Traveling Messengers

In New York, I had one last obligation. "DO NOT clear customs by yourself," my instructions commanded. So in the customs hall, as directed, I walked to counter No. 7 wearing my Jupiter sticker on my lapel. The Jupiter guy came right over -- not Dennis -- took my pouch and escorted me over to a small window called the "ships office." He slid my pouch and passport through to the agent. A few minutes later, my passport slid back out.

Mission accomplished. I was heading for the exit before anyone else on my flight even had their bags. It felt funny being an ordinary civilian again.

"Hey, buddy," the Jupiter guy called after me. "You can take that sticker off now."

So You Want to Be a Courier . . .

If you think you've got the stuff to be an air courier – the stuff being some free time, a passport and a carry-on bag – start by joining a group like the International Association of Air Travel Couriers (see below), the oldest of its type. For an annual fee, they give you access to its regularly updated list of routes offered by courier companies around the country, along with current fares and requirements for each. A few tips:

• When you book a courier route, the company may ask you to pay a refundable deposit of up to $100. You'll get it back when you complete the run.

• Anyone with a valid passport is eligible, but most companies require you to be 18 (21 in some cases). They'll ask you if you're willing to travel on short notice, but in reality the chances are small that you'll ever get a midnight call. (The closer you live to a major hub like Los Angeles or New York, the better your chance of bagging a freebie.)

• Depending on season and demand, expect to save somewhere between 30 percent (on popular runs like London) to 60 percent. If you're willing to play chicken and have a spur-of-the-moment approach to travel, fares sometimes drop sharply as flight time approaches and routes go unbooked. Savings of 85 percent over published fares aren't uncommon. To plan a more predictable trip, book as early as you can as routes tend to fill quickly.

• Most courier routes let you stay between a week and a couple of months, with open-ended returns possible as available within that period. In some cases, you'll have courier duties in both directions, sometimes only one way. Some, but not all routes, prohibit you from checking bags and you'll be limited to what you can fit in the overhead.

• You must get to the departure city on your own dime. They typically include Washington, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Francisco, although other cities occasionally appear. Routes come and go as business demands, but common destinations include Amsterdam, Johannesburg, London, Paris, Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Manila, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Montevideo, Quito and Rio de Janeiro.

UMBRELLA GROUPS. International Association of Air Travel Couriers, $45 annual dues, 352-475-1584, www.courier.org. Air Courier Association, $39 annual dues, 800-282-1202, www.aircourier.org.

COURIER COMPANIES. New York companies include Jupiter Air, flying out of JFK to various cites in the Far East and Australia, 718-656-6050; Now Voyager, flying worldwide, 212-431-1616; and Air Cargo Partners, flying from various U.S. cities – including Washington – to London, 877-227-9700.