Who is the IAATC & What is Courier Travel?
The I.A.A.T.C. desires to help travelers explore destinations around the globe.  We strive to live up to our members budget-minded approach to travel by delivering the most reliable courier and consolidator flight information on the web.

Since the 1989 publication of Shoestring Traveler - Travel Guide International (select - Shoestring Traveler - Trip Reports), the I.A.A.T.C. has expanded to include our flagship web site: Courier.org, and an IAATC Member Only Site with courier flight postings and a consolidator flight engine, affirming I.A.A.T.C. as a trusted source in global travel.

Courier.org is a starting point for those planning a budget-minded trip. Courier.org visitors can find selected, timely news, information and articles written/submitted by I.A.A.T.C. Members around the world. After joining, I.A.A.T.C. members can view current courier flight postings, and search our consolidator flight engine, to find an affordable flight to destinations around the globe.

The I.A.A.T.C., headquartered in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, was founded in 1989 as a one-stop, centralized, clearinghouse for individuals who wanted to travel as casual couriers to foreign destinations. In the last few years, a number of imitation air courier services pretend to run "courier associations," but fail to actually work with courier companies directly as we have in the past and will continue into the future. What makes us different? Simply put, our Nebraska office stays in daily contact with courier firms around the globe who are actually looking for individual couriers.

A simple phone call to any of the courier firms will verify the fact that our Nebraska office of the IAATC is the only office providing daily air courier support.

What We Do AT IAATC 
We track every courier company in the world that allows members of the general public to fly as their air couriers. We monitor the courier routes and serve as a resource for people who want to travel cheaper by flying courier. If budget travel or cheap flights is your aim, then becoming an air courier is your goal.

What is the Air Courier Bulletin?
We post courier firms last-minute flights and schedule updates Monday through Friday on the Internet, which IAATC Members can access by computer 24 hours a day. IAATC Member Couriers type in a password and instantly are able to view a courier report on the web on cheap flights going out the same day or a few days, weeks and some times months away.

We also fax the update for members who do not have Internet access or are traveling away from home. Daily courier postings are at 12 noon and 3 p.m. Eastern time for courier flights out of the United States. Last-minute courier updates on flights departing from London are less frequent. Couriers with internet access can get U.S. courier updates instantly, twice a day.

Air Courier Organization Mission
One of our missions as the oldest courier organization in existence is to lobby courier shipping firms to use members of the general public whenever possible as their couriers on overseas courier routes. To achieve this end, we endeavor to provide courier companies with a responsible, professional and educated couriers. By working to help raise courier industry standards, and by acting as a safety net with the courier as a consumer, we actively promote courier travel as an alternative method of transportation to see the world.

Courier Departure (Gateway) Cities
In North America, courier flights depart from the following gateway cities on a regular basis: New York, Miami, Orlando, Chicago (*on hold), San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington D.C.. Flights depart from other cities on an occasional basis. Foreign courier departure points include London Heathrow and airports in Argentina (on hold), Australia, Guatemala (on hold), Hong Kong, Japan (on hold), Korea, New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand.

Courier Destination (Gateway) Cities
Courier companies currently service the following foreign cities: Auckland, Buenos Aires, Bangkok, Brisbane, Brussels, Budapest, Cairns, Caracas (on hold), Capetown, Copenhagen, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Kingston, Kuala Lumpur, La Paz, Lima, London, Madrid, Mauritius Islands, Melbourne, Mexico City, Milan, Montevideo, Osaka, Paris, Quito, Santiago, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei, Tel Aviv, Tokyo

Courier Statistics & Current State of the Courier Industry
Approximately 25,000 roundtrip courier flights take off from the United States every year.

We track another 30,000 - 35,000 roundtrip courier flights that depart from overseas locations for which American travelers are eligible. The most spectacular growth in new courier routes is to Asia and in and around the Orient.

Prior to the 9/11 tragedy, courier flights had also increased to South America, but are currently limited. Other courier flights U.S. to London and from Europe to points outside the continent. Country-to country flights within the continent of Europe dwindled during 1994 due to the easing of international shipping restrictions between European Union countries. Couriers are not needed on domestic flights within the U.S.

Courier Membership Fees
Membership in the I.A.A.T.C. is available for a yearly registration fee of $45.00 in the United States or $50 outside of the United States. The membership fee entitles members to our Member Only web site with courier firm flight postings and updates as well as our bi-monthly Shoestring Traveler publication.

Become an Air Courier Today! Join Now