Appendix F
This is a glossary of terms used in this document. Forms identified in this handbook are listed in Appendix E.
ACDCS - Abbreviation for “Air Contract Data Collection System,” A network of equipment at airport mail facilities that collects information on weight, destination, and routing of air shipments.
ACT - Abbreviation for “air contract transportation.”
ACT tag - A printed barcoded tag that bears barcoded information for routing mail containers to be transported by contracted air carriers.
administrative official - A postal employee stationed at each air stop point within the state of Alaska served by certificated carriers. Administrative officials are responsible for the movement of the mail via air, including dispatch, receipt, review of carrier operations, pay certification, and local contact with carrier. Examples of administrative officials include manager of the AMF in Anchorage and the postmaster or designee at other offices.
AMF - Abbreviation for “airport mail facility.”
ANC - Three–letter identifier for the Anchorage airport.
bush point - A remote Alaska location associated with a specific hub point. (See Appendix C.)
Bush rate - One of three rate classes established by the Department of Transportation for Intra–Alaska mail. This mail is distinguished by the size of the aircraft used to deliver it - aircraft having a payload capacity up to and including 7,500 pounds.
bypass mail - Mail prepared by the mailer to bypass postal processing for delivery directly to the recipient under prescribed guidelines and conditions. (Note: This definition is unique to the Alaska bypass mail program and should not be confused with “bypass mail” as defined in Publication 32, Glossary of Postal Terms.)
CAB - Civil Aeronautics Board.
Carry by - Mail carried beyond the scheduled destination.
certificated - A term used to refer to a carrier awarded a certificate under 49 U.S.C. 41102 or 49 U.S.C. 41103.
certification - A process required of carriers to engage in the transportation of mail by aircraft within Alaska, as required by 49 U.S.C. 41102 or 49 U.S.C. 41103.
city - Mail distributed within the destination city.
composite rate - A form of equalization that is a combination of Mainline and Bush rates paid to bush carrier who flies a direct flight to a bush point. The carrier is paid at the existing Mainline rate to the respective hub, and at the existing Bush rate to the final destination.
DIS - Mail distributed outside the destination city.
DMM - Abbreviation for Domestic Mail Manual.
DOT - Abbreviation for “Department of Transportation,” the governmental agency that has the authority to establish the rates to be paid by the Postal Service for the transportation of mail by certificated carriers within the state of Alaska.
equalized rates - Rates that apply when an air carrier using bush aircraft and being compensated at a bush rate elects to equalize to the mainline rate, or the composite of the mainline rate to the respective hub and the bush rate to final destination, between any given origin and destination when mainline service is operating.
FAA - Federal Aviation Administration.
FAI - Three–letter identifier for the Fairbanks airport.
401 certificate - The name used to describe the document issued by Department of Transportation (or the previous regulatory authority, the Civil Aeronautics Board) granting the carrier authority to engage in the transportation of mail by aircraft within Alaska. “401" actually refers to the old authorizing section and is used out of habit and tradition - the current authorizing section is 49 U.S.C. 41102.
401 operator - A carrier with a 401 certificate. “401" actually refers to the old authorizing section and is used out of habit and tradition - the current authorizing section is 49 U.S.C. 41102.
great circle statute miles - The shortest or most direct line of air travel between an origin and a destination point.
hub point - An intermediate point.
interline - A reference indicating movement between origin and destination by connecting schedules of two or more carriers.
Intra–Alaska - Within the state of Alaska.
Intra–Alaska Interlining - The transportation procedure used to route mail from an origin to a hub point with Postal Service instructions to the mainline carrier to transfer mail to a designated bush carrier for onward movement to a bush destination.
intraline - A reference indicating movement between origin and destination by connecting schedules of the same carrier.
irregularities - Failures by carriers to comply with postal rules, regulations, and requirements related to handling mail transported by aircraft.
letter of certification - a letter submitted by a carrier to the postmaster at the dispatching unit containing certain details regarding the substitution of a scheduled aircraft when that substitution affects the rate of pay.
Mainline rate - One of three rate classes established by the Department of Transportation for Intra–Alaska mail. This mail is distinguished by the size of the aircraft used to deliver it - aircraft having a payload capacity over 7,500 pounds.
National Air and Surface System (NASS) - A computerized system operated at the St. Louis Accounting Service Center and 23 distribution networks ofices to produce dispatch and labeling information for all mail classes. It is used by mail processing facilities.
NOP - Abbreviation for “no–office point,” which is a location where there is no postal facility and postal employee present to meet the aircraft. The community must identify and appoint a local individual as the agent responsible for receipt and dispatch of mail.
OAG - Abbreviation for “Official Airline Guide,” the organization that updates carrier schedules for the National Air and Surface System (NASS) database.
offset rule - The regulation requiring the Postal Service to include non–priority bypass volumes flown on direct mainline flights to bush points from the carrier's allocation of total volume of non–priority bypass mail to the associated mail hub. This treatment is required by 39 U.S.C. 5402(g)(2)(b)
overfly - Fly beyond the point of a scheduled destination.
P&DC - Abbreviation for “Processing and Distribution Center.”
priority service mail - In Alaska, this term is used to describe mail transported by the carrier at a priority rate of compensation. It includes Express Mail, Priority Mail, and First–Class Mail.
Reeve rate - One of three rate classes established by the Department of Transportation for Intra–Alaska mail. It is a separate mainline rate established for Reeve Aleutian Airways (or those carriers operating over routes identified by the DOT as paid at the Reeve rate) and is based on the unique conditions associated with flying in the Aleutian Islands. The DOT has identified specific destination air stops where the Reeve rate will be applied for the transport of mail with mainline aircraft.
St. Louis Accounting Service Center - The office responsible for maintaining payroll records and providing compensation to carriers for services performed.
Western Area Distribution Networks Office (DNO), Seattle Branch - The branch office of the Western Area DNO responsible for dispatch and routing and administration of Intra–Alaska mail transportation.
Western Area DNO, Seattle Branch (Anchorage) - The Anchorage office of the Western Area DNO, Seattle Branch.
