2) What are the key differences in shipping by air vs. sea?

You have two options. You may either ship by air or by ocean.

The key differences between the two options are transit time and how freight charges are calculated.

Transit Time

Ocean shipments can take between 30 – 45 days for FCL shipments and 45 – 60 days door-to-door depending on your origin/destination, ocean transit times, amount of inland transportation required, consolidation, de-consolidation etc.

Air shipments on the other hand typically take under a week door-2-door after accounting for flight schedules, road transportation and customs clearance.

Freight Charges

Ocean freight charges are primarily based on origin/destination ports and the container size if shipping a Full Container Load (FCL) and based on cargo volume if shipping Less than a Container Load (LCL).

Items sent by airfreight are charged a specific price per pound (lb.) or per kilogram (kg.) depending on which airport these are destined to. It is therefore important that you are cognizant of chargeable weight (explained below) of the cargo if you intend to ship by air.