FAQs
Airfreight is measured in actual weight and volumetric weight and airfreight rates are based on the greater of the two. Volumetric weight is calculated by multiplying the length, width and height of your piece or bag and dividing it by 6,000. For example: You want to ship a picture frame that weighs 2 kg / 4.4 lbs and is 5 cm / 2 inch thick, 100cm / 39 inch wide and 100cm 39 inch tall. The volumetric weight of the picture frame is therefore
Metric – 5 cm x 100 cm x 100 cm / 6,000 = 8.33 kg and your airfreight rate will be calculated on 8.33 kg instead of 2 kg.
Imperial – 2 inch x 39 inch x 39 inch / 166 = 18.33 lbs
Please be aware that we will quote you on actual weight should you not be able to provide us with the dimensions of your shipment. In this case, your booking and rate will be amended once the airline has determined the exact weight and dimensions.
If you are in doubt, just contact us.
Airlines and some unaccompanied baggage companies will not allow you to check-in bags that weigh more than 32kg. With Global Baggage, there is no such limit as we ship your bags as cargo. However, at some origins and destinations the agent picking up or delivering your shipment may have certain weight limits and we will inform you of these at the time of booking.
The transit time of your shipment depends on the destination, available capacity and schedule as well as other factors such as customs. On high frequency routes such as London to New York your baggage may travel on the afternoon flight and be delivered to your home or hotel the next morning. Our staff will give you an indication of transit times at the time of booking.
We also offer a very competitive Express service for even shorter transit times.
Once you have accepted our quote we will send you all the information required for your particular shipment including customs forms for your destination. These documents will vary depending on where you are shipping from and to. Our team is here to assist you with any questions or doubts you may have.
You can pack your shipment yourself and are responsible for packing it securely. Bags should be packed as if you were checking them in and name tags need to be attached. Sports equipment must be packed in dedicated or suitable bags or containers (for example surfboard bags). Shipping breakable items is not recommended and is at your own risk of damage. We can recommend a local professional packing company for larger or fragile goods. Goods such as electronics or computers should ideally be shipped in their original packing.
To be eligible for our Loss & Damage Cover you need to make sure your goods have been properly packed.
You can seal your bags or boxes, however, customs and airline officials do have the right to open your shipment for inspection and hand-search and it may be x-rayed.
Some amount of normal wear should be expected when baggage is transported.
For a list of restricted items please refer to What can I ship?
Loss or damage are rare and Global Baggage only works with reputable airlines, agents and courier companies. Unless you have opted to insure your shipment any claim will be subject to the “Warsaw Convention”which limits the airline’s liability to $20.00 per kg of the gross weight of your shipment and only covers it from the time it has been handed in to the airline until it has been picked up by yourself, an agent or the delivery company. To avoid loss or damage make sure you: pack your shipment appropriately; check for missing content if parts of the packaging have been removed or damaged; only sign for a receipt if you are satisfied that your shipment has not been damaged or opened; label your shipment properly with your contact details.
Broken wheels or feet, lost pull straps, damage to oversized bags, or damage to luggage handles are excluded from any liability cover.
For more information on insurance options please do contact us. We can arrange additional insurance and this will be assessed at the time of booking if required.
Weekend collection and delivery is not available at all origins and destinations and additional fees may apply. We will inform you at the time of booking.
Through its network of trusted international and local partners Global Baggage operates globally.
Dangerous goods, valuables and perishables are amongst those items that cannot be sent with Global Baggage as unaccompanied baggage. For a more detailed list of restricted and prohibited items please refer to What Can I Ship?
Yes, your shipment may be subject to x-ray screening by the airlines or customs authorities. Please remove any camera film that may be damaged.
Yes, our rates reflect different “weight breaks” and as soon as your shipment falls into the next highest weight category the average rate per kg decreases.
Upon presentation of a valid international student ID you will be entitled to Global Baggage’s highly competitive student rates.
Our pricing does not include customs clearance charges at destination which will be for your account. When you choose our Airport 2 Airport service you also need to budget for airline handling charges at destination which vary from carrier to carrier and country to country.
This depends on whether you are sending used or new goods and varies from country to country. In general, personal effects that have been owned by you for more than 6-12 months are duty free but you need to check the specific rules and regulations of the country you are shipping to.
In some markets we do have to apply VAT (Value Added Tax) or GST (General Sales Tax) to our final quote. We will point out to you when this is the case.
We do not ship pets.
At the time of booking, we will let you know if the agent at destination or Global Baggage will be in touch with you once your bag has arrived and has been customs cleared. Where the airlines offer Track & Trace we will send you the link together with your reference or Airway Bill Number.
Shipments can be cancelled free of charge before they have been picked up by Global Baggage or handed in to one of our agents. Once the shipment is in our care a small cancellation fee may apply to cover any costs incurred. Once a shipment has left the origin point it cannot be cancelled and return fees will apply.
Please contact us should you wish to make any changes to your booking and we will endeavor to do so depending on the progress of your shipment. Should you hand in the shipment at a higher weight or with larger dimensions than previously advised this will trigger an increase in cost. We will make our best efforts to advise you before we ship your baggage however by accepting our Terms & Conditions you agree to any additional charges that are incurred due to increased weight or dimensions and these will be charged to your credit card. Equally if your shipment is found to be lighter than declared we will arrange to refund the difference.
If you have any other questions please contact us.