Southwest Airlines: Cargo Service and Facilities
The air cargo transportation service is available at Southwest Airlines Cargo, intended for individuals and companies to carry out export and import operations in the local and international market.
The service offered by the low cost airline has no physical limitations and its most notable advantage over the rest of the freight transport routes is the speed at which it makes the journeys and, therefore, the speed with which customers can receive and send the cargo. In addition, the latter can thus ship their goods to almost all regions of the world.
Air transport or air transport of goods is the service which transports the goods by means of an aircraft. The plane is the fastest means of transport, and therefore the most suitable for sending products within the supply chain that require fast and agile delivery.
Request your quote and order your product
When your choice of transporting goods is air freight, be sure to first negotiate, or at least discuss with your supplier from abroad, in order to ensure that the latter complies with all requirements imposed by air freight. If you choose this means of transport, you must imperatively obtain the agreement of your supplier, air transport being a two-way operation.
Cargo products and services offered by Southwest Airlines
Three products are available within this airline to meet the most demanding transport needs of its customers:
– NFG
When you book a cargo transport service with the NFG formula, you ensure that your shipment arrives on time, otherwise you will be reimbursed.
– Southwest Standard
By purchasing this product, you ensure that your shipment is made as soon as possible. You benefit from rapid processing of your shipments regardless of the size or weight of your goods.
– Fresh Fast
Service for those who want to send fragile goods or food products. This service guarantees their rapid dispatch, thus preserving their freshness.
Use a professional freight forwarder
Southwest may be able to liaise directly with your supplier. Many documents must be provided when transporting your goods, and air freight is no exception to these documents. To avoid this sometimes quite complicated task, a professional team can take care of your paperwork directly with your supplier. They also ensure that the operation does not encounter any unexpected delays or additional costs.
Understanding Air Cargo Properties at Southwest Airlines
It is important to fully understand the process of air freight operation before entering into any agreement, as well as the impact this mode of transport can have on your goods.
This therefore includes carrying out extensive research on the following points:
– The operation of volumetric reports
When sending goods by air freight, it is not only the kilograms of your goods that must be paid for, but rather the ratio of the kilograms and the space that your goods take up on the plane.
Containers to transport your goods via air freight: air freight can be transported in a loading unit using a pallet or in bulk.
Also, be sure to check your product’s eligibility for air travel. Indeed, there are many restrictions based on the width, the length.
– Regulations in terms of safety
Your goods must be examined imperatively before being exported. Various checks are possible:
Piece examination: each of the boxes or each of the articles are checked.
– Consolidated review
It concerns so-called homogeneous goods, which are packed on stacked boxes, pallets, or packed in loading units or plastic.
– Review as an approved known sender
This means that the goods from these companies do not require any additional examination prior to boarding the aircraft.
Book your freight transport service
Southwest Airlines Cargo provides you with two means of contact to book your transport of goods on board its aircraft, namely:
Phone: Call 1.800.5331.222 for domestic shipping, and 1.2147.9213.33 if you plan to ship your cargo overseas. The service can be reached from Monday to Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Online form: through this electronic form, you can specify the various needs of your shipments, and your request will be processed by the agents of the American company as soon as possible.
Air cargo packaging
Before packing your goods, you must respect the following steps: Find out about any restrictions applicable to air transport with your supplier. Of course, your goods must be able to enter the plane used by Southwest, and be ready to be analyzed with electromagnetic rays.
Southwest Airlines Cargo fully supports the organization of your shipment
When your merchandise is packed, the US company can arrange shipment. For this step, many documents must be provided:
– The commercial invoice
Certainly the document representing the greatest importance with regard to shipping. It mentions the different products purchased, the name of the suppliers, as well as each of the terms and conditions between the seller and the buyer.
– The packing list
It mentions every detail of the goods, including how it is packaged.
– The dangerous goods form:
In the event of the transport of dangerous goods, the supplier will be required to complete and include the various forms concerning the transport of dangerous goods.
– Other documents specific to your goods
Depending on the type of your property, you may require special documents. If you choose to import food, for example, you may need an import permit, or health certificates.
After booking your flight, the contract of carriage and service will be described in an air waybill. Generally, you can track the shipment of your goods online using your freight forwarder.