FAQ

“airmates” is the On Board Courier platform of time:matters, a company with over 20 years of experience in the On Board Courier / hand-carry business.

On our time:matters platform, customers can request and book accompanied transport to destinations worldwide at any time.

We have simplified the quotation and booking process, saving you valuable time and money.

On our platform, customers can easily provide shipment details and receive a complete quote in less than a minute. This includes On Board Courier transport. Customers can book directly online 24/7.

time:matters GmbH, a subsidiary of Lufthansa Cargo AG, specializes in time-critical transportation and complex supply chain logistics. We quickly and reliably transport time-sensitive spare parts, medical samples, and important documents by air, rail, and road.Our extensive global network of over 500 courier partners and airlines gives us access to every available airline and the use of an extensive route network with over 3,000 daily connections to 500 destinations in more than 100 countries. time:matters attaches great importance to speed and accuracy and meets the urgent delivery requirements of a wide range of industries with maximum efficiency and reliability.

Established in 2002 as a subsidiary of Lufthansa Cargo AG, time:matters GmbH has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the company since 2016. As part of the Lufthansa Group, we benefit from the cooperation and partnerships of a global aviation group. However, as an independent entity, we maintain flexibility and efficiency due to our company size. Our top priority is to find sustainable high-performance solutions for our customers’ logistical emergencies, which is why we search for flights beyond the Lufthansa network and utilize those from all available airlines.

Our main customers are businesses that need business-to-business services. We mostly work with logistics companies and large corporations that need our time-critical services. Our airmates On Board Couriers handle important deliveries for various industries, such as automotive, aviation & aerospace, healthcare, high-tech & semiconductor, industrial machinery & equipment, energy, fashion, and institutions & corporations. For more information, visit the time:matters website.

airmates selected for missions with time:matters GmbH will work as freelancers. They are not employees and do not have labor contracts with the company. The legal status of On Board Couriers as freelancers can vary by location. They are often seen as self-employed and may need to handle taxes, contracts, insurance, and visa requirements on their own. It is important to seek legal advice for specific details in your area.

Please note that time:matters does not offer international insurance for On Board Couriers. As freelancers, you must obtain your own insurance coverage for every national or international mission.

Customers of time:matters submit their requests for OBC transport. Our Operational Team promptly plans a solution and shares it with our verified and available airmates, who are chosen based on specific criteria.

The selection criteria include courier availability, passport/visa, location from the pickup or handover point, and other mission-specific criteria. Only verified-available couriers will be considered for a mission.

All airmates should be aware that time:matters operates 24/7 and has offices worldwide. You may be contacted at night. Our agents typically call airmates directly at the pickup or handover location, even during nighttime hours.

airmates will receive notifications for open requests through email, SMS, or the airmates Mobile App. Once the OBC request is confirmed, the selected airmate will be contacted by the agent who created the solution. The time:matters agent will provide additional mission details and answer any questions. If airmates are contacted before final confirmation, they will need to be on standby for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Our agents will notify airmates as soon as they receive final confirmation from the customer.

Once the OBC request is confirmed, the operational team will confirm the mission in the system and select the standby OBC for the mission. airmates chosen by the system will receive an email stating “OBC Mission assigned to you” and will be in direct contact with our Operation Team. Please note that only airmates selected for a mission by our Operational Team will be in direct contact with the team.

Upon receiving the confirmation email, prepare for your upcoming journey by ensuring you have important items like your passport, mobile phone with charger, and credit cards and cash. Stay accessible and attentive for any further instructions and information.

Upon receiving the final confirmation from our operational team, you will be responsible for transporting the urgent shipment. Our travel agent will book your tickets and our team will provide further instructions regarding the package handover or collection, customs information, and final delivery or handover at the destination airport.

It’s important for all our airmates to be able to handle unexpected situations with professionalism.

When airmates are chosen for missions, they are required to keep our operational Team informed at every stage of the mission, from departure to delivery of the package. Communication will be conducted through email. The Operational Team handling your mission will contact you via phone and email. Please ensure all updates are included in the same email thread. In case of urgent matters or issues, please call the phone number provided in the email signature.

We are sorry to announce that the airmates Mobile App is still under development. Currently, the app is used for location updates, pre-alerts, and mission confirmation only.

airmates will receive payment for their mission-related expenses. This includes the OBC fee and costs related to the missions as well as the booking of outbound and return flight/train tickets by our Operational Team in 99% of cases.

• The OBC fee will vary depending on the mission, with a minimum of 210€/trip (excluding Intra Europe, which is 250€).
• The transportation costs related to the mission, such as travel to/from the airport, airport to/from hotel, and pickup and delivery.
• airmates will also receive additional compensation for overnight stays if their return flight is not on the same day.
• Excess luggage related to the mission. We do not cover personal luggage, and airmates are advised to only bring a small backpack that can be taken into the cabin. Avoid carrying personal luggage as it may cause delays to the mission.
• Any other mission-related costs must be approved by our operational Team, and we do not cover meals or drinks.

Please check FAQ under your internal profile: https://www.airmates.eu/onboarding/faq

Payment will be made through bank transfer. Please provide your full bank details, including account name, bank name, IBAN & SWIFT-BIC, and bank address. If you are in the USA, you need to include your routing number on your invoice, and if you are in Mexico, you must include your CLABE. Make sure your invoice follows the tax and accounting rules in your country. If you’re not sure, ask a local tax advisor for help. We will only reimburse you after you submit all the required payment documents and receipts. Expenses without receipts will not be reimbursed. Not following the invoicing guidelines may cause payment delays.

An On Board Courier (OBC) is responsible for transporting urgent items that require quick delivery, such as time-sensitive documents, critical medical samples, essential spare parts, or any other item that needs to be expedited.

Before becoming an airmate, all On Board Couriers (OBCs) go through a detailed security screening, including background checks. They must show that they are experienced frequent flyers, especially in international travel. This experience needs to be verified through airline status or similar documentation.

Before their first assignment, our airmates team provides full support to all couriers. They can ask our team for help with any questions or worries. While handling an OBC shipment, they stay in constant communication with airmates.

If a connecting flight is in danger of being missed, our On Board Couriers quickly alert our operations team and work with the airline to find the quickest alternative connection. At the same time, our travel agent helps arrange alternative travel if needed.

When clearance is needed, it’s important to use the red channel as required by law. Our operational team will supply the required documents. Customers can provide export and import documents directly to our team, or our brokers can help when extra clearance support is necessary.