An aerosol delivery system (10) has a fluid-transfer article which holds an aerosol precursor and transfers that aerosol precursor to an activation surface (34b) of the fluid-transfer article. That activation surface is formed by a wall of a bore (33) within the fluid-transfer article, into which bore a penetrating part (24a) of a heater (24) is fitted. It will thus heat the activation surface to release aerosol precursor as vapour and/or a mixture of aerosol and vapour. The wall surrounds the penetrating part of the heater such that the activation surface has a varying spacing from the penetrating part of the heater, whereby one or more air-flow pathways are defined between the activation surface and the penetrating part of the heater, to allow vapour or mixture to pass from the penetrating part of the heater to a user in an air-flow along the or each air-flow pathway.
