Postal Service urges early mailing of holiday packages

Monday, Nov. 18, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

The deadline for mailing Christmas cards, letters and parcel-post packages is fast approaching, and the local post office is bracing for massive last-minute mail traffic.

"We normally handle 5 million pieces per day, but during December that will jump to 6.5 million to 8 million pieces per day," said Postal Service spokeswoman Dee Dee Terrano of the Las Vegas office. "It's a tremendous increase over what we normally do."

The normal figure for outgoing mail is about 850,000 pieces per day. On Dec. 9, that figure is expected to climb to 1.3 million. On Dec. 16, projected to be the busiest mail day of the year, about 1.6 million pieces will go out, Terrano said.

And although the Postal Service each year urges people to mail early, a large segment of the population puts off that task until the last possible moment.

"People are just too busy during this time of the year, and inevitably they wait until the last minute," Terrano said. "Those who miss the deadlines can send Priority Mail that will arrive in two to three days."

Terrano expects the local post office to handle 100,000 pieces of priority mail on Dec. 16.

Then there is Express Mail, which can be sent Dec. 23 and delivered on Christmas Day. The catch is that those last-minute warm wishes or thoughtful gifts start at $10.75 for items weighing a half-pound or less.

The Postal Service recommends these dates for sending Christmas mail:

* Nov. 22: APO/FPO AE zips 090-097, 098 and AA Zip 340 for parcels.

* Nov. 24: APO/FPO AP zips 962-966 for parcels.

* Nov. 25: Canada for all surface deliveries. (The deadline for surface deliveries to all other points worldwide has passed. The other dates listed pertain to cards, letters and packages traveling by air.)

* Dec. 2: APO/FPO AE zips 090-098 for cards, letters and priority mail; Africa, the Caribbean and Central and South America for cards, letters and parcels; and Australia/New Zealand for parcels.

* Dec 3: APO/FPO AA zip 340 for cards, letters and priority mail.

* Dec. 4: APO/FPO AP zips 962-966 for cards, letters and priority mail; all U.S. domestic zip codes for priority mail.

* Dec., 9: Australia/New Zealand for cards and letters; Europe, the Far East/Southeast Asia and the Middle East for cards, letters and parcels.

* Dec. 11: All U.S. domestic zip codes for cards and letters.

* Dec. 13: Canada for cards, letters and parcels.