Cargo Glossary
Actual Weight
The actual scale weight of a shipment. See also Dimensional Weight or Chargeable Weight.
Air Waybill
The contract between shipper and carrier covering American's international and domestic transportation of cargo to a specified destination. The air waybill may also be referred to as the source document.Availability Time:
The earliest possible time when a shipment is available to be picked up. Booking Advance arrangements made for a specific shipment, similar to a reservation.
Bulk Shipment:
A shipment of loose boxes or pieces.
Cargo Terminal:
The building where American Airlines accepts, transfers and releases cargo. Priority Parcel Service (PPS) shipments are accepted for drop off at various AA Cargo Facilities, as well as in other airport locations, depending on the city. For information on a specific city, click on the Facilities icon at the top of this page. International PPS shipments are always picked up at the final destination's AA Cargo Terminal.
Chargeable Weight:
Charges based on the greater of scale weight or the dimensional weight. See also Actual Weight or Dimensional Weight.
Cold-blooded Animals:
Includes all fish, shellfish, insects, reptiles and amphibians. Collect When the consignee is responsible for shipping and other charges. Connection City An intermediate city that is needed in order to complete the routing of a shipment from origin to destination.
Connection Time:
The minimum amount of time it takes cargo to transit through a connecting city.
Consignee:
The person or company receiving the shipment at the destination city.
Container Shipment:
(a.k.a. Containerized Shipment, ULD Shipment) Multiple piece shipments that are consolidated into large, airline owned containers or smaller, shipper owned containers to form a single, easily handled unit.
Cutoff Time:
The latest time a shipment can be tendered in order to travel on a specific flight. The cutoff time is calculated by counting back from flight departure time.
Dangerous Goods:
Dangerous Goods (also referred to as hazardous materials or restricted articles), are described as articles or substances that are capable of posing a significant risk to health, safety or property when transported by air. The following are some examples of dangerous goods that must be declared at time of booking:
- Oil-based paint and thinners (flammable liquids)
- Industrial solvents
- Insecticides, garden chemicals (fertilizers, poisons)
- Lithium Batteries (not in cameras)
- Magnetized materials
- Machinery (chain saws, outboard engines containing fuel)
- Fuel for camp stoves, lanterns, torches or heating elements
- Automobile batteries
- Infectious substances
- Any compound, liquid or gas that has toxic characteristics
- Bleach
- Flammable adhesives
- Perfume
- Alcohol
Refer to the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations Manual for more examples and information.
Declared Value:
The value of goods declared by the shipper for the purposes of determining charges and/or establishing the limit of the carrier's liability for loss, damage, or delay. Valuation charges will be assessed to shippers who declare a value of goods higher than the value of the carrier's limits of liability.
Dedicated PPS Facility:
A stand-alone facility or designated area within the Airport Passenger Terminal where PPS shipments are dropped off or picked up.
Destination:
The ultimate city and/or airport where a shipment is going.
Dimensional Weight:
The space or volume of a shipment. Determined by multiplying the length by the width by the height and dividing the product by 194 for domestic shipments or by 166 for international shipments. See also Actual Weight or Chargeable Weight.
Domestic:
Refers to shipping within the 50 United States and, when applicable, includes the US Territories of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix.
Gateway:
The last city within a country that a shipment departs when going to an international destination. For example, a shipment that travels from Denver, Colorado to Chicago, Illinois to Paris, France would list Chicago, Illinois as the "Gateway".
Global Priority:
Shipping Center (GPSC) The stand-alone facility at DFW where PPS shipments are dropped off or picked up.
Hazardous Materials:
Hazardous Materials (also referred to as dangerous goods or restricted articles), are described as articles or substances that are capable of posing a significant risk to health, safety or property when transported by air. The following are examples of dangerous goods that must be declared at time of booking:
- Oil-based paint and thinners (flammable liquids)
- Industrial solvents
- Insecticides, garden chemicals (fertilizers, poisons)
- Lithium Batteries (not in cameras)
- Magnetized materials
- Machinery (chain saws, outboard engines containing fuel)
- Fuel for camp stoves, lanterns, torches or heating elements
- Automobile batteries
- Infectious substances
- Any compound, liquid or gas that has toxic characteristics
- Bleach
- Flammable adhesives
- Perfume
- Alcohol
Refer to the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations Manual for more examples and information.
IATA Number:
A number associated with a forwarder or broker who has been approved and is recognized by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to receive cargo, issue air waybills and other documents for carriers and collect charges for air shipments.
International:
All locations outside of the Domestic definition.
Kennel:
A structure approved for the use of transporting animals.
Known or Unknown Shipper:
A shipping security status. Details are in the Security Measures section of the Shipping Instructions. Also referred to as Frequent or Infrequent Shipper.
Loose Shipment:
A shipment that is tendered as individual boxes or pieces. Also referred to as a Bulk Shipment.
Mixed Charges:
When the shipping and other charges are split between the shipper and the receiver (consignee).
Origin:
The city and/or airport where the shipment begins its journey.
Packaging:
The material or method of packing a shipment that provides suitable protection during transit.
PAL Number:
A Precise Account Locator number associated with a frequent shipper's location. In order to facilitate shipping on American Airlines, we suggest that you become verified as a known shipper. You can begin the process by establishing a Precise Account Locator (PAL) number.
Prepaid:
When the shipper is responsible for payment of charges.
Priority Parcel Service (PPS)":
AA Cargo's small package flight specific product.
Recovery:
The act of picking up a shipment at the destination.
Recovery Time:
The amount of time it takes to process a shipment and have it available for pick up after the flight arrives at the final destination.
Scale Weight:
The actual weight of a shipment.
Shipper:
The person or company who is sending the shipment.
Tender:
The act of dropping off a shipment at the origin.
Third Party:
When the person/company paying shipping and related charges is neither the shipper nor the consignee.
Tracking:
The act of providing updates on the progress of a shipment as it transits form origin to destination.
Unknown Shipper:
A shipper that does not have a PAL number and/or has not maintained the requirements as stated in the known shipper criteria.
Warm-blooded Animals:
Includes all mammals and birds.
