Has anyone ever flown "courier" to a foreign country?

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

I am planning a trip to Thailand and in my search for cheap airfares, ran across a company called Jupiter Air. I priced it out, and it looks like they have flights for about $300 cheaper but you have to pick up a package at a courier station, bring it on the plane, and drop it off. All the proper customs paperwork is provided.

Obviously, I'm approaching this with extreme caution as I'd like to not spend the rest of my days in a Bangkok prison but I'd like to hear from anyone who has experience with flying courier.

Thanks!

[Zuni]

1. a Thailand prison

that is some serious

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

2. Yeah, that IS some serious

[Richardo]

3. They don't call it 'Bangkok' for nothing

:scared:

For an informative look at this industry, I recommend the Simpsons episode where Bart had to become a human organ courier to earn enough money get home from Knoxville, Tennessee. :thumbsup:

[underpants]

6. Also in the event of a near nuclear meltdown

pick MO

[RedCloud]

4. I tried flying once

but my arms got tired from all that flapping.

[pitohui]

5. ever heard of federal express

legitimate courier work is a thing of the past, sorry

don't do it

[enigmatic]

7. yep

I've had a couple of friends who did that alot through the 90's; they used to get incredibly cheap airfares around the world that way. The bad side is that they usually use the cargo section for their stuff; you can only bring on carry-on luggage most times.

I think there are 2 or 3 major air couriers that are around; I'd check it out. It's worth it if you don't mind not having much luggage to take..

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

9. Thanks, E. I appreciate it!

I would love to hear what your buddies have to say about it. Please PM me when you hear back.

Thanks again, dude!

[enigmatic]

11. no prob

I've lost touch w/ them, but like I said, they dealt w/ a couple of the major ones and had no problems. I'll see if I can remember the names, but you should be able to Google them and find them pretty easily...

[RandomKoolzip]

8. Sounds fishy.

Don't do it. It's worth the extra money to have a piece of mind.

[enigmatic]

10. It's on the up and up

Seriously, as long as you use the major couriers. Like I said above, I've had a couple friends that did that; the stuff you had to "carry" most time was just documents, usually company ones that the couriers dealing w/ companies themselves have aquired.

[RandomKoolzip]

12. Well...okay.

It's just that Paul's a good friend of mine, and I don't want him to star in a remake of "Midnight Express." :scared:

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

13. OH, BIIIIIIILY!

[enigmatic]

14. Hey, I understand

That's why sticking to the 2 or 3 major ones is a given; that way nobody gets burned like that. I wouldn't trust the small ones, either.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

15. Ever see the film "Castaway"?

Check it out.

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

16. Well sure,

but if the plane crashes, I'm fucked regardless of how much cocaine I have stuffed in my rectum.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

18. Wrong - if that condem breaks you'll be feelin' no pain!

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

21. But I'll dead.

Kind of a buzzkill, ya' know?

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

23. What are you, some sort of Rastafarian? "But I'll dead"?

Next you'll be sayin' ya need yer hurr did, ya cultural whizzore!

[skygazer]

17. A friend of mine has travelled to the Philippines that way

I don't know much about it except that he's done it several times, and it's always worked out well. I think I recall him saying that he had to travel on their schedule rather than make his own but it wasn't a real big deal.

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

22. Ah, another good report.

I spoke with them on the phone again today. They are offer $450 flights from NYC to Bangkok. I have to drop off a package in Tokyo and in Bangkok. There may be return deliveries but that's less likely. She said I'll only be carrying documents. In fact, I can open up the envelopes and look in to make sure.

I think I'm gonna go for it.

[terrya]

19. I only know about "The Simpsons" episode...

when Bart becomes a courier. It looked like fun.

But then, "The Simpsons" IS just a cartoon, so one can't necessarily derive life lessons there.

Sorry I can't help you.

[miss_kitty]

20. Check out Bangkok Hilton

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096540/

Very good mini series. I seriously had NO DESIRE to see any of SE Asia after that, though. Just in case. One of the best miniseries I have ever seen.