love to do it, but want to get past the wariness that we are all rightfully expressing. Has anyone done it yet?
I signed up and was offered quite a bit of money for my luggage allowance plus free airfare to China...tempting, but still worrisome.