An honest account, after 25 years — and the delays you can actually prevent.
We’d rather tell you honestly how international luggage shipping really works than promise dates we can’t control. After more than 25 years of moving personal effects from the UK, here are the things that genuinely cause delays — and what you can do to avoid them.
Air is fast — usually a matter of days — but it depends on space and flight availability with the carriers. In peak periods (summer, the run-up to the new university term, holidays), cargo space tightens and a shipment may wait for the next available flight. That’s the main air-freight variable.
Sea is economical but slower, and the timing is genuinely approximate because several things outside anyone’s control stack up:
Put together, that’s why we quote sea in weeks with a sensible window, and ask you to allow a week or two either side rather than treating an estimate as a promise.
The honest summary: air is quick but space-dependent; sea is a chain you plan around, not a date you set; and the delays within your control are almost always paperwork and prohibited items. We’ll help you get both right.