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Post by DJW1066 on Feb 7, 2016 11:55:47 GMT
I've stopped putting "AIR MAIL" stickers on my letters. When I asked at a local post office, the chap said he didn't believe it made any diiference. He said this as he added "AIR MAIL" stickers to my letters (??). This raises the question: does any mainstream cross-ocean mail go by boat any more, or is it all by air, and the postal service is just perpetuating a legacy sticker practice that has no meaning? Perhaps they have a 10 year supply of old AIR MAIL stickers that they want to use up?
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Post by chojo on Feb 7, 2016 12:39:03 GMT
I was lead to believe that all mail goes by air now, the only difference being, if for example in the UK you post something international standard, when it reaches the sorting office at it's destination it's not treated as priority mail so the staff can have a few extra days off! I always use airmail stickers because firstly I'm paying for airmail rather than standard and secondly the stickers are free! Imagine if I wrote "Airmail" on every letter I sent, that could amount to maybe 0.5 ml of ink over a year or so. (Not that I'm stingy)
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checkrail
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Post by checkrail on Feb 7, 2016 19:37:29 GMT
There is still international surface mail from Britain, renamed by Royal Mail International Economy nearly two years ago at the same time as Airmail was renamed International Standard and Airsure as International Tracked. Surface cannot be used for letter mail to Europe, but can for the Rest of the World, giving the longstanding anomaly that it is possible to send a letter more cheaply to the ROW than Europe from Britain. Tracking was withdrawn for Surface, but I am not sure if that was at the same time.
Needless to say everyone still calls it airmail. I asked for Int Standard a couple of times, but the clerk did not appear to recognise the term. Airmail stickers are used pretty universally. I think technically they are an International Postal Union requirement.
I believe the USPS abolished outward surface mail about eight years ago, but I did not look into other countries.
My limited experience of sending letters surface implied by speed of delivery that they had got thrown in with airmail. I should imagine a few letters are a pest in with other surface cargo. A letter sent to me surface from Thailand took the typically advertised two months.
Best wishes, Timothy
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Post by Mia on Feb 7, 2016 21:17:50 GMT
I'm going to send one letter out soon via surface. I won't write international economy/surface on it. If I send stuff airmail, I use a label (or write airmail).
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Post by Gary S on Feb 7, 2016 23:41:56 GMT
I'd love to receive an actual letter sent via surface mail no matter if it took a month or two. I received a postcard from China, stamped surface mail, a few years ago and enjoyed it as something different from the usual. As I wasn't expecting it the time taken for travel was immaterial. I don't think carrying on a correspondence via surface mail would be that great but as checkrail pointed out we in America don't even have that as an option. All mail traveling over 600 mail is automatically sent via air.
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Post by mailartist on Feb 7, 2016 23:46:54 GMT
I'd love to receive an actual letter sent via surface mail no matter if it took a month or two. I do believe that Minnesota to Oklahoma IS surface mail. Not sure how else a letter COULD travel down the globe. Below-ground, maybe? "Mole mail"?
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checkrail
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Post by checkrail on Feb 8, 2016 0:27:26 GMT
It is perhaps worth adding to my previous post that 'surface'='boat' in British postal terms and distinguishes only different types of international delivery.
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legallyinked
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Post by legallyinked on Jul 5, 2016 18:27:47 GMT
I had the good fortune to see this coming in to to harbor at Nassau, The Bahamas in May. So, boats are definitely carrying mail!
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Post by stormymorning on Jul 6, 2016 16:20:25 GMT
Until a few years ago I think, I had to manually add a "priority" sticker/stamp next to the usual stamp in order to make it go at a - well, 'normal' speed. I remember having forgotten it to Italy and it took about six weeks instead of 3-6 days or so. I don't know if it had used other ways of transportation or that it had given postmen and -women days off Nowadays, the priority label is attached to the stamp, but I do believe it's removable (never tried).
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Post by distractedmom on Jul 6, 2016 20:22:20 GMT
Fascinating stuff. I've never even thought about whether it goes by boat or airplane. Typical American, I guess
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ieahleen
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Post by ieahleen on Jul 23, 2016 14:42:04 GMT
Until a few years ago I think, I had to manually add a "priority" sticker/stamp next to the usual stamp in order to make it go at a - well, 'normal' speed. I remember having forgotten it to Italy and it took about six weeks instead of 3-6 days or so. I don't know if it had used other ways of transportation or that it had given postmen and -women days off Nowadays, the priority label is attached to the stamp, but I do believe it's removable (never tried). We had since some year ago the priority mail stickers with horrible stamps and it was 0,80€, now the priority mail was the first to have a forever stamp, only it's about 3€ under 20g, and I don't consider it anymore. And it's a lot that I don't see the bue priority stickers.
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Post by alc3261 on Jul 29, 2016 23:59:49 GMT
I often use International Economy aka Surface Mail but I had at least 5-6 returned for "insufficient postage" ( having gone to Heathrow and been rejected). I had to take it up, 5-6 times, with the CEO of Royal Mail (we're now on Christmas card terms!!) If the Royal Mail does their stuff correctly it is actually as quick as "Air Mail" and in fact goes by Air!!
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Post by alc3261 on Oct 19, 2016 16:01:45 GMT
I think this is USPS's fault this time!!
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Post by DJW1066 on Oct 20, 2016 10:32:50 GMT
I think this is USPS's fault this time!! Perhaps a highrise apartment building and they want the apartment number?
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Post by alc3261 on Oct 21, 2016 21:53:00 GMT
I think this is USPS's fault this time!! Perhaps a highrise apartment building and they want the apartment number? No, I've been writing to this person for several years.
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