In the

airline An airline is a company that provides civil aviation, air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or Airline alliance, alliances with other airlines for ...

and some other transportation industries, a counter-to-counter package is a quicker (and more expensive) alternative to standard

freight Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including transp ...

for the shipment of small parcels and

envelope An envelope is a common packaging item, usually made of thin, flat material. It is designed to contain a flat object, such as a letter or card. Traditional envelopes are made from sheets of paper cut to one of three shapes: a rhombus, a shor ...

s. These shipments have size, weight, and content restrictions, and usually may be dropped off and picked up at a ticket counter, luggage service or freight office. Additional security regulations put into place after September 11, 2001 have eliminated anonymous counter-to-counter shipments. Entities wishing to ship must register to become a known shipper according to the specific directives of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration.

See also