| Unless you happen to be wealthy and have a lot of | | | | Here are some samples of the approximate discounts |
| free time, chances are you wish you could fly more | | | | on return fares, obtained through a simple internet |
| often than you currently can. Airfare is, of course, | | | | search: New York to Paris, $250; Los Angeles to |
| the most cost prohibitive element of long distance | | | | Sydney, $400. In some cases, if you are on their call |
| travel. Many people find themselves in situations | | | | list, the courier may become desperate with a last |
| where they know someone they could stay with in | | | | minute flight and offer it for free. |
| another city - so accommodations would be free - | | | | Now, with such extreme discounts, there must be a |
| but there's simply no way of being able to get there | | | | catch, right? Of course: courier flying would be simply |
| affordably. In terms of discount travel, there are | | | | too good to be true it didn't come with an extreme |
| some solutions to expensive airfares that are worth | | | | lack of flexibility. Courier flying works by placing |
| looking into if you are flexible and interested on a | | | | yourself on a list to be contacted by the companies. |
| short visit rather than a long trip. | | | | You're not likely to receive much notice, and until you |
| One of the cheapest ways you can fly is called | | | | board the plane, your fate is entirely in the hands of |
| courier flying. How this works is: courier companies | | | | the courier company: if there is a change or a |
| exist that specialize in delivering relatively small | | | | problem with the package, for example, you're out |
| packages quickly - things like important business | | | | of luck. |
| documents etc. . . and what these companies want is | | | | More so than other types of discount travel, courier |
| your baggage allotment on a flight. So they will offer | | | | flying is dependant on you being able to establish a |
| extremely discounted fares in order to get your | | | | repoire with the company. If you have been flexible |
| baggage allotment. | | | | and completed flights for a company in the past, you |
| If you sign up for a courier flight, your job will be to | | | | may be able to establish a relationship where they call |
| show up at the airport with carry on luggage only, | | | | you first to offer a flight, in which case you'll have |
| meet someone with a package who will check it onto | | | | some more options. |
| the plane in your space (you won't normally have to | | | | Regardless, to engage in courier flying you have to |
| handle the package), and take the flight. In most | | | | be very flexible, and although it is one of the most |
| cases you are required to take a return flight as well | | | | extreme forms of discount travel available, it remains |
| in a relatively short time (usually a few days, and | | | | fairly restrictive. If you're interested your best bet is |
| rarely more than a month), which is why courier | | | | to try one or two courier flights and hope that you |
| travel is more suitable to quick cross-country visits | | | | can establish a good relationship with the company. |
| than long term travel. | | | | |