When a consignment for Mission Viejo, California cannot wait for standard freight, Pony Express puts a dedicated on-board courier on the next available flight to carry it there personally. We collect from anywhere in the UK, hand-carry your shipment through check-in, security and customs ourselves, and remain with it until it is signed for in Orange County. Pricing is always by quote — call 0800 288 4052 or email sales@ponyexpress.co.uk for an immediate assessment, day or night.

How our on-board courier (OBC) service works

A single courier is assigned to your shipment from collection to final signature. Rather than being handed between depots, your goods travel in the cabin or hold with the courier who collected them, cutting out the hub-to-hub delays that slow conventional air freight. We book the fastest confirmed routing the moment you call, and the same courier clears UK export formalities, boards the aircraft, and completes delivery in California.

Route and typical transit to Mission Viejo

Most OBC movements to South Orange County connect through a major London hub before routing into Los Angeles International (LAX), with a final road transfer down the I-5/I-405 corridor into Mission Viejo; where flight schedules allow, we route via the closer John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Santa Ana to shorten the ground leg. Exact timings depend on live flight availability, which we confirm at the time of booking.

What we carry to Mission Viejo

• AOG (Aircraft-On-Ground) parts for the region's aerospace and MRO supply chain
• Time-critical medical devices and clinical samples for the area's biotech and medtech companies
• Prototypes and engineering samples for product development teams
• Contracts, legal documents and financial paperwork requiring same-day physical delivery
• High-value or fragile electronics and components

Customs, documentation and clearance

Your courier prepares export paperwork before departure and carries all commercial invoices, licences and supporting documents needed for US customs clearance, so nothing is left to a third-party handling agent along the way.

Frequently asked questions

How quickly can a courier depart the UK? Once you call, we can usually have a courier collecting within the hour and on the next available flight to Los Angeles or Orange County the same day.

Do you collect from anywhere in the UK for this service? Yes — collection is available nationwide, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

What does it cost? Every OBC movement is quoted individually based on routing, weight and urgency — call 0800 288 4052 for a quote.

Can you also handle routine, non-urgent shipments to California? Yes, ask us about scheduled freight options alongside our on-board courier service.