Why is your air freight to UAE always more expensive than others?

Why is your air freight to UAE always more expensive than others? There are many tricks behind this. The price difference mostly comes down to one key factor: the difference between first-class freight forwarders and second-class forwarders. For example, we at DL are a first-class forwarder, also known as a direct carrier partner.

First-class forwarders work directly with airlines.

The main feature of first-class forwarders is that we buy fixed space directly from airlines. Take DL as an example: we have purchased space from 2 major airlines, totaling 20 unit load devices (ULDs) every week. Most other ordinary forwarders only get 2 or 3 ULDs per week. Our capacity is nearly 10 times that of average forwarders.

During the off-season, when cargo volume is low, the advantage may not be obvious. If you go to a small forwarder, they can still get space from us, so it seems almost the same.

But it’s a completely different story when warehouses are full and demand is high.

Ordinary forwarders either can’t get any space at all, or they have to go through several middlemen. Each layer adds extra costs, so the final price is much higher.

But as a first-class forwarder with pre-purchased space, we are not affected by these market changes. We always have guaranteed space, and our prices stay the same, because we have already paid the airlines in advance.

With our large business scale, resource advantages and stable cooperation, we take most of the shipping risks away from customers and greatly reduce the chance of cargo being rejected or delayed by airlines.

Airlines sometimes reject cargo due to route adjustments, weather conditions and other reasons.

In fact, there is a clear order when airlines decide which cargo to reject:

- Cargo from second or third-class forwarders with weak airline relationships gets rejected first.

- High-value goods like chips and medical equipment come next.

- Only as a last resort will airlines consider rejecting cargo from direct forwarders like us.

After all, we are major long-term partners, so maintaining good relationships is very important to them.

However, first-class forwarders also have disadvantages.

For example, when handling customized orders for air freight to UAE, we are not as flexible as smaller forwarders.

Now let’s talk about second-class forwarders.

Second-class forwarders cannot book space directly with airlines. They have to get space and resources through first-class forwarders.

This extra step adds another layer of cost, so their prices are naturally higher.

The advantage of second-class forwarders is flexibility. They are better at handling personalized and special requests. If you need special services, they can usually meet your needs, but the price will be a little higher.

So when you choose a forwarder for air freight to UAE, you should choose based on your own cargo.

- For large, stable and regular shipments that focus on cost performance, a first-class forwarder is the better choice.

- For shipments that need personalized or special services, a second-class forwarder can be a good option.

I hope the information above helps you make better choices and avoid unnecessary detours when shipping via air freight to Middle East, air freight to UAE and air freight to Dubai.