HONOLULU, HI — Now that everyone has survived the mad Black Friday shopping rush, Hawaii residents’ thoughts will likely turn to Christmas shopping and shipping. The Postal Service is happy to assist its customers in that endeavor by providing suggested holiday mailing dates specific to Hawaii, news on extended holiday services, information about convenient self-service options, and holiday mailing tips.

Suggested Mailing Dates
Below are the dates that the Postal Service suggests Hawaii residents mail their letters, cards and packages to give them the best chances of reaching their destinations by Christmas. Note that the dates apply to the mail received by each Post Office’s daily cutoff time.

Our suggested mailing dates are Dec. 8 for first-class and Priority mail headed to international and overseas military destinations, and Dec. 19 for First-Class and Priority Mail headed to the mainland. Procrastinators have until Dec. 20 to send their holiday cheer to the mainland via our expedited Priority Express shipping service.

Dates apply to mail received by each Post Office’s cutoff time.

Postal customers are asked to keep in mind that the above suggested mailing dates are not deadlines, implying that packages or letters will not arrive at their destinations if mailed after the listed dates. In fact, 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.

Extended Hours & Sunday Openings

• The Mililani and Waialae-Kahala Post Offices will feature extended weekday retail hours from Monday, Dec. 8 to Friday, Dec. 19. During that time frame, those offices will be open until 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Waialae-Kahala normally closes at 4:30 p.m., Mililani at 5 p.m.
• On Sunday, Dec. 14, the Ala Moana, Mililani and Main Post Offices will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Self Service Ship & Mail Centers
These convenient postal kiosks allow customers to purchase stamps, print and pay for postage for packages, and conduct other common transactions without the need to stand in line to see a mail clerk--an all-too-frequent necessity during holiday mailing season. Perhaps most important, customers can access the Self Service Ship & Mail Centers 24/7, at times that are convenient to them. USPS Self Service Ship & Mail Centers are located in Hawaii outside or in the service lobbies of the 16 Post Offices below, in addition to one located inside the Safeway on Kapahulu Avenue on Oahu:
Aina Haina
Airport – 2 kiosks
Ala Moana
Downtown.
Hawaii Kai
Hilo Main Office
Kailua
Kailua-Kona
Kaneohe
Kihei
Lahaina
Makiki
Mililani
Waialae-Kahala
Waikiki
Wailuku

Mailing Tips
Here are some time- and money-saving tips to help make the holidays a little brighter:

• Save $$$ with FLAT RATE BOXES: Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes are the best deal around. Customers can send up to 70 pounds in Medium Flat Rate Boxes to domestic locations for only $12.65. An even better deal is the Large Flat Rate Box, which holds 50 percent more (with the same 70-pound limit) for only $17.90, and features the tagline “Seasons Greetings from Hawaii” printed on its side. And, to support our military troops overseas, up to 70 pounds can be shipped in the military Large Flat Rate Box to most APO and FPO locations for only $15.90.
• Save $$$ with ONLINE DISCOUNTS: Pay for your postage and print out your mailing label at USPS.com and save up to 14 percent off of over-the-counter rates. Discounted rates are available for Priority, Express and International packages. Examples: Discounted Medium Flat Rate Boxes sent domestically are $11.30 (savings of $1.35); Large Flat Rate Boxes sent domestically are $15.80 (savings of $2.10); military APO/FPO Large Flat Rate Boxes are $13.80 (savings of $2.10).
• FREE package pickup: Skip the trip to the Post Office during the holidays. After printing out the mailing labels for your packages at USPS.com, notify us at usps.com/pickup that they’re ready to be picked up. Your carrier will be alerted and will pick up your packages from your home or office, usually the next business day. There is no extra charge for this service.
• FREE insurance: All Priority Mail and Priority Express envelopes and boxes now include day-specific delivery, improved tracking and FREE insurance.
• FREE packaging: Priority Mail and Priority Express envelopes and boxes, including special “Seasons Greetings From Hawaii” large Flat Rate boxes, are available for FREE at your local Post Office.
• NEW THIS YEAR: Post Offices statewide have a limited quantity of FREE small and medium Flat Rate boxes with wintry holiday designs available for customer pick up and use.
• Express Mail on Christmas Day: The Postal Service delivers Express Mail on Christmas Day in major U.S. metropolitan areas. Ask your local postal clerk to determine whether this option is available for your holiday packages.

By the Numbers - Nationwide

• The Postal Service expects to process and deliver approximately 12.7 billion pieces of mail and 470 million packages between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. That projected holiday package volume is an increase of 12 percent over last year.
• During this holiday period, the average number of mail pieces processed daily increases from 528 to 553 million pieces. On its busiest processing day that number will increase to 640 million.
• During the holiday season, the Postal Service will deliver mail to 153 million addresses via 212,000 vehicles.
• The busiest mailing day is anticipated to be Monday, Dec. 15. The busiest delivery days are likely to be Dec. 17 and 18.

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Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm. A complete list of the holiday shipping deadlines can be found at usps.com/holidaynews.

For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional, please go to about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf. Follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/usps), Instagram (instagram.com/uspostalservice), Pinterest (pinterest.com/uspsstamps), LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/usps), subscribe to our channel on YouTube (youtube.com/usps), like us on Facebook (facebook.com/usps) and view our Postal Postsblog (uspsblog.com).

For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and usps.com/postalfacts.