What is the time frame on parcel post? I sent a package from NY to CA on June 29, surely it should have been there by now, 20 days later? I mean, I expect media mail going that far to take 20-30 days, but not other rates! I looked on the USPS web site, and couldn't find a definite answer as to shipping times. The DC has never managed to hit a distribution center scanner, so I can't even tell where it is.

I have never received nor sent a parcel post package that didn't take longer than MEDIA MAIL and I thought MM was walked to the next PO sometimes!!! My goodness, I don't know what the deal is, but if I can at all afford it, I will never use Parcel again! I'm sure if the theory is correct about MM being loaded last, and only if there is room on the truck, that parcel is only loaded after all the MM goes! hahahaha

Media Mail can be looked at as a "sub class" of Parcel Post, they are transported the same, in the same containers, on the same trucks, through the same BMCs, etc.  When you mail a book at the PO it goes into the same container behind the window line as Parcel Post does.  The only difference is the cost, Media Mail is cheaper because of its content.

Library Rate and  Bound Printed Matter are a couple of other "sub classes" of Parcel Post with different rate structures.  The time in transit is the same because from a mail processing standpoint they are the same.  Media Mail isn't seperated from the other "forms" of Parcel Post and shipped slower.

I had no idea PP was the same time frame as MM. That's good to know.

Thanks for the info Steve. If that's the case, I think I'm going to start using First Class/Priority for most of my non-media packages. I was pretty surprised to see how high the parcel rates have gotten lately and there really doesn't seem to be much difference at the lower end of the weight scale. Might as well pay a little more and have it get there quicker.

There are two or three varieties/sizes of fixed-rate Priority Mail boxes.  They are the same amount no matter where they are sent or what they weigh.  So.....if you can crowd what you are sending into one of those, it will go "Priority" though you may end up paying quite a bit less than just the weighed priority rate.  I don't know what they gradations are, but the fixed rate "envelope" which will hold a great deal of paper etc. goes for the 1 lb. priority rate----now $4.05, I think (though I'm not sure of that---that may have been the old one before the rate increase.)-----there are some international fixed rate containers, too, and sending a book  or a similar size/weight object overseas using one of those is a lot cheaper than the "airletter-post" rates.

There are two flat rate boxes and the rate is $8.95.  Depending on weight and distance they can be quite a savings.  The flat rate envelope is $4.60. 

If your box isn't that heavy, or going that far, the non-flat rate boxes might be cheaper for priority than the priority boxes. That's not uncommon for those of us in the middle of the country.  I rarely use priority flat rate boxes for anything other than dense paper.

For dense paper, though, the flat rate boxes are cheaper for me than parcel post to send magazines to Kansas from IL.   Normal priority is only barely more than parcel.  It shouldn't cost me $9 to ship 14 magazines a couple states away.  And BPM being removed from service should have been emblazoned along with all the other changes in big text in the PO.    I've never been so tempted to push the boundry on media mail.