My friends and family think I
have gone too far in my quest to save money traveling. You be the judge. There is a company called Airmule which will
pay you to be a courier if you transport 1-2 pieces of luggage when you travel
to/from the the US to China, India, Thailand or Korea. Well, I was starting a
cruise in Shanghai, China this month and figured I would not mind earning an extra
$150-$300 dollars to start my trip.
Let me fully explain how
everything works. Airmule has been in
business since 2015. I heard about the
company through other travel bloggers, so I figured it was pretty safe and worth a try. My family and friends were not as sure. To start the process you sign up on the Airmule
website and give them a copy of your itinerary and tell them if you can
transport one or two pieces of luggage. Airmule supplies the suitcase. Then approximately 48 hours before your trip Airmule will let you know
if you have 0, 1 or 2 bags they want you to transport. If you are assigned any luggage Airmule will
pay you $150 per bag to transport between the US and China/India/Thailand/Korea and if you have a
return ticket, $100 per bag back to the USA. When speaking with Airmule I
was told they have 96.8% success rate
matching a person to luggage from the USA to China.
I received a phone call just over
48 hours before my flight saying I would be carrying one piece of luggage (I
had said I would be willing to carry up to 2).
Winston, from AirMule, explained that I needed to download the app
WeChat as this is what is used in China (Similar to WhatsApp). He explained that I would carry one suitcase
that has been inspected and x-rayed for all the contents.
He further stated that approximately 24 hours before my flight I should
log into the Airmule website where I could see pictures of all the contents. Airmule gathers multiple individual shipments into one suitcase. For example, I was carrying three pairs of nike tennis shoes, vitamins, and baby items.
I received a message and a picture on WeChat
saying to meet Airmule's partner, LAX Luggage Storage, in front of the Alaska Airlines terminal at 5:00 for my 7:00 am flight. My flight would take me from LAX to Seattle on Alaska Airlines then from Seattle to Shanghai on Hainan Airlines.
AirMule currently only works out of the following Airports:
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- San Jose International Airport (SJC)
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
If you are not starting or ending your trip in one of the supported airports, Airmule allows passengers connecting through supported airports to participate, within certain time frames and conditions.
As instructed, I called 15 minutes ahead of my arrival at the airport to coordinate my arrival with LAX Luggage Storage. I was handed my the suitcase
and allowed to inspect the contents.
The driver then sealed the luggage with blue tape.
I signed a release form that said Airmule was responsible for the contents.
The driver also took a picture of me with the luggage and sent it to the person who would met me in
Shanghai.
After signing the release of liability I was on my way. You are probably thinking, "That's just a piece of paper. How do I know what I am carrying is not illegal?" Watch this quick 30 second video that explains how Airmule inspections work.
Usually at airport check-in you are asked if you
packed the luggage yourself. I was not
asked this but if I was I would, respond honestly and say, "no.” I would then identify myself as an air courier.
Once I arrived in Shanghai I was
sent a picture of where to meet my contact after exiting immigration. I walked outside and he found
me right away. He took a picture of the luggage. I must say the blue seal had been
broken. I can only assume by TSA.
Two days later I saw the deposit into my bank account,
So I must ask you, “Am I crazy? Have I gone too far?”
If you say, “no” please use the
below referral code so I can get referral credit and you can start earning money on Airmule.
If you say "yes", you can still earn money making a referral
even if you never travel with Airmule. You will receive compensation once the person you refer transports luggage for Airmule.
Airmule intends to add the following routes in the near future: Iceland, Dubai, London and France. I see more Airmule trips in my future.
