On Board Couriers for Fashion and Luxury
Personalized, hand-carried, runway to runway transport for ultra-critical fashion and luxury shipments. Maximum speed to delivery and chain of custody. Guaranteed peace of mind.
An Exclusive OBC Network.
From Runway to Runway.
Accompanying high value goods against extreme deadlines and across international borders requires specialized knowledge and care. Worldnet is an experienced OBC provider that understands the rules and regulations that govern the fashion and entertainment industries, from exotic materials to specialty packaging to regulatory documentation preparation.
Maximum Surety
Our OBC service is the best solution for when speed, complete discretion and chain of custody are absolute musts.
Global Coverage
Worldnet has physical offices throughout the world in all major fashion and entertainment capitals including Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Milan and Rome.
24/7/365 Service
Worldnet OBC services never go to sleep or take a day off. If you need us, we will be there. Even at a moment’s notice.
Real-Time Tracking
All courier accompanied shipments include real-time tracking. We will also personally text and call you directly with real-time updates.
Regulatory Expertise
We take care of all potential regulatory details, from Fish & Wildlife appointment setting to ATA Carnet preparation to full Customs clearance.
Fashion Couriers
Our couriers have been specifically trained to handle the problems inherent in urgent fashion and VIP-oriented logistics.
How We Work
Worldnet couriers or personnel personally chaperone your shipment over its entire journey. There are no times when a shipment is unaccompanied except when it has been lodged as checked passenger baggage, and even then it is meticulously tracked by both the courier and Worldnet until it’s back in the courier’s custody at baggage claim. Every OBC shipment is its own individual project and has dedicated personnel monitoring it 24/7.
Customized SoW
A customized Statement of Work (SoW) and timeline detailing your shipment’s required journey is circulated and referred to internally. The SoW includes and requires a minimum of fifteen specific communication milestones from the courier as a shipment is successfully navigating its journey, and a minimum of thirteen potential and specific communication events for typical problem situations if they occur.
Real-Time Response
Couriers are continuously and personally given troubleshooting instructions for typical and atypical potential delays including missing baggage, regulatory or Customs issues, traffic, receiver issues, and many other situations.
Who We Serve
We specialize in transporting high value and/or extremely urgent shipments for fashion, entertainment, luxury, and technology brands. We understand the logistics involved and have experience working with everyone from press and logistics teams to VIP handlers.
What We Transport
- Expensive, one-off garments
- Footwear & accessories
- Couture collections
- Priceless items
- Technology prototypes
Industry Use Cases
- Fashion shows/Red carpet
- Editorial events
- Photoshoots
- One-way & round trips
- Last-minute emergencies
Our Trusted Couriers
Worldnet maintains a growing roster of vetted couriers in a multiplicity of origin cities globally. This enables the fastest possible response time when required. Couriers carry their passports on their person in advance of being awarded an individual assignment on behalf of Worldnet.
Professional Vetting
Each potential courier is interviewed a minimum of two times, including one video interview, and subjected to a background check before they are accepted into Worldnet’s OBC training program.
Comprehensive Training
Our training program details requirements from professional comportment and hygiene, to step by step instructions for shipment success, to troubleshooting, as well as complete discretion and privacy regarding any shipment in their care.
Years of Service
Many of Worldnet’s couriers are long-time veterans and have “seen it all” – their experiences in the industry are what give them a significant advantage when working to get a critical luxury item to its destination.
Case Study
When a fashion brand needed an expensive garment delivered to a photoshoot in a very remote location, Worldnet deployed one of our best.
- The courier hopped on a plane, the garment secured in a garment travel case
- After landing, he cleared immigration and Customs with no hiccups
- He then took a taxi service to the literal end of the road – the terrain was too rough for cars to travel so the driver dropped him off
- The courier located a nearby bicycle rental shop, rented a bike, and rode onward through the hilly terrain
- He arrived at the photoshoot’s location ahead of schedule to hand-deliver the dress, ensuring success for the delivery and the photoshoot
OBC FAQs
Interested in learning more about Worldnet’s OBC service? We answer the most common questions below.
An on-board courier (OBC) is an individual specially designated to accompany and safeguard valuable shipments during air travel.
OBCs offer unparalleled speed to delivery and use their special flight status to ensure your shipment arrives on time. The dedicated care, real-time tracking, and personalized communication is what sets this service apart.
Just like all of Worldnet’s other services, we will thoroughly review your shipment details and the supporting documentation before the transportation process begins. Our OBC service provides a true tailored approach that outshines standard shipping.
Our OBC service prioritizes security through our personalized approach and continuous custody of the shipment. An OBC personally accompanies the shipment from origin to destination, minimizing the risk of loss, theft or mishandling.
Additionally, OBC luggage takes priority over cargo on passenger aircrafts, which allows for greater oversight of the shipment’s whereabouts, reducing the potential for security breaches during transit. This dedicated attention and vigilance ensure a level of security that conventional shipping methods do not provide.
Absolutely, our OBC service is designed to accommodate shipments of varying sizes. Whether it’s a small, time-sensitive envelope or a larger shipment requiring special handling, OBCs are equipped to manage diverse cargo dimensions. However there are some limitations. So please speak to our experts to see if an OBC is a possibility. The flexibility and personalized nature of our OBC service means it can cater to the specific requirements of your shipment, ensuring that it receives the same level of dedicated care and quick delivery.
The main difference between our OBC and Premium services is that if your shipment is carried onboard or checked as the OBC’s baggage, it has the airline’s highest priority over other cargo. If the flight is overloaded, standard cargo is the first class of cargo to be delayed to a subsequent flight, but this issue will not affect OBC baggage.
Express cargo, which is transported with our Premium service, is the next class of cargo that would be delayed in this instance – this is very rare, but it does happen. Passenger baggage is the very last class of cargo to be delayed. But remember, if a shipment is small enough that the OBC can carry it onto the plane, then there is zero chance the airline can remove it altogether.
We are the fashion and luxury OBC experts. Why does this matter? Because:
- There are nuances in Customs and other regulatory agencies (like Fish and Wildlife in the US) and international treaties (like CITES) and their effects are disproportionately felt in the fashion and luxury industries. Worldnet’s competitors, who are OBC generalists, do not have the special familiarity needed to navigate the fashion and luxury-specific regulatory world. From our hands-on staff to our specially-trained OBCs themselves, we’ve seen it all and know how to work in this environment quickly and with full compliance.
- Our OBCs live and are staged where fashion and luxury is produced or consumed. From the time we receive your call, we can have OBCs ready in hours, if not sooner based on the geography of our unique industry.
Why not simply put someone from your own staff on the flight as your own internal OBC? You can! But do consider the following:
- Do they have downtime for this task amidst their regular job?
- Are they familiar with what may occur if they cannot board the plane along with the shipment? The same regulatory issues that confound our competitors will be the same issues that create problems for your staff, which means problems for your consignment. The obvious problems here are delays due to missteps in paperwork and inadequate governmental familiarity with shipping practice.
The less obvious problem is that the consignment may be cleared with no friction, but your staff member may experience Customs and other regulatory issues later due to improper documentation or declaration.
Lastly, when you use Worldnet’s OBC service, you don’t just get a person traveling with your item – you also get vetted, trained professionals who will assist with the final steps of the transportation process at the destination location. When you use our services, there is truly no aspect of the shipping process that is overlooked or unplanned.
In the event of a delay or an unforeseen issue during your shipment’s transit, our OBCs will demonstrate their extensive knowledge and expertise. Whether it’s a Customs inspection, flight delay, or any other unexpected circumstance, OBCs are adept at maneuvering through these challenges with minimal disruption to the delivery timeline. The rest of our team will also be on standby to assist the OBC as needed, so we can handle the issue as quickly as possible.
Usually, yes. The receiving company’s tax ID number (also called an EIN, EORI, VAT or other number, depending on the destination country) is generally necessary for Customs clearance.