It’s that time of year again: time to stand in line at the post office to ship holiday goodies all over the world.
Although there will be no extended hours of operation at any of Hawaii’s post offices for this year’s holiday shipping season, the U.S. Postal Service says there are ways for customers to beat the wait.
There are convenient Self-service Ship and Mail Centers at 17 post offices around the state, and they will be available 24/7 so residents can purchase stamps, print and pay for postage for packages, and conduct other common transactions at any time.
Customers can also skip the wait without leaving home by printing and paying for mailing labels online at USPS.com and notifying the service that a package is ready for pickup. A mail carrier will pick up the packages at no extra charge, usually the next business day.
To manage a growing number of package deliveries to isle residents, a local USPS spokesman said, mail carriers this season will be delivering packages from Salt Lake to Hawaii Kai on the two remaining Sundays before Christmas.
"We certainly expect the parcel package volume to be higher this year," spokesman Duke Gonzales said Monday, saying that the airport post office appeared extremely busy Monday just before lunchtime.
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HOLIDAY MAILING TIPS
» Flat-rate boxes are a cost-effective way to ship up to 70 pounds for one price. Medium flat-rate boxes sent to domestic locations cost $12.35; large flat-rate boxes, which feature “Seasons Greetings from Hawaii” on the outside and have 50 percent more space, go for $16.85 domestically; and large flat-rate boxes sent to APO and FPO locations are $14.85.
» Paying for printed postage mailing labels at USPS.com can save customers up to 15 percent off retail location rates. Medium flat-rate boxes sent domestically cost $11.30; large flat-rate boxes sent domestically cost $15.30; and APO/FPO large flat-rate boxes would cost $13.30.
» All Priority mail and Priority Express envelopes and boxes now include day-specific delivery, improved tracking and free insurance.
» The Postal Service delivers Express Mail on Christmas Day in major U.S. metropolitan areas; ask a local postal clerk for more details.
U.S. Postal Service
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"We have seen tremendous volume of mail coming in," likely because online shopping orders placed last week on Cyber Monday are making their way to the isles, he said.
Last year, Hawaii residents shipped out 105,000 packages per day from Thanksgiving to Christmas, Gonzales said.
"We do expect that to increase," he said, because each year more people take advantage of flat-rate shipping boxes.
"We’re seeing more and more people really understand … the tremendous value of that," Gonzales said. "As the world is becoming a smaller place, I think they want to stay connected with people, friends and family around the world and share a little bit of Hawaii with them. And the flat-rate boxes make that easier for them."
Gonzales said postal workers will frequently check the volume of packages left at the self-service kiosks to ensure customers aren’t frustrated because drop boxes are too full and unavailable.
To help its customers make sure packages have the best chance of arriving at the home or office of their intended recipients before Christmas morning, the USPS released a list of suggested ship dates:
» First-class and Priority mail headed to the mainland should be dropped off on or before Dec. 18, but holiday mail headed to the mainland via the post office’s expedited Priority Express shipping service can go as late as Dec. 19.
» Residents shipping within the state can wait until Dec. 20, or Dec. 23 for Priority mail.
» Packages addressed for Guam and Saipan should be dropped off by Friday, or Dec. 20 for priority mail.
» Gifts for family and friends in American Samoa can make it by Christmas if shipped by Thursday, or Dec. 19 for priority shipping.
» First-class and Priority mail headed to international and overseas military destinations should have been dropped off by Monday. Military APOs and FPOs or internationally bound packages that didn’t make it out on Monday could still make it by Christmas via Priority mail, if received by cutoff time (varies with post office location) on Dec. 16.
A USPS news release states, "Postal customers are asked to keep in mind that the above suggested mailing dates are not deadlines," but that packages or letters might not arrive at their destinations if mailed after the listed dates.
"(But) if normal holiday conditions prevail, chances are good that letters and packages sent shortly after the suggested dates will still make it to their destinations before Christmas. Ultimately, uncontrollable factors such as mailing volumes and weather determine whether deliveries can be made early or on time."
The Postal Service expects to process and deliver approximately 15 billion pieces of mail and 420 million packages between Thanksgiving and Christmas while serving 130 million customers at retail locations and 75 million customers online.
Monday is expected to be the busiest mailing day this season. The busiest delivery day? For cards and letters, Dec. 18, and Dec. 19 for packages.
