The Postal Service now gives a delivery expectation of 10 days or more for Ground Advantage packages moving between the lower 48 states and Alaska, Hawaii or the US territories, under a notice that took effect Oct. 1. USPS said “some service expectations may be significantly longer than 10 days.”
Merchants shipping Ground Advantage to those places now must choose between showing buyers a 10-day-plus delivery window or using Priority Mail. USPS said the simplified product selection lets customers choose between lower costs and faster service.
The change covers Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and the Freely Associated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau.
Ground Advantage parcels under one pound previously moved by a mix of air and surface transportation on those routes. They now move primarily by surface, as heavier Ground Advantage parcels already did. USPS said the change simplifies transportation and lowers the risk of hazardous materials traveling by air.
Priority Mail to or from Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands now carries an expectation of two to four days. Routes to Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Freely Associated States carry two to six days. USPS said transportation and timing are not changing. The new windows are intended to better reflect actual performance.
USPS’s recommended holiday deadline for Ground Advantage packages to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the territories remains Dec. 16.
