Determining Airfreight Rates

How do airfreight companies determine how much they are going to charge to move cargo within a certain trade lane? There are several aspects consider when rating any kind of import and export moves whether by air, sea, or land. What people are shipping mixed with where are the two key questions. Airfreight costs are usually a lot higher than moving by container ship and the freight rates can be a lot more volatile in terms of change. The higher volume airfreight hubs are going to have better rates since it is easier to fill the planes just as they would with passenger flights. In fact many passenger flights will also hold some commercial pallets depending on weight and distance of the flight. The main determination of shipping costs will be the commodity since that will determine the chargeable weight of the merchandise. The chargeable weight is the higher amount between the dimensional weight and the actual weight. Weight is a huge factor in flying so while space is precious, heavier weight will decide how much the shipment will cost. Meantime, the time of day you are shipping can also be a determining factor. Places like Frankfurt who have recently banned night flights, will be harder to get in and out of since there are more flights moving during the day. All of these factors together will create the airfreight rates that will be quoted. Unlike other types of international shipping, airfreight changes the fastest because of all of the factors involved. Be sure to check your rates right before booking to make sure your quote is still valid.