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Home > Guides > Shipping to Alaska and Hawaii
Usually yes, and LetterAgent can't help here at all: its labels are Canada-only, so any US destination is out of scope. Alaska and Hawaii cost more because every parcel to them flies: there is no truck route. Ground services often exclude them entirely, and carriers put them in their highest-priced zones.
Ground shipping means trucks, and trucks can't drive to either state. Every parcel to Alaska or Hawaii travels by air (or, for some Alaska freight, by a long combination of truck and barge), which is why carriers' ground products simply don't offer the destination. If a checkout page offers you ground shipping to Honolulu, read the fine print: it's usually an error, or it quietly upgrades to air pricing at checkout. The one partial exception is the US Postal Service, whose ground products do reach both states, because the postal network is required to serve everywhere: but even there, the parcel flies for part of the journey.
By zone. Carriers divide the country into zones based on distance from the shipment's origin, and Alaska and Hawaii sit in the highest zones from almost everywhere. That also means origin matters more than people expect: a parcel from Seattle to Anchorage zones lower than the same parcel from Miami, so West Coast shippers pay less to both states. The zone system is also why two sellers can charge wildly different shipping for the same item to Hawaii: their warehouses sit in different zones, and the zone does most of the pricing work.
| Service type | Alaska and Hawaii |
|---|---|
| Ground / economy ground | Usually excluded: no road route exists |
| Air / express | Available, priced in the highest zones |
| Flat-rate packaging | One price to any US destination, including Alaska and Hawaii |
| "Free shipping" offers | Often excluded in the fine print: check before promising a customer |
Use flat-rate packaging when the item fits: one price covers any US destination, which is often the cheapest way to reach both states. Compare air options instead of defaulting to the fastest: a two-day air service to Anchorage can cost far less than overnight for nearly the same arrival day. If you ship to these states regularly, a West Coast shipping origin zones the parcels lower: this is one reason so many sellers who serve Alaska and Hawaii fulfill from Washington, Oregon, or California. And if you're the buyer staring at a steep shipping quote, check whether the seller offers a flat-rate option before you abandon the cart: many do, and don't advertise it.
Ready to ship it? Get a shipping label with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and get your label.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
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