UPS is a shipping company that prides itself on delivering packages quickly at competitive prices, which is one of the reasons it offers so many different shipping services to customers, such as 2nd Day Air.
But how fast is 2nd Day Air, and what do you need to know before you use it? If you’d like to find out, keep reading to see what I discovered!
Key Takeaways
How Fast Is UPS 2nd Day Air In 2022?
UPS 2nd Day Air is an expedited service that delivers in about two business days in 2022. UPS 2nd Day Air only offers Saturday delivery for Thursday package pick-ups in certain metropolitan areas. 2-day delivery is guaranteed for all packages picked up Saturday through Thursday, with packages picked up on Friday being delivered on the following Monday.
If you’re thinking about using UPS 2nd Day Air for your next shipment, or want to better understand this service, be sure to read the rest of the article for a more in-depth explanation!
Does UPS 2nd Day Air Mean the Package Arrives on the Second Day?
Typically, using UPS 2nd Day Air does mean that your package will arrive at its destination by the end of the second business day.
For example, if your package was set to be picked up on Tuesday, you could expect your package to be delivered by the end of the day on Thursday.
While this is the standard operating procedure, there are some exceptions due to the fact that this shipping service is only offered commercially and not for residential use.
UPS 2nd Day Air delivers packages on Saturday in certain metropolitan areas, which means that if you were shipping a package to New York City and the package was picked up on Thursday, you could expect it to be delivered on Saturday.
If your package was picked up on Thursday and being shipped to a smaller area, however, it likely won’t arrive until Monday.
UPS 2nd Day Air also doesn’t do Sunday deliveries, which means packages that are picked up on Fridays will not be delivered until the following Monday, which is a delivery on the third day rather than the second.
As a general rule, you can expect for UPS 2nd Day Air to deliver on the second business day after your package is picked up, but not necessarily the second day (which could be during the weekend).
If you’re interested in seeing whether UPS 2nd Day Air is available for your package and if it will deliver on Saturdays, you can use the UPS “Create a Shipment” page to get a personalized estimate on shipping costs and delivery dates for your package by clicking here.
Is UPS 2nd Day Air Guaranteed?
UPS 2nd Day Air guarantees that your package will be delivered on the second business day after pick-up.
This means that you cannot expect for UPS 2nd Day Air to deliver your package on weekends, regardless of whether you scheduled your package to be picked up on Thursday or Friday.
Rather, these packages will usually have to wait until Monday to be delivered.
UPS 2nd Day Air includes guaranteed delivery to every address in the United States and Puerto Rico within two business days, with the earliest delivery time being at 10:30 am on the second business day of shipping.
How Does UPS 2nd Day Air Work?
UPS 2nd Day Air is an expedited shipping service offered for packages that need to get where they’re going in a hurry, without necessarily needing to use overnight shipping.
UPS 2nd Day Air is intended solely for commercial packages, meaning that only packages that are being delivered to commercial addresses (ex. businesses or offices) are eligible for this service, and not packages going to a residential address.
When you sign up to use UPS 2nd Day Air, you schedule your package to be picked up or dropped off at a UPS location.
Once your package is in the hands of a courier, it’s returned to the UPS facility and placed with other 2nd Day Air packages to be loaded onto a plane for transport.
Once your package is loaded onto the correct plane, your package is taken to its destination facility, where it’s loaded onto the correct truck for delivery and sent on it’s way to the receiving address.
Because UPS 2nd Day Air is not the fastest shipping service UPS offers, it’s not the first priority. However, it is prioritized above other services such as UPS 3-Day and UPS Ground.
Does UPS 2nd Day Air Include Saturday Delivery?
UPS 2nd Day Air includes Saturday deliveries, but these deliveries can only occur in certain areas, typically in major metropolitan areas.
Some, but not all, areas that UPS makes Saturday deliveries in the following locations:
- Austin, Texas
- Dallas, Texas
- New York City, New York
- Los Angeles, California
- San Francisco, California
- Seattle, Washington
- Portland, Oregon
- Chicago, Illinois
- Detroit, Michigan
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Washington DC
Keep in mind that this is not a comprehensive list of the places that receive Saturday deliveries from UPS.
If you want to see if your city offers Saturday deliveries, you can check out this page of the UPS website or get a quote from UPS here.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on how fast is UPS Ground, how fast is UPS flat rate shipping, and UPS shipping restrictions.
Conclusion
UPS 2nd Day Air is a delivery service that is only available for commercial use and guarantees delivery on the second business day of shipping.
UPS 2nd Day Air guarantees delivery to every address in the United States and Puerto Rico, with the earliest delivery time being 10:30 am on the second business day of shipping.