Believe it or not, there used to be a time when flying for free was not only possible, it was done. Prospective airline flight passengers would notify a local courier company of their eligibility to transport a package overseas. The courier company would then select several of these passengers for a flight going from North America to Asia, Europe, or sometimes Africa or Australia. The passengers would pick up their packages, transport the packages to their destinations, and deliver them (usually at a courier satellite location in the airport). For this service, a free or cheap airline ticket was provided as the typical payment. Passengers could find a cheap airline flight with similar courier companies in other countries and so make arrangements to get back home.

There were certain drawbacks, of course. Passengers would sometimes need to take additional transportation in order to reach their final destination, especially if the final destination was not a major city. Also, checking in any personal luggage was not an option, since the package was the effective luggage. As previously mentioned, passengers would have to make additional arrangements in order to find a return airline flight. Finally, passengers had to have travel schedules that were flexible. 

The reason courier travel worked was because airline baggage goes through customs with little delay. This is unlike air cargo, which may take up to a week to clear customs. For companies and individuals seeking to get a package somewhere fast, courier travel is the best option. And, despite how it all sounds, courier trips are all completely legal, with the courier being paid with a free or cheap airline ticket. 

Courier flights used to be very commonplace, but in recent times are becoming less so. Why? One of the biggest reasons has to be the improved competitive nature of air cargo companies. Unlike in the past, today’s air cargo companies have streamlined their customs checking processes and package handling. This has resulted in packages being declared and passed through customs with much greater speed and ease.

The other reason has to do with 9/11 and increased airport security. Checking in or carrying a package onto a plane is now much more difficult than it was in the past.

Fortunately, courier airline travel still exists, albeit not in its "glory days" form. For those who are persistent, there are several valuable resources:

The International Association of Air Travel Couriers  is probably the best site to start looking for an airline flight. Yearly membership costs $22.50, and includes a second  free membership for a spouse or family member. All kinds of flights are advertised, and you can make airline flight reservations from the west coast of the U.S.A. to Asia, and from London to the east coast of the U.S.A.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard I looked on Google, I could find no other legitimate-looking sites for courier travel. I did find lots of affiliate niche sites advertising themselves as real web sites, though (next time, write better content!). The second best recommendation that I can give, as far as finding a cheap airline flight is concerned, is that you check out (and purchase) Tony Morrison’s eBook, Save on Airfare Secrets.

While I have not purchased Tony’s book myself, a former coworker of mine did recommend it once, saying it had lots of useful tips for finding and making airline flight reservations on the cheap. There are some psychological ploys, apparently, that you can use to increase your chances of landing a good deal on an airline flight. Likewise, there are specific days and times when flights are cheapest. If you do buy this book, definitely let me know.