The USPS will no longer back Priority Mail Express guarantees with postage refunds for packages that miss the promised deadline to addresses in Alaska and Hawaii. It will continue to allow shippers to request postage refunds for lost packages, however.
The US Postal Service announced on July 24, 2023:
“Effective August 1, 2023, the Postal Service is suspending guaranteed service for Priority Mail Express pieces destined to or originating from Alaska and/or Hawaii. Refund requests for postage will only be processed for loss on Priority Mail Express piece’s destined to or originated from Alaska or Hawaii.”
I have no clue what USPS Express mail is like now because I stopped using it for good in the 1990s. After “guaranteed next day” delivery failed once too many times, I switched to FedEx Express (overnight) and have been totally happy. My last experience with it was warning my boss to not use it (he was mailing a credit card payment very late), but he insisted. I phoned them to make sure the box would be picked up, and lo and behold – the envelope was picked up but missed the 7pm plane, going AWOL for 3 hours.
The cavalier attitude that refunding my money was acceptable was insulting. “Just tell them that it was our fault, USPS missed the deadline, and they should let you into the event,” was what I was told once. Of course, it would not work, even an apology from GOD would not have made any difference. My entry arrived late. I was out. End of story. Three missed deadlines totally destroyed my travel plans, so never again .
Any time I need something overnighted now, I use Federal Express. They’ve never missed yet.