Rate structure and methodology
Unlike ocean freight, air cargo lacks the standardization of shipping containers, so there is no straightforward way to compare two air shipments across different freight forwarders.
To be able to provide a reliable benchmark that could be used to compare air freight rates, Xeneta introduced a number of requirements that we use to evaluate all air freight data imported into our platform.
Weight categories
Due to the lack of standardization, different air freight carriers have different weight categories and price their services differently. To make rates from different carriers more comparable, Xeneta uses its own weight categories (or brackets).
Rates shown in Xeneta's air platform are always in USD per 1 kg.
Air freight rates depend heavily on the weight category that they belong to, with larger sized shipments usually benefitting from lower pricing per kilogram.
Surcharges
Air freight rates shown in Xeneta only include the following surcharges:
- Fuel
- Security
- Peak season
- Airline handling
Service levels
Most air freight carriers offer a number of additional options for shipping cargo, and those options also have an impact on rates. This includes things like shipping speed, number of permitted stops, clearance speed, special packaging, and others.
Every carrier offers their own types of premium services, making them difficult to compare directly. To make these comparisons possible, Xeneta categorizes carrier services into service levels.
Updated 1 day ago