Use the same shipment data
Keep dimensions, weight and packing assumptions the same in every request. Compare air proposals using the stated chargeable weight and sea proposals using the stated volume or container scope.
Compare the full timeline
A flight duration or port-to-port estimate does not describe the whole journey. Include readiness, collection, handling and final delivery in your planning discussion.
Review included charges
Request comparable pickup and delivery endpoints. Clarify local handling, storage, duties and taxes separately, and document exclusions before deciding.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE /
Compare the same shipment, line by line
Use these questions with two written proposals for the same goods and receiving point. Share all product characteristics with both providers and mark missing answers as “to confirm”.
| What to check | Sea proposal | Air proposal |
|---|---|---|
| Collection and delivery points | Name the loading and arrival ports. Confirm whether supplier collection and delivery beyond the port are included. | Name the departure and arrival airports. Confirm collection and final delivery to the same requested address. |
| Basis of the quoted price | Specify FCL or LCL. Ask for the container, volume or weight basis used, the packed measurements and any minimum charge. | Ask for the chargeable weight, packed dimensions, calculation method and any minimum charge used in this proposal. |
| Time until receipt | Request readiness, collection, planned sailing, port arrival, release and final delivery milestones. Identify estimated dates. | Request collection, planned flights or connections, arrival, cargo availability and final delivery milestones. Identify estimated dates. |
| Included and excluded costs | Itemize collection, origin and destination handling, freight, storage and delivery. Ask how clearance services, duties and taxes are treated. | Request the same cost categories and delivery scope. Flag airport handling, storage or delivery items that remain unpriced. |
| Cargo acceptance and packing | Confirm product acceptance, handling, stackability and packing requirements for the quoted service. Include unusual dimensions or weights. | Confirm product acceptance, per-piece limits and packing requirements. Describe batteries, liquids or other special characteristics for review. |
| Validity and changes | Ask when the quote expires, what confirms capacity and how changes to measurements, ready dates or service scope affect it. | Ask the same questions for the flight proposal, including changes after reweighing or remeasuring. Record what still needs confirmation. |
Ask for two comparable proposals
Start with the shipment outline. In the cargo details, ask for both sea and air options, name the required delivery point and state your preferred receipt date. Identify any urgent items separately.
Apply this to your shipment
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE
A buyer needs 2 cartons urgently and can wait for the other 18. Request an all-sea plan and a split sea/air plan using the same final address. Compare the complete cost and receiving dates for both parts, including any extra handling from splitting the order. Treat the split as an option to evaluate, not an automatic saving.
Check before the next step
- Use the same packed weights, dimensions and destination for both proposals.
- Identify which cartons are urgent by order and carton mark.
- Ask whether each date means arrival at a terminal or delivery to your address.
Terms in plain language
- Chargeable weight
- The weight used to price air freight under the carrier’s rules; it may be based on actual weight or volume.
- Gross weight
- The weight of the goods together with their packaging. Record it separately from product-only net weight.
- Service scope
- The tasks and endpoints explicitly included in a proposal. Name the party responsible for anything excluded.
Reference reading
- IATA · Air Cargo Tariffs and Rules (English; opens a new tab)
Explains air-freight weight and volume charging. Confirm the applicable calculation with your carrier.
NEXT STEP
Air freight
For time-sensitive cargo, compare available flights, chargeable weight and destination handling.
