UPS Next Day Air Service: Every Question Answered NOW!

UPS is undoubtedly one of the most reliable courier companies, especially considering that they offer shipping plans for everyone. 

One of the most common shipping plans for recipients who value their time is “Next Day Air”. 

We will look deeper into this plan and respond to the Frequently Asked Questions about the plan as asked by our recipients and based on our experience. 

How Fast Is UPS Next Day Air?

Next Day Air is one of the fastest UPS plans with packages under this option expected to have a guaranteed latest delivery time of up to 10:30 AM in commercial premises and Noon in residential locations, the following business day. 

By guaranteed, UPS means that recipients can ask for a refund should their packages get to them later than 10:30 AM if the delivery location is in a business or at Noon at a residential address. 

How Does Next Day Air UPS Work?

For the UPS Next Day Air plan to work, these have to happen:

• The sender or recipient has to buy the Next Day Air plan
• The sender has to hand over the package to the relevant UPS store by 4 PM
• The package will be delivered by 10:30 AM for businesses and Noon the following business day, including on Saturdays
• Packages can be sent to all 50 states and Puerto Rico under the Next Day Air plan
• If the package isn’t delivered by the guaranteed time, the recipient can ask for a credit refund
• Packages that have to be sent back to the sender will be sent for free.

What If UPS Next Day Air Is Late?

Since delivery is guaranteed while using Next Day Air, you can ask for a credit or a refund should UPS fail to deliver your package by the guaranteed delivery time the following business day after they get the package from the sender. 

Why Is My UPS Next Day Air Package Late?

While your package has guaranteed delivery and should be with you the following business day, it happens a lot when it doesn’t get there on time, or the tracking status doesn’t move at all. 

The leading reasons include: 

Air Transport Issues

Weather conditions can change abruptly and while your package might have been scheduled to get to you the following day, that might be impossible owing to air transport issues such as inclement weather. 

We have had issues where there were weeks of heavy fog, turbulence, and snowfalls, making it impossible for flights to fly. 

In such scenarios, UPS has to wait until the weather is clear enough before packages can move again. 

Plane Shortages

Depending on the UPS store with your package and the volumes of packages under the Next Day Air plan, it could be that there are no available planes just yet to bring your packages closer. 

When there are plane shortages, it’s mostly to do with when the available flights are handling backlogged facilities in the major UPS hubs, intending to come to the lower-capacity ones later on. 

Backlogs

While there may be sufficient planes from the UPS store handling your package, the same facility could be backed up. 

In such a scenario, it means that the ratio of the available staff to the number of packages is disproportionate. 

With that in mind, it can take longer for the available package handlers to fill up a plane before it departs. 

The Package Was Handed Over To UPS After The Cut Off Time

If you wish to receive your package the following day, UPS usually recommends that the sender drop it off at one of the stores by 4 PM. 

Now, if the sender drops it off past the recommended time, it means that such a package won’t get delivered the following day. 

The problem is even worse when the next scheduled date is on Monday when the package was delivered on a Friday. 

Due to Next Day Air packages getting handed over to UPS past the cut-off time, UPS uses, “The package was given to UPS after the cut-off time and the delivery date may be impacted” as the new scan. 

What Is The Difference Between UPS Next Day Air, Next Day Air Early, And Next Day Air Saver?