What makes up an on-board courier price?
On-board courier cost is built from the same three parts on every trip. An on-board courier (OBC) is a person who travels on a commercial flight with your shipment and keeps it in their custody from pickup to handoff, so you pay for their time, their travel and their days away:
- Courier time. At Alvy Logistics, from a $143 dispatch fee plus $43 an hour, with a 4-hour minimum. The smallest possible charge is $315 before travel ($143 plus 4 hours at $43).
- Travel, at cost. Airfare, lodging and ground transport at the destination are passed through at what they cost, with no markup.
- Extras the trip needs. Timing, overnights, waiting and extra couriers are quoted for the trip and listed on your written quote.
So the starting formula is: $143 + ($43 × hours, minimum 4) + travel at cost, before any extras. Trips start from LAX, SAN and SFO. The on-board courier service page covers how a trip is set up.
Worked example: same-day hand carry from LAX to Seattle
Assumptions: a weekday trip booked with normal notice and 10 billable courier hours in total. The 10 hours are an assumption for illustration; your quote sets the hours from the actual pickup, flights and delivery address.
| Line | Math | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Dispatch fee | $143 | |
| Courier time | 10 hours at $43 | $430 |
| Total before travel and any extras | $573 | |
| Airfare and ground transport in Seattle | At cost |
That $573 is the courier side of the trip. The airfare is usually the other big number, and it depends on how close to departure the seat is bought. A booking with very short notice, a weekend trip or a long wait at either end would change the quote, and the coordinator prices each of those before you confirm.
Worked example: cross-country trip with an overnight
Assumptions: LAX to the New York area on a weekday, an assumed 16 billable courier hours across two days and one hotel night.
| Line | Math | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Dispatch fee | $143 | |
| Courier time | 16 hours at $43 | $688 |
| Total before travel and any extras | $831 | |
| Airfare, lodging and ground transport | At cost |
An overnight changes more than the hotel bill: the courier is away for a second day, and the quote covers that time and the costs of being away. If the shipment needs two couriers, the second courier’s time and travel are quoted on the same trip.
What changes an on-board courier quote?
The starting rates cover the courier’s time. These are the things that move the rest of the price:
- Door-to-door hours. The drive to the airport, the flight, any connection and the ground leg at the destination all count as courier time.
- The airfare. Last-minute fares can be the largest single line in an OBC quote, and they are passed through at cost.
- Size and weight. Oversized or extra pieces can add airline baggage fees to the travel line.
- Overnights. A trip that cannot turn around the same day adds lodging and another day away.
- Timing. Short-notice dispatch, after-hours, weekend and federal holiday trips are priced higher than a weekday booking made with normal notice.
- Waiting. A long wait at pickup or delivery, beyond the time included in the trip, is added when it happens.
- Changes mid-trip. A new delivery address after the courier has left is quoted at the time.
- More than one courier. Large or split shipments sometimes need two people.
Each of these is listed on your written quote before the courier is dispatched, so the total is known up front apart from travel billed at cost.
What happens if you cancel an on-board courier trip?
The cancellation terms are on your written quote, and they depend on how far the trip has gone when you cancel: before the courier is dispatched, on the way to the airport, or after the ticket is bought. Ask the coordinator to walk through them before you confirm. Before you book, check that the piece is packed and its paperwork is ready, so a trip is not paid for and then called off.
On-board courier vs next flight out vs a dedicated drive
| Option | How it works | What you pay for | When it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-board courier | A courier flies with the shipment and hands it over | Courier time plus travel at cost | Critical parts, documents and samples that must stay with a person |
| Next flight out | The shipment flies as air cargo and is recovered at the destination airport | Air cargo charges plus pickup and recovery | Urgent freight that does not need a person on board |
| Dedicated drive | A driver goes straight from pickup to delivery | The courier base rate plus mileage | Destinations inside the region, where a flight saves no time |
For next flight out, we coordinate air freight through TSA-approved indirect air carriers. For deliveries inside Southern California, a same-day courier is usually faster and cheaper than any flight, and the Los Angeles courier cost guide shows those rates. Time-critical freight too large to hand carry may fit expedited freight better.
Who uses an on-board courier?
Teams that lose money by the hour: a manufacturer with a line stopped for want of a part, a medical device team supporting a scheduled case, a production company moving drives or equipment, and legal or finance teams with originals that have to be in a room by a set time. For specimen and medical work on the ground, see medical courier.
How to get an OBC quote fast
Send the pickup address and ready time, the delivery address and deadline, the number of pieces with sizes and weights, what the shipment is, and whether you need chain-of-custody documentation. A coordinator prices the courier time and checks flights from LAX, SAN or SFO. Phones at (661) 344-8766 are answered Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm Pacific; outside those hours, request a quote online.
