Random question that kind of fits in here: Can you get Alaska or Hawaii ground? I know you can't get Hawaii 2 day air (or maybe it's 3 day). If you get Alaska ground, I'm sure it would still go by plane, right? Do you get charged a lot more if it does?
Yes, Virginia, there is ground service here to Alaska from the lower 48. The volume goes via the lower 48 ground network to Louisville or Ontario, CA then via air to the Anchorage gateway. Here in Anchorage ground to Fairbanks or the Kenai Penensula moves to those centers by feeder. Volume of all types goes by commercial air carrier to places in Alaska off the road system (which is basically the rest of the state) goes by commercial air carriers from Anchorage or via charter flights.
We have ground service within the state along the road system only. The comit time on ground packages from Anchorage to Fairbanks is one day, same as NDA. I often see stuff sent NDA to Fairbanks. Many times I tell customers they can send it for about one third the cost if the go ground. In Fairbanks NDA is committed end-of-day so there is no advantage sending NDA. Yet alomost invariably these customers will say something like "Yes, but this is REALLY important." Um...OK. Thanks for the extra money I guess.
We recently won the VA Health Care account from Brand-X. They are routienly sending things across Anchorage using NDA service. But it's Federal money so I guess it dosn't really matter...
