Cost is the primary factor that people consider while undertaking any service. Everyone wants to shell out lesser money for anything if possible. Naturally people want to know that which transit mode costs less, sea freight or air freight. Generally it is considered that shipping by sea is cheaper as compared to air and mostly it is true, however it’s not always the case.  

To make the appropriate choice, it would be very helpful if you know how carriers charge for international shipping. Airlines charge you according to the “Chargeable Weight”. It is a greater of actual/gross weight (how heavy it is) and volumetric weight (how much space it takes up).

Sea cargo carrier’s charges are mainly based on origin/destination ports and the CONTAINER SIZE if shipping a Full Container Load (FCL). On the other side, it is based on CARGO VOLUME if shipping Less than a Container Load (LCL). LCL means less than container load or loose container load. LCL shipments are meant for smaller size cargo and Sea freight is charged as per Cubic Meter (Minimum rate is for 1 CBM or 1000 Kilograms, whatever is the greater).

If your unaccompanied baggage or household goods shipment is not enough to fill the whole 20 feet container then LCL is the most appropriate choice for you in terms of convenience and cost.  Larger and heavier shipments are often much cheaper to send by ship via sea freight. When the shipment is smaller, the difference between the rates also gets smaller and sometimes sending shipments via air freight is less expensive as compared to sea freight.

Being a shipper, you should note that there are always some destination charges that are to be considered once the shipment reaches to the destination port. In both air and sea freights, there are customs and destinations fees to be paid. The actual cost of sending shipments in sea freight is usually cheaper than the air freight, but the warehousing fees that has to be paid, is many times more expensive than those of the airports.