“Liege Linehaul Arrival” What to Do? (AliExpress)

You’ve just received a tracking update from your latest AliExpress order and it states “Liege Linehaul Arrival”.

What does this mean exactly? How long will your package take to arrive after you receive this status and is there anything you need to do?

Let’s take a look…

My Package is Stuck on “Liege Linehaul Arrival”

We’ll jump straight to the issue that has been causing a lot of European-based Aliexpress users some frustration for a while now. This is the Liege air cargo port located in Belgium.

In 2018, Alibaba (owner of AlieExpress) invested 300 Million euros into Liege via its subsidiary Cainiao Smart Logistics Network. The end result was to make Liege the main arrival hub for AliExpress shipments from China.

Since then, the airport has seen record years in terms of air cargo volumes, with a reported 26% year-on-year increase between 2020 and 2021.

However, the Belgian authorities have not recruited enough airport personnel to adequately cope with the increased imports.

In other words, AliExpress packages are getting stuck on the “Liege Linehaul Arrival” for considerable lengths of time, (up to a month in some cases) due to the high volume of shipments being made into an understaffed facility.

If you’ve received a “Liege Linehaul Arrival” status alert with no further updates, believe me when I say you are not alone. (This Reddit thread is full of complaints about it).

• Related Content: What Does “Arrived at Sorting Center” Mean? (AliExpress)

What to do if Your Package is Stuck on “Linehaul Arrival”?

Patience is key when you receive a “Linehaul Arrival” update. This is whether it is in Liege or elsewhere.

Even under the best circumstances, it takes time for the linehaul cargo to be scanned and sorted for dispatch onto the next leg of its journey.

The important issue for an AliExpress shipment is to keep a close eye on your 60-day Buyer’s Protection Period.

If your package does not arrive within this time frame, you will have the means to raise a dispute through AliExpress and demand a refund or replacement sent.

Remember, if the consignment was sent via AliExpress Standard Shipping, it could already be several weeks since you made the original order. 

With further potential delays and your package being stuck on “Liege Linehaul Arrival” you need to ensure that your buyer’s protection doesn’t run out.

• Related Content: What Does “Outbound in Sorting Center” Mean? (AliExpress)

Where is My Package When I Receive a “Linehaul Arrival” Update?

It is important to understand that once your package states “Linehaul Arrival, it is now in the “region” of the destination location.

For example, the Liege airport in Belgium is in the “Region” for a German-based AliExpress customer, (and for customers elsewhere in Europe).

Houston Airport hub would be a “Region” of an appropriately located US-based AliExpress customer. 

These two examples are large cargo hubs that take arrival shipments from China before they are prepared for onward transit.

Physically speaking, in terms of a “Liege Linehaul Arrival”, your package is sitting in a large warehouse close to Liege airport, (one imagines an end of The Raiders of the Lost Ark situation) waiting to be scanned and sorted ready for dispatch.

• Related Content: What Does the “Received by the Carrier” Tracking Alert Mean? (AliExpress)

How Long Will my Package Take to Arrive After a “Liege Linehaul Arrival” Update?

This depends on how long your package is “stuck” at Liege and where you live in Europe.

Even if your package passes through Liege in a matter of days, there is still the issue of transit and potentially further customs inspections once it reaches the destination country.

Furthermore, package transit to France (neighboring Belgium) will be a lot faster than transit to Turkey, (still in Europe but on the other side of the continent).

So the answer to this is very much undefined. Reading the various customer comments that can be found online, it can take anything between one week to six weeks for a package to be delivered after a “Liege Linehaul Arrival” update.

• Related Content: Accepted in Consolidated Warehouse AliExpress – A Short Guide

How Can I Track My Package After a “Linehaul Arrival” Update?

Once your package is stated as “Linehaul Arrival” your tracking updates may seem to be stuck within your AliExpress tracking page, (for reasons already explained).

You may also receive differing information depending on what system you use for your tracking number.

For example, a 17Track (universal tracking service) may show an “Arrived at Destination” update, while the AliExpress shows “Liege Linehaul Arrival”. This can be confusing.

We recommend that you continue to use AliExpress tracking as your first choice and then the Google search bar, (which will automatically recognize any valid tracking number) or a tracking app for a “second opinion”.

Using more than one tracking method helps reveal any details that one tracking system might have missed.

• Related Content: What Does the “Sent to Airline” Tracking Update Mean?

Final Words

Essentially, it is important to be prepared for the fact your package can be stuck on the “Liege linehaul arrival” update for multiple weeks.

As this is an AliExpress shipment you just need to make sure that you remain covered within the 60-day Buyer’s Protection Period so that you can raise a dispute before the opportunity runs out.

More often than not the package will arrive eventually. You just need to ensure that you have ways of getting a refund if it doesn’t.

• Related Content: What Does “BELGGG” Mean? Carrier Tracking Guide

---