It must be true because the book I mailed enroute to AK fell off the edge of Washington:

Check out my tracking number:

0306 0320 0001 7540 6081

Processed, February 08, 2009, 1:44 pm, FEDERAL WAY, WA 98003

Processed, February 04, 2009, 6:52 am, JACKSONVILLE, FL 32099

Acceptance, February 03, 2009, 12:30 pm, GAINESVILLE, FL 32605

It just hasn't been scanned again or it may be waiting for room on the plane, ferry or whatever they use to get the book from WA to AK.  I used to live in WA state and Federal Way is a very busy area.  Media Mail is on a space available basis. So it could just be that they are backed up. 

It could already be in Alaska and just hasn't been scanned. Some books never get scanned.

I hada book go lost enroute to me recently. The DC shows it being scanned at my local PO on 1/8 but I have yet to see this book. I went to the PO and it's not there either.  So who knows where it is now.

I cringe anytime I see a  Federal Way scan because I know it will not move out of there very fast. It seems to be a MM brior patch.

That's good to know. Maybe there will be some hope. Does 1st class get there sooner?

1st class would probably go quicker.  Federal Way is right around Seattle and very, very busy.  Very high traffic, there's several cities clustered in the area.  Airports, Cruise Ships etc..,  They probably have a big postal sorting center there where things get backed up. 

It finally reached it's destination yay!!  I think I'll go first class from now on no matter where it goes.

Agreeing with Mary, Federal Way seems to be a sorting facility.  Almost all my books go through there.  They may be a little slow occassionally, but the books always arrive...unlike Warrendale, PA (the black hole of Media Mail).

PS, the Puget Sound/Seattle area is a major transfer hub for Alaska, so Federal Way (south of Seattle) is a legit location for your book.

Sheila,

When I first read your note,  I did not realize the dates were listed latest-first.  So I thought your unfortunate book was traveling from WA to AK by way of FL.  Really dropped off the edge..................

I live in Alaska, and I can tell you, it's very unpredictable. First class tends to get here quickly (pretty much the same amount of time as anywhere else), but media mail varies widely. I've seen media mail packages get here cross-country in a week, and I've seen items from northwestern states like Washington take three weeks. I've never yet had anything get lost though. It all shows up eventually.

i can tell you when stuff gets shipped to federal way, it tends to sit a while.  they always wait for a full load before they send out.  i've had stuff sit there for a week or more and i'm just outside of portland.

Postal service is odd. Warrendale, PA does well getting my books out into the mail stream (I mail from Upstate NY and Warrendale must be the first sorting center it goes to.) My books usually get scanned and sent out from Warrendale about a day after I mail them.

I have trouble with Bell, CA. When I see that a book has landed at that sorting center, I know it might take up to a week (or more!) to get it moved out and delivered.

I agree about Bell, CA.  It seems most of the books I send to CA move quickly until they get there.  Then there's a big wait until they finally reach their destination.