Unaccompanied Baggage & Excess Baggage Explained

Worldwide luggage shipping from your doorstep to your destination

Excess Baggage & Cargo

When it comes to excess baggage, many airlines have strict limits on the amount of free baggage that can accompany you on your flight.

We’ve listed some frequently asked questions to help you understand airport policies and our unaccompanied baggage procedures.

What’s the difference between excess baggage and unaccompanied baggage?

Excess baggage is a charge placed by individual airlines on passengers who exceed their allowable limit.
Excess baggage rates are generally expensive, and usually exist as a penalty for exceeding your allowance.
Excess Baggage must be organised directly with the airline upon which you are travelling.
Unaccompanied baggage is an alternative method of sending excess luggage to your destination. It is an independent service and offers you a cheaper rate on a space available basis.
Unaccompanied baggage will not travel on the same flight as you and will need to be cleared by the destination authorities according to cargo import regulations.

Can you put my unaccompanied baggage on my flight?

Unfortunately, the answer is no.
Due to the nature of the service, we are unable to put your goods on your flight.

Can you have our baggage at the destination by a certain date?

Airline regulations do not allow us to make guarantees of arrival times as the service is on a space available basis.

Arrival times may vary during peak periods.

You can check progress on the Exportair website (link) or the Track-And Trace Air Cargo website (link).

How long will it take for my goods to reach their destination?

When deciding when to lodge your items with Exportair, you should be aware that our average transit time is approximately 10 days from the point where your goods are given to Exportair.

If your goods arrive before you do, please be aware of the potential for storage fees at your destination.

This time frame is a guide only and is dependent on several factors such as:

PASSENGER LOADINGS

If an aircraft is at maximum capacity with passengers and their baggage, unaccompanied baggage which is of a lower priority may be taken off the flight.

PASSENGER LOADINGS

If an aircraft is at maximum capacity with passengers and their baggage, unaccompanied baggage which is of a lower priority may be taken off the flight.

Adverse weather conditions

Can affect the movement of unaccompanied baggage. For example: the airline may need to offload cargo from a flight to enable it to conserve fuel in high winds.

Adverse weather conditions

Can affect the movement of unaccompanied baggage. For example: the airline may need to offload cargo from a flight to enable it to conserve fuel in high winds.

The Destination

Basically the further away from Perth and the increased number of transits from one aircraft to another will affect the length of time taken for your goods to arrive at the destination.

Flight Timetables

We are only able to send cargo on available cargo flights. Some destinations have daily services and others once a week only.

Exportair will provide you with an Air Waybill number to allow you to track your goods. The airline cargo departments and their agents will contact you out of courtesy to inform you of the arrival of your goods. However, the best way to avoid unwanted storage fees is to track your shipment.

It is best practice to try and arrive before your goods reach your destination. It will help you avoid storage fees and give you time to deal with customs officials if required.

What happens after I’ve lodged my items

Once your baggage has been lodged with us, we will process the necessary documentation, make bookings, satisfy any security requirements in order to authorise the shipment of your goods.

We can delay the send-off of your excess baggage should you choose not to have it arrive at your destination before you do.

What are the charges?

At the destination:

For our door-to-airport service, you will be required to pay the authorities there a terminal fee. This is usually less than AUD $100 charged in the local currency.

You will also be required to clear your freight through customs. It is important to remember that all countries have different rules and regulations.

Storage fees might be charged after your items arrive if you do not collect them promptly. There is usually a free period before this charge is imposed. Each country has different rules which are subject to change. The standard free period in Australia is 48 hours.

In Perth:

There are two components to the charges.

There is a flat fee for documentation and handling. This covers the completion of all the necessary documentation, labelling and terminal operator fees.

Then, depending on your chosen destination, the cost is based on the weight of your items. This may be the gross weight or volumetric weight (whichever is the greater).

Exportair provides fast economical air freight solutions for sending your unaccompanied baggage & excess baggage from Perth to 1500 + destinations worldwide

Exportair is a full IATA member and an Australian Department of Transport regulated cargo agent for every scheduled international carrier operating out of Perth International Airport. Our staff are highly experienced and trained in all air freight.