Air Freight vs Sea Freight

The differences between air and ocean freight are seemingly apparent, but for importers and exporters, there is much more than meets the eye. Our guide to shipping air of ocean freight will help you understand the pros and cons of each and steer you in the direction that’s best for your next shipment.

Air vs. Ocean Freight during COVID-19

COVID-19 has presented numerous challenges to importers and exporters, including rate fluctuations, very limited capacity, and long delays. With all this uncertainty, you might be wondering which mode to choose for your next freight shipment.

Should I ship air or ocean during COVID-19?

The choice between air and ocean normally depends on your shipment’s size, weight, and contents – and how fast you need your goods.

Under normal conditions, shipping air for small shipments often makes a lot of sense. It may cost more – for example, an 85 kg shipment might cost $600 by LCL and $800 by air – but your goods will arrive within days rather than weeks. For goods such as retail, where quick turnover is key, or electronics, which benefits from air freight’s heightened security, air is usually the right choice.

Currently, all freight prices, including air freight prices are much more expensive than normal, due to a range of factors. Nevertheless, airlines are flying, and even augmenting cargo plans with passenger planes. So if your transit time or another factor demands it, you can still ship by air.

Just like during non-pandemic times, ocean freight is typically far cheaper, especially for larger shipments. If you have time to wait for your goods, try to ship by ocean when possible.

Air Freight vs Sea Freight Cost

To calculate the cost difference between shipping via air freight vs. via sea freight, contact us to get a Quote. Once you have a better idea of the differences, consider the other factors discussed in this guide and decide what mode is best for your shipment.

Air vs Ocean Freight Comparison

Air Freight

Air freight is best used when the cost of shipping is less than 15-20% of the value of the goods. For light shipments, use this chargeable weight calculator to work out whether your shipment will be charged by actual weight or dimensional weight.

Air freight is faster, safer and more reliable than ocean freight, but it’s also more expensive – a $195 ocean shipment can cost $1,000 by air. Learn more about air freight pricing here.

Airlines also have stricter regulations when it comes to shipping hazardous materials. Refer below and discuss with your forwarder.

Air Freight Restrictions for Hazardous Goods.

There is a long list of prohibited items for air freight and it varies by national law and airline regulations. With less obvious examples in brackets, these prohibited items include:

l gases (e.g. lamp bulbs)

l all things flammable (e.g. perfume)

l toxic or corrosive items (e.g. batteries)

l magnetic substances (e.g. speakers)

l public health risks (e.g. untanned hides)

l oxidizers and biochemical products (e.g. chemical medicines)

l anything with a danger sign on the packaging.

If you are considering air cargo, you should carefully discuss the nature of your cargo with your freight forwarder. And don’t forget to mention ancillary items like handles.

Packaging can also be subject to restrictions. For instance, there is a maximum weight restriction to corrugated fibreboard boxes.

For further information check out the Hazardous Material Table.

Ocean Freight

Ocean freight offers more capacity and value – one container can hold 10,000 beer bottles!

Ocean freight is usually much slower than air, and customs issues and port holdups can cause additional delay. Express LCL is increasingly available on more routes and by more forwarders, often guarantees a delivery date, and is faster than regular ocean freight.

Ocean freight has a much better carbon footprint than air freight.

Air Shipping vs Sea Shipping Transit Time

Until recently, smaller shipments that don’t fill a container (LCL) regularly took much longer to ship than full container (FCL) shipments. Shippers wanting smaller quantities reasonably soon had to pay a premium to go air freight.

But, there are now ocean LCL services which can compete with air freight for time and are a lot cheaper. This is due to several reasons, including ships are getting faster, canal upgrades cutting delays on some routes, improvements to ocean tracking, and a much more competitive freight market.

Some forwarders are now providing express ocean services, sometimes called Expedited LCL, with guaranteed delivery days, actually faster than FCL, and close to matching air transit times. Most air cargo is typically consolidated, but it takes time to put together, and dedicated services are typically once or twice a week. So, transit times are usually 5-7 days. Compare this with some express LCL shipments. For instance, Europe to the East Coast can take as little as 8 days – but it’s important to note that with current conditions this can be much longer.

So air vs ocean freight now? These services suit high-value products, with a critical, but not immediate, due date. It also works well for products with a short shelf life, but longer than a couple of weeks.