In-depth architectural comparison of the Airtreks MCP and Freightutils MCP MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.
At a Glance & Executive Verdict
Airtreks MCP
Travel & Transportation · Local stdio
Quality: 64/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required
Freightutils MCP
Travel & Transportation · Local stdio
Quality: 65/100 (Great) | Auth: No auth required
Verdict Summary: Choose Airtreks MCP if you need specialized Travel & Transportation tools running via a local process. Choose Freightutils MCP if your workspace requires Travel & Transportation integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.
Which MCP Server Should You Choose?
Choose Airtreks MCP when:
You need dedicated capabilities in the Travel & Transportation domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Free / Open Source).
Complex multi-city flight routing intelligence. 7 tools: plan round-the-world trips across 60+ carriers, validate Star Alliance and oneworld alliance routings, get segment-by-segment carrier recommendations, identify surface sector savings, and hand off to human consultants. No API key needed (100 req/day free). Remote endpoint: https://mcp.airtreks.com/mcp
17 freight calculation and reference tools — ADR dangerous goods, HS codes, LDM/CBM/chargeable weight calculators, duty estimation, airline codes, UN/LOCODE, and more. Free REST APIs + MCP server.
Category & Scope
Tools & Capabilities Breakdown
Airtreks MCP Tools (11)
plan_route
The primary entry point for any multi-city trip. Give it your cities — it automatically evaluates Star Alliance RTW, oneworld RTW, AND custom mixed-carrier builds, then recommends the best approach. Handles direction detection, backtracking analysis, alliance feasibility, surface sectors, and carrier selection. The customer doesn't need to know if their trip is alliance or custom — this tool figures it out.
trip_idea_create
Submit the customer's trip to AirTreks — a human travel consultant takes over from there. Automatically runs plan_route to attach the full routing analysis and carrier recommendations to the trip request, so the consultant starts informed, not cold. Use this when the customer is ready to get a real quote. Requires the customer's name, email, at least 2 cities (3-letter IATA codes), a departure date for every leg, and answers to AirTreks' planning questions — call once without questionsAnswers to receive the current questions to ask.
route_estimate
Get a price range for a multi-city or round-the-world trip, drawn from what AirTreks customers have actually paid on those routes. Give it the cities and it returns a per-person range in USD with how much history sits behind it. Use it when someone asks what a trip will cost and you don't have exact dates yet — it needs no dates and no passenger details. It is a range from past bookings, not a live quote, so it will not reflect today's availability or seasonality; it tells you the right ballpark before anyone commits to dates.
Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations
Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).
Airtreks MCP is categorized under Travel & Transportation and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Freightutils MCP belongs to Travel & Transportation using local stdio subprocess. Select Airtreks MCP when you need capabilities focused on travel & transportation and Freightutils MCP when you require tools for travel & transportation.
Get live, bookable-quality fares for one specific itinerary — actual flights, actual prices, for the dates given. Needs a departure date for every flown leg. Use this once the customer has settled on cities and dates and wants real numbers rather than a ballpark; use route_estimate instead when dates are still open. It prices the itinerary as a single fare, so very long or awkward multi-continent trips may come back unpriceable — those genuinely need to be split across separate tickets, which is what AirTreks consultants do by hand.
itinerary_quote
Price a complete multi-stop or round-the-world trip and get back several ways of ticketing it — cheapest, fastest, fewest stops — with the actual tickets each one is built from. Use this for trips that will not go on a single fare, which is most itineraries with 3+ stops; use fare_quote when you want one specific itinerary on one ticket. It takes about a minute, so it returns a quoteReference immediately and you fetch the result with itinerary_quote_status. Keep that reference — it is the only way to retrieve the quote.
itinerary_quote_status
Fetch the result of an itinerary_quote using the quoteReference it returned. Returns status 'pending' with how long to wait, or the finished options. Costs nothing and does no searching, so poll it rather than starting a second quote.
route_validate
Validate a multi-city flight routing for feasibility. Checks alliance carrier rules, identifies dead legs, warns about poison carriers, and estimates bookability. Use this before building an itinerary to catch routing problems early.
route_suggest
Get suggested multi-stop flight routings based on regions, direction, and alliance preference. Returns up to 3 proven routing templates with bookability ratings. Great for trip planning inspiration.
hub_check
Check the best connection between two airports. Identifies dead legs (routes that fail on alliance fares), suggests hub routing fixes, and shows proven carrier combinations. Essential for transpacific, kangaroo, and intra-Asia routing.
fare_product_match
Recommend the best fare product type for a route — RTW, Circle Pacific, Circle Atlantic, Open Jaw, or Custom Multi-City. Considers stop count, direction, and backtracking to match the right alliance fare structure.
custom_route_build
Break a complex multi-city itinerary into individually-ticketable segments with carrier recommendations. Handles routes that don't fit alliance fare rules — mixed carriers, LCCs, Gulf bridge connections, surface sectors. This is how AirTreks consultants build 90% of itineraries. Use this for any route with 4+ stops, backtracking, or region combinations that alliance fares can't cover.
Freightutils MCP Tools (25)
cbm_calculator
Calculate cubic metres (CBM) for a shipment from per-piece dimensions. CBM is the standard volume unit in international shipping: 1 CBM = 1m x 1m x 1m = 1,000 litres, and ocean freight prices per "freight tonne" (1 CBM or 1,000 kg, whichever is greater).
Behavior: deterministic — identical inputs always return identical figures; total volume = pieces x per-piece CBM, with conversions to cubic feet, cubic inches and litres included. Missing or non-positive dimensions error with a validation message naming the parameter. Rate-limited (anonymous use: 25 requests/day per IP): a 429 error body carries retry_after_seconds and a Retry-After header — back off and retry, or call get_subscribe_link for higher limits.
Returns: cbm_per_piece, total_cbm, cubic_feet, litres, cubic_inches and pieces under result, plus confidence, _source and citation (the FreightUtils v1 response envelope).
Related: chargeable_weight_calculator (air billing weight from the same dims), consignment_calculator (multi-line totals), unit_converter (single conversions), shipment_summary (full composite analysis).
chargeable_weight_calculator
Calculate air freight chargeable weight — the greater of actual gross weight and volumetric weight, which is what airlines bill. Volumetric weight (kg) = (L x W x H in cm) / divisor; the IATA-standard divisor is 6,000 (1 CBM = 166.67 kg), while express integrators (DHL, FedEx, UPS) typically use 5,000.
Behavior: deterministic; per-piece volumetric weight is rounded to 2 decimal places before totalling; basis reports which weight governs ("volumetric" = cargo is light for its size, "actual" = dense). Air mode only — sea W/M (1 CBM = 1,000 kg) is covered by consignment_calculator with mode=sea. Missing or non-positive inputs error with the failing parameter named. Rate-limited (anonymous use: 25 requests/day per IP): a 429 error body carries retry_after_seconds and a Retry-After header — back off and retry, or call get_subscribe_link for higher limits.
Returns: chargeable_weight_kg, basis, volumetric_weight_kg (total and per piece), gross_weight_kg, cbm, ratio, factor and pieces under result; normalized_input echoes the interpreted inputs and any defaults applied; plus confidence, _source and citation (the FreightUtils v1 response envelope).
Related: cbm_calculator (volume only), consignment_calculator (multi-line, all modes), uld_lookup (the equipment the freight flies in).
ldm_calculator
Calculate loading metres (LDM) for European road freight — how much trailer length a pallet load occupies. 1 LDM = 1 linear metre of a 2.4m-wide trailer; a standard artic is 13.6 LDM.
Provide a pallet preset OR custom length_mm + width_mm — omitting both errors with a usage hint. Behavior: deterministic; stackable=true with stack_height 2 or 3 divides the floor footprint accordingly; fits reports whether the load fits the chosen vehicle's LENGTH (give weight_kg to also see total_weight_kg against the vehicle's max payload); utilisation_percent is of the vehicle's length. Rate-limited (anonymous use: 25 requests/day per IP): a 429 error body carries retry_after_seconds and a Retry-After header — back off and retry, or call get_subscribe_link for higher limits.
Returns: ldm, vehicle (name, length_m, max_payload_kg), utilisation_percent, pallet_spaces (used/available), total_weight_kg, fits and warnings under result, plus confidence, _source and citation (the FreightUtils v1 response envelope).
Related: vehicle_lookup (the trailer specs behind the vehicle presets), pallet_fitting_calculator (boxes onto one pallet), consignment_calculator (mixed lines including LDM).
adr_lookup
Look up European road dangerous-goods (ADR 2025) reference data for a substance: hazard class, classification code, packing group, labels, special provisions, limited/excepted quantities, transport category, tunnel restriction code and Kemler (hazard identification) number. Covers 2,939 entries across all 9 hazard classes, from UNECE ADR 2025 (ECE/TRANS/352).
Provide exactly ONE of: un_number (exact lookup — returns every packing-group variant of that UN number), search (case-insensitive partial match on the proper shipping name), or hazard_class (all entries in a class or division). un_number is normalised — "1203", "UN1203" and "un 1203" are equivalent, and normalized_input reports the correction; explosives keep their leading zero ("0004").
Behavior: read-only reference lookup; name searches return up to 50 entries, class filters up to 100. An unknown UN number or a search with no hits errors with the API's NOT_FOUND body and a retry hint. 28 Table A rows carry a scope remark instead of a packing group: those return packing_group null plus not_subject_to_adr (with conditions_ref, e.g. "5.5.3" for UN 1845 dry ice) or carriage_prohibited, and table_a_remark preserves the verbatim Table A text. Rate-limited (anonymous use: 25 requests/day per IP): a 429 error body carries retry_after_seconds and a Retry-After header — back off and retry, or call get_subscribe_link for higher limits.
Returns: count and results[] — per entry: un_number, proper_shipping_name, class, classification_code, packing_group, labels, special_provisions, limited_quantity, excepted_quantity, transport_category, tunnel_restriction_code, hazard_identification_number, variant_index/variant_count and, on scope-flagged rows, not_subject_to_adr/carriage_prohibited/conditions_ref/table_a_remark — under result, plus confidence, _source and citation (the FreightUtils v1 response envelope).
Limitations: a factual compilation of the ADR table, not legal or compliance advice; classification remains the consignor's responsibility — verify against the current UNECE ADR text.
Related: adr_lq_eq_check (checks quantities against the LQ/EQ values returned here), adr_exemption_calculator (1.1.3.6 small-load points), consignment_calculator (flags dangerous-goods lines by UN number).
adr_exemption_calculator
Calculate ADR 1.1.3.6 "small load" exemption points for a dangerous-goods load. Each substance's transport category (0-4) sets a points multiplier (category 1 x50, 2 x3, 3 x1, 4 x0; the nine ADR 1.1.3.6.3 note-a entries UN 0081/0082/0084/0241/0331/0332/0482/1005/1017 are x20 with a 50 kg per-transport-unit cap); points = quantity x multiplier, and a load totalling 1,000 points or less qualifies for reduced ADR requirements. Transport category 0 substances can NEVER use this exemption — has_category_zero flags them.
Provide un_number + quantity for a single substance, or items[] for a mixed load (items takes precedence if both are given). Quantities are in kg or litres per the substance's ADR unit.
Multi-variant UNs: a UN number with more than one ADR Table A row (packing group / concentration variant — e.g. UN 1789 PG II vs PG III have different transport categories) needs packing_group (I|II|III) or variant_index (from adr_lookup) to pin one row. Without a disambiguator the tool returns blocking_errors[AMBIGUOUS_UN_VARIANT] + human_review_required + candidates[] (each candidate's variant_index, packing_group, proper_shipping_name, transport_category, multiplier) and NO verdict, rather than silently guessing a row. Single-row UNs are unchanged.
Scope verdicts: Table A rows listed "NOT SUBJECT TO ADR" or "CARRIAGE PROHIBITED" never enter the points math. An all-not-subject load (e.g. UN 1845 dry ice) returns not_subject_to_adr true with a dedicated message ("Not subject to ADR (road). Section 5.5.3 applies: ...") and, for dry ice, conditions[] quoting the ADR 2025 section 5.5.3 requirements verbatim (ventilation, package marking, warning mark, documentation, training). A load containing a CARRIAGE PROHIBITED entry returns exempt false with carriage_prohibited true. In a mixed load, not-subject items are excluded from the points and the exclusion is stated in warnings.
Behavior: deterministic points arithmetic over ADR 2025 reference data; a UN that cannot be found returns blocking_errors (NOT_FOUND); exempt is the overall verdict. Rate-limited (anonymous use: 25 requests/day per IP): a 429 error body carries retry_after_seconds and a Retry-After header — back off and retry, or call get_subscribe_link for higher limits.
Returns: items[] (each with packing_group, variant_index, transport_category, multiplier, points, quantity_unit/quantity_basis/expected_unit when a unit or basis was declared, and scope flags where applicable), total_points (NULL when no verdict was reached), threshold (1000), exempt (NULL when no verdict was reached — never false as a stand-in), has_category_zero, has_quantity_exceedance, warnings, message and — on scope verdicts — not_subject_to_adr/conditions_ref/conditions[]/carriage_prohibited under result — or, when a UN is ambiguous, human_review_required + candidates[] with blocking_errors, plus confidence, _source and citation (the FreightUtils v1 response envelope).
Limitations: a deterministic calculation over reference data, not legal advice — even exempt loads keep core duties (packaging, marking, documentation), and mixed-packing rules still apply; verify against the current UNECE ADR text.
Related: adr_lookup (per-substance data incl. transport category + variant_index), adr_lq_eq_check (the LQ/EQ relief routes instead of 1.1.3.6).
adr_lq_eq_check
Check whether dangerous goods qualify for ADR Limited Quantity (LQ, ADR 3.4) or Excepted Quantity (EQ, ADR 3.5) relief. LQ compares each item's per-inner-packaging quantity against that substance's LQ maximum; EQ resolves the substance's E-code (E0-E5) and checks the per-inner limit, plus the per-outer limit when inner_packaging_qty is given.
Provide mode ("lq" or "eq") and 1-20 items, each with un_number, quantity and unit — ml or L for liquids, g or kg for solids; quantity is per INNER packaging, not the whole load.
Unit families: column (7a) states the limit in ONE dimension — a mass for some entries, a volume for others — and ADR supplies no density, so a mass quantity against a volume limit (or the reverse) CANNOT be compared. Those items return status 'inconclusive' with the dimension named, never a pass or a fail, and a batch holding any inconclusive item never reads overall_status 'qualifies'. Send the quantity in the unit given by lq_limit_unit to get a verdict. Multi-variant UNs: a UN number with more than one ADR Table A row (packing group / concentration variant — e.g. UN 1789 PG II LQ 1 L vs PG III LQ 5 L) needs packing_group (I|II|III) or variant_index (from adr_lookup) on that item to pin one row. Without a disambiguator the tool returns blocking_errors[AMBIGUOUS_UN_VARIANT] + human_review_required + candidates[] (each candidate's variant_index, packing_group, proper_shipping_name, limited_quantity, excepted_quantity) and NO verdict, rather than silently checking the wrong packing group. Single-row UNs are unchanged.
Behavior: deterministic reference check; each item gets a status and reason (an LQ value of "0" or code E0 means the relief is not permitted for that substance), with overall_status and summary counts across the batch. Table A rows listed "NOT SUBJECT TO ADR" (e.g. UN 1845 dry ice) get item status not_subject — outside ADR scope, neither a pass nor a fail — and an all-not-subject batch returns overall_status not_applicable; "CARRIAGE PROHIBITED" rows are not_permitted with the prohibition stated in reason. Rate-limited (anonymous use: 25 requests/day per IP): a 429 error body carries retry_after_seconds and a Retry-After header — back off and retry, or call get_subscribe_link for higher limits.
Returns: mode, overall_status (qualifies | does_not_qualify | partial | not_applicable | inconclusive), items[] (un_number, variant_index, substance, class, packing_group, lq_limit or eq_code, quantity_entered, status, reason, and scope flags where applicable), summary {total_items, qualifying, exceeding, not_permitted, not_subject?, inconclusive?} and the ADR chapter references under result — or, when a UN is ambiguous, human_review_required + candidates[] with blocking_errors, plus confidence, _source and citation (the FreightUtils v1 response envelope).
Limitations: a quantity-threshold check only — LQ/EQ relief also requires packaging, marking and documentation conformity that this tool does not assess; not legal advice, verify against the current UNECE ADR text.
Related: adr_lookup (the per-substance LQ/EQ values + variant_index), adr_exemption_calculator (the 1.1.3.6 load-points route instead).
airline_lookup
Search 6,357 airlines by name, IATA code, ICAO code, AWB prefix, or country. AWB prefixes are the first 3 digits of an air waybill number and identify the issuing carrier (e.g. 176 = Emirates).
Provide ONE parameter: query is a ranked fuzzy search across names and codes; iata / icao / prefix / country are exact filters.
Behavior: read-only; fuzzy query hits report their match quality through the envelope's confidence (basis match_quality, score 0-1) with a FUZZY_BEST_MATCH advisory naming the matched field; a query with no hits returns count 0 with a NO_MATCH advisory rather than an error. Rate-limited (anonymous use: 25 requests/day per IP): a 429 error body carries retry_after_seconds and a Retry-After header — back off and retry, or call get_subscribe_link for higher limits.
Returns: count and results[] — per airline: airline_name, iata_code, icao_code, awb_prefix[], callsign, country, has_cargo, aliases and per-record verification fields — under result, plus confidence, _source and citation (the FreightUtils v1 response envelope).
Limitations: this dataset's provenance is pending independent verification (the envelope's provenance_status says so) — confirm operationally critical codes with IATA/ICAO or the carrier.
Related: airport_lookup (searches AIRPORTS, not carriers), validate (checks an AWB number's check digit and names its airline from this dataset).
container_lookup
Get ISO shipping-container specifications, with optional load-fit maths. Covers 10 types: 20ft/40ft standard, 40ft and 45ft high-cube, 20ft/40ft reefer, 20ft/40ft open-top and 20ft/40ft flat-rack.
Provide type as a slug (e.g. "20ft-standard", "40ft-high-cube") for one container's record; omit it to list all 10. Add item dimensions (item_length_cm/width_cm/height_cm, optional item_weight_kg and item_quantity) to also compute how many such items fit.
Behavior: read-only reference data with per-record provenance (sources, audited_at, decision_rationale); an unknown type errors with the valid slug list. Fit calculations are geometric best-effort — they do not model load distribution, securing or mixed cargo. Rate-limited (anonymous use: 25 requests/day per IP): a 429 error body carries retry_after_seconds and a Retry-After header — back off and retry, or call get_subscribe_link for higher limits.
Returns: the container record — internal/external/door dimensions (cm), capacity_cbm, tare_weight_kg, max_gross_kg, max_payload_kg and euro/GMA pallet counts — under result, plus confidence, _source and citation (the FreightUtils v1 response envelope).
Limitations: manufacturer-typical specs, provenance pending independent verification (the envelope's provenance_status says so) — actual equipment varies by lessor and line; confirm against the carrier's equipment guide.
Related: validate (checks a container NUMBER's ISO 6346 check digit — not specs), cbm_calculator / consignment_calculator (the cargo volume to fill it), uld_lookup (the air-freight equivalent).
hs_code_lookup
Search 6,940 WCO Harmonized System (HS 2022) commodity codes — the 6-digit international customs classification layer. The first 2 digits are the chapter, 4 the heading, 6 the subheading.
Provide ONE of: query (free-text description search, min 2 chars), code (2-6 digit lookup, returns the code plus its hierarchy), or section (Roman numeral I-XXI to browse a section).
Behavior: read-only; description search is keyword-based against official HS descriptions, so everyday product words can return zero rows — count 0 with an empty results[] is a valid answer (e.g. "laptop" and "computers" find nothing; "automatic data" matches the official phrasing "automatic data processing machines"); prefer the formal tariff wording. Rate-limited (anonymous use: 25 requests/day per IP): a 429 error body carries retry_after_seconds and a Retry-After header — back off and retry, or call get_subscribe_link for higher limits.
Returns: the query/code echo, count and results[] (hscode, description and hierarchy context) under result, plus confidence, _source and citation (the FreightUtils v1 response envelope).
Limitations: the 6-digit international level only — national tariff lines (8-10 digits) and duty rates are set per country; classification here is indicative, not a binding ruling.
Related: uk_duty_calculator (duty/VAT for a code found here), ics2_check (EU ENS goods-description quality — a different check entirely).
incoterms_lookup
Look up the 11 Incoterms 2020 trade rules — who pays for transport, insurance and customs clearance, and where risk transfers from seller to buyer. 7 rules work for any transport mode (EXW, FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP, DPU, DDP); 4 are sea/inland-waterway only (FAS, FOB, CFR, CIF).
Provide code for one rule, category (any_mode | sea_only) for a filtered list, or neither to list all 11. Behavior: read-only reference; an unknown code errors with the valid code list. Rate-limited (anonymous use: 25 requests/day per IP): a 429 error body carries retry_after_seconds and a Retry-After header — back off and retry, or call get_subscribe_link for higher limits.
Returns: the rule record — name, category, summary, seller_responsibility, buyer_responsibility, risk_transfer, cost_transfer, insurance, export/import clearance, best_for and watch_out — under result, plus confidence, _source and citation (the FreightUtils v1 response envelope).
Limitations: summarised guidance on ICC Incoterms 2020; the ICC publication is the binding text and specific contract wording prevails.
Related: uk_duty_calculator (accepts an incoterm when composing the CIF value), shipment_summary (composite analysis).
pallet_fitting_calculator
Calculate how many identical boxes fit on a pallet: boxes per layer (trying 90-degree rotation when allowed), layer count within the max height, totals, volume utilisation and weight capping.
Behavior: deterministic geometric packing of one box size in aligned rows and columns — it does not model interlocked or mixed-orientation patterns; weight_limited reports when max_payload_kg caps the count below the geometric fit; pallet_deck_height_cm defaults to 15. Missing or non-positive dimensions error naming the parameter. Rate-limited (anonymous use: 25 requests/day per IP): a 429 error body carries retry_after_seconds and a Retry-After header — back off and retry, or call get_subscribe_link for higher limits.
Returns: boxes_per_layer, layers, total_boxes, orientation, boxes_per_row/col, usable_height_cm, utilisation_percent, total_box_volume_cbm, wasted_space_cbm and the weight fields under result, plus confidence, _source and citation (the FreightUtils v1 response envelope).
Limitations: a theoretical best-effort fit — real stacking obeys carton strength, overhang and load-stability rules it does not model.
Related: ldm_calculator (pallets into trailer length), vehicle_lookup (pallet capacity per vehicle), container_lookup (pallets into containers).
unit_converter
Convert freight and logistics units: weight (kg, lbs, oz, tonnes, short_tons, long_tons), volume (cbm, cuft, cuin, litres, gal_us, gal_uk), length (cm, inches, m, feet, mm), plus two freight-specific targets valid only FROM cbm — chargeable_kg (air volumetric weight at the IATA 6,000 divisor, 1 CBM = 166.67 kg) and freight_tonnes (sea W/M, 1 CBM = 1 freight tonne).
Behavior: deterministic; the response names both units and states the formula used. Cross-dimension conversions (e.g. kg to litres) and freight targets from a non-cbm source error with the accepted-unit list. Note: short ton (US) = 2,000 lb, long ton (UK) = 2,240 lb, metric tonne = 2,204.6 lb. Rate-limited (anonymous use: 25 requests/day per IP): a 429 error body carries retry_after_seconds and a Retry-After header — back off and retry, or call get_subscribe_link for higher limits.
Returns: input {value, unit, name}, result {value, unit, name}, formula and note under result, plus confidence, _source and citation (the FreightUtils v1 response envelope).
Related: cbm_calculator (dimensions to volume first), chargeable_weight_calculator (proper air billing weight with pieces and a custom divisor).