Wrapping up your Christmas shopping? The first suggested date for delivering gifts to the Post Office is tomorrow.
Here are the dates that the Postal Service suggests Hawaiçi residents mail letters, cards and packages to give them the best chance of reaching their destinations by Christmas. Note that the dates apply to the mail received by each post office’s daily cutoff time.
From Hawaiçi to international destinations (except Africa and Central America) and Military APOs and FPOs: first-class and priority mail, Dec. 8; Express Mail, , Dec. 15. First-class and priority mail headed to Africa and Central America must be mailed tomorrow; Express Mail, Dec. 10.
From Hawaiçi to American Samoa: first-class and priority mail, Dec. 11; Express Mail, Dec. 17. Guam and Saipan: first-class and priority mail, Dec. 11; Express Mail, Dec. 17. United States Mainland: first-class and priority mail, Dec. 17, Express Mail, Dec. 19.
Inside the state, first-class and priority mail must be postmarked by Dec. 22; Express Mail, Dec. 23.
Chances are good that letters and packages sent shortly after the suggested dates will make it to their destinations before Christmas. Uncontrollable factors such as mailing volumes and weather determine whether deliveries can be made early or on time.
Starting Dec. 13, several post offices across the state will extend their hours of operation to accommodate holiday mail volume. Two will be open on Sunday Dec. 13 — Ala Moana, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Airport, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Customers can call 1-800-ASK-USPS or go to USPS.com and click on “Locate a Post Office” in the tool bar to find specific hours of operation of individual offices.
Also, several offices offer self-service Automated Postal Centers (APCs), which allow customers to purchase stamps, print and pay for postage for packages, and conduct other common transactions without standing in line to see a mail clerk. APCs are located outside or in the service lobbies and are accessible at any hour.
The Postal Service expects to deliver 19 billion pieces of mail between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, with Dec. 15 targeted as the busiest mailing day. Total mail volume nationally for the busiest day should approach 1 billion pieces.
The Postal Service estimates that about 8 million pieces of mail will be processed at the Honolulu Processing & Distribution Center on that day, a 29 percent increase over the typical non-holiday mail volume. The busiest delivery day in Hawaiçi is projected to be Dec. 22.