International Surface Air Lift™ (ISAL®) is a bulk mailing system that provides fast, economical international delivery of First-Class Mail International items. The cost is lower than First-Class Mail International. ISAL shipments are flown to the foreign destinations and entered into that country’s surface or nonpriority mail system for delivery.
First-Class Mail International postcards, letters, large envelopes (flats), and packages (small packets), as defined in 141.5, qualify and must be prepared by using the shape-based requirements of First-Class Mail International service (see 240) and the requirements of this subchapter. There is a minimum volume requirement of 50 pounds per mailing. Mail is prepared as (1) direct country sacks when there are 11 pounds or more to a single country or required country separation; (2) mixed country package sacks when there are 10 or more pieces or at least 1 pound of mail to a single country, but less than 11 pounds; and (3) residual mail when there are fewer than 10 pieces or less than 1 pound of mail to a single country. The weight of all residual mail must not exceed 10 percent of the combined weight of all other mail. Qualifying residual mail is subject to the appropriate ISAL price (Full Service, M–Bag, or Dropship ISC).
Note: A package is defined as 10 or more pieces of mail to the same country separation or 1 pound or more regardless of the number of pieces. Packages of letter–size pieces of mail should be no thicker than approximately a handful of mail (4 to 6 inches). Packages of flat–size mail may be thicker than 6 inches but must not weigh more than 11 pounds.
ISAL service is available to the foreign countries listed in Exhibit 293.71d from all Post Office facilities where bulk mail is accepted and from the Drop Shipment ISCs listed in 293.32.
Drop shipment prices (as shown in Exhibit 293.71c) are available from the following offices:
New York:
JOHN F KENNEDY AIRPORT MAIL CTR
US POSTAL SERVICE
JOHN F KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BLDG 250
JAMAICA NY 11430–9998
Florida:
MIAMI INTERNATIONAL SERVICE CTR*
US POSTAL SERVICE
11698 NW 25TH ST
MIAMI FL 33112–9997
MIAMI PROCESSING AND DISTRIBUTION CTR
US POSTAL SERVICE
2200 NW 72ND AVE
MIAMI FL 33152–9997
Texas:
DALLAS AIRPORT MAIL CTR
US POSTAL SERVICE
2300 W 32ND ST
DALLAS TX 75261–9741
Illinois:
JT WEEKER INTERNATIONAL SERVICE CENTER
US POSTAL SERVICE
OHARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
514 EXPRESS CENTER DR
CHICAGO IL 60290–9998
California:
LOS ANGELES ISC
US POSTAL SERVICE
21750 ARNOLD CENTER RD
CARSON CA 90810–9998
SAN FRANCISCO ISC
US POSTAL SERVICE
2650 BAYSHORE BLVD
DALY CITY CA 94013–1631
*Only plant–verified mail is transported to these facilities by the mailer.
The extra services described in chapter 3 are not available for items sent by ISAL.
See 123 for the requirements for customs forms.
Mailers depositing mail at a Drop Shipment ISC must maintain an advance deposit account at that city if postage is paid by advance deposit account.
Exhibit 293.71a
International Surface Air Lift (ISAL) Prices
Exhibit 293.71b
International Surface Air Lift (ISAL) M-Bag — Full Service
Exhibit 293.71c
International Surface Air Lift (ISAL) M-Bag — ISC Drop Shipment
Exhibit 293.71d
International Surface Air Lift (ISAL) Service Network Countries and Price Groups
ISAL mailings presented at any Post Office facility that accepts bulk mail, other than a Drop Shipment ISC listed in 293.32, and not eligible for the direct shipment price, are paid at the full–service prices. Postage for regular ISAL is paid on a per–piece and a per–pound basis. M–bags are subject to the M–bag pound price only.
Direct shipment prices are available only through a customized agreement (see 297).
ISAL mailings transported by the mailer to the Dropship ISCs listed in 293.32 are eligible for the Drop Shipment ISC price.
Postage must be paid by postage meter, permit imprint, or mailer-precanceled stamps. Postage is computed on PS Form 3700, which is required for all ISAL mailings. When postage is paid by meter or mailer-precanceled stamps, each piece must be legibly endorsed with the words “INTERNATIONAL SURFACE AIR LIFT” or “ISAL.”
The applicable per–piece postage must be affixed to each piece (except M–bags) by meter or mailer–precanceled stamps, unless postage is paid by permit imprint. Mailers may use permit imprint only with identical weight pieces unless authorized under the postage mailing systems referenced in DMM 705. Most of the permit imprints for printed matter shown in 152.34 are acceptable.
Postage for the pound price portion must be paid either by meter stamp(s) attached to the finance copy of the postage statement or from the mailer’s advance deposit account.
Any item sent by ISAL must conform to the weight and size limits for First-Class Mail International postcards, letters, large envelopes (flats), and packages (small packets) as described in 240.
International Surface Air Lift mail is subject to the addressing requirements contained in 122.
- Exception: International Surface Air Lift items destined for Canada must have the applicable alphanumeric post code included in the delivery address. See 122.1k for the address formatting requirements that generally apply to mailpieces sent to Canada.
- Exception: International Surface Air Lift mail in direct country sacks (see 293.932a) is not subject to the interline addressing requirement that is specified in 122.1d. At the sender’s risk, the English translation of the destination post office or city name may be omitted from printed addresses that are in Russian, Greek, Arabic, Hebrew, Cyrillic, Japanese, or Chinese characters. An English translation of the country name (e.g., Russia) is still required on the individual mailpieces.
Mail that is sent via the ISAL service may be sealed at the sender’s option. See 244.4 for the packaging methods that are applicable to all First-Class Mail International items.
Exception: For direct country sacks only, First-Class Mail International folded mailpieces, without envelopes, are admissible provided one of the following methods is used:
- All of the open sides are secured with tape, tabs, or wafer seals of sufficient quantity and strength to prevent the mailpieces from opening or being damaged during postal handling.
- The mailpieces meet the physical standards and tabbing requirements in DMM 201.3.
The following guidelines apply:
- General. All ISAL mail must be prepared in packages within sacks as appropriate. A package is defined as 10 or more pieces of mail to the same country or separation or 1 pound or more regardless of the number of pieces. Packages of letter–size mail pieces should be no thicker than approximately a handful of mail (4 to 6 inches). Packages of flat–size mail may be thicker than 6 inches but must not weigh more than 11 pounds. Packages and sacks must be prepared and labeled as described below. All mailpieces in a package must be “faced” in the same direction (i.e., arranged so that the addresses read in the same direction, with an address visible on the top piece). Pieces that cannot be bundled because of their physical characteristics may be placed loose in the sack.
- Thickness. Packages of letter–size mail should be no thicker than approximately a handful of mail (4 to 6 inches). Packages of flat–size mail may be thicker than 6 inches but must not weigh more than 11 pounds. Each package must be securely tied. Placing rubber bands around the length and then the girth is the preferred method of securing packages of letter–size mail. Plastic strapping placed around the length and then the girth is the preferred method of securing packages of flat–size mail.
- Direct Country Packages. When there are 10 or more pieces or 1 pound or more to the same country, then such pieces must be prepared as a direct country package. If there is less than 11 pounds
of mail to the same country, then the direct country package must be labeled with a facing slip showing the destination country or country separation. The facing slip must be placed on the address side of the top piece of each package in such a manner that it will not become separated from the package. The pressure–sensitive labels and optional endorsement lines used domestically for presort mail are prohibited for International Surface Air Lift Mail.
- Residual Packages. If there is not enough mail to prepare a direct country package (fewer than 10 pieces or less than 1 pound), the mail is considered residual mail. When there are fewer than 10 pieces to the same country, then such pieces should be combined in packages with other mail for countries within the same price group that similarly have fewer than 10 pieces. Such mixed country packages must be labeled with a facing slip marked “Residual, Price Group ___.” The designated price group (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9) must be inserted as appropriate. The facing slip must be placed on the address side of the top piece of each package in such a manner that it will not become separated from the package. The pressure–sensitive labels and optional endorsement lines used domestically for presort mail are prohibited for International Surface Air Lift Mail.
Exception: The 10–piece criterion is when there are fewer than 10 pieces to the same country and those pieces weigh more than 11 pounds. Such mailpieces should be packaged together as a direct country package and placed in a direct country sack. Pieces that cannot be packaged because of their physical characteristics may be placed loose in the sack.
Once packages of ISAL mail are prepared, the packages are then placed into one of three types of designated sacks:
- Direct Country Sack. Prepare a direct country sack if there are at least 11 pounds of mail to the same country. The mail must be packaged and enclosed in a universal white plastic sack and labeled to the country with PS Tag 155, Surface Airlift Mail. The maximum weight of a direct country sack must not exceed 66 pounds.
- Mixed Country Package Sack. Prepare a mixed country package sack for those direct country packages where there is less than 11 pounds of mail to the same country. The mail must be packaged as direct country packages, identified with a facing slip showing the destination country or country separation, and enclosed in a universal white plastic sack labeled to the dropship ISAL service center. PS Tag 155 also must be attached to the sack. Prepare a mixed country package sack for each of the respective price groups for which there is a direct country package and label as follows:
- Residual Sack. Prepare a residual sack for those packages of mail that contain fewer than 10 pieces or less than 1 pound of mail to any one country (residual packages). The mail must be packaged as residual packages, appropriately identified with a facing slip, and enclosed in a universal white plastic sack labeled to the Drop Shipment ISAL service center. PS Tag 155 also must be attached to the sack. The mailer must prepare a residual sack for each of the respective price groups for which there is a residual package and label it as follows:
Depending on the type of sack, labels are prepared as follows:
- Direct Country Sack. For a direct country sack, use a universal white plastic sack. Use PS Tag 155 to label each sack with the destination country’s name. Mailers must complete four blocks on PS Tag 155:
- To (Pour) Block: Enter the name of the ISAL country foreign exchange office, its three–letter exchange office code, and the country’s name. See 293.71 for the name of the foreign exchange office and its three–letter exchange office code. As an example, for Ireland, this block will be as follows:
Dublin DUB Ireland
- Customer Permit No. Block: Enter permit number.
- Kg. Block: Enter the combined weight of the sack and its contents in kilograms (1 pound = 0.4536 kilogram).
- Date Block: Enter date as shown on PS Form 3700.
After completing the above items on PS Tag 155, attach it to the neck of the sack.
- Mixed Country Package Sack. For a mixed country package sack, use a universal white plastic sack and label it to the appropriate Drop Shipment ISAL service center as follows:
Labels are prepared as follows:
Content:
Line 1: Drop Shipment ISAL Service Center
Line 2: ISAL DRX
Line 3: Mailer, Mailer Location
Example:
For the mixed country package sack label, use Content Identification Number (CIN) 753.
In addition, use PS Tag 155 to label each sack with the appropriate Drop Shipment ISAL service center. Mailers must complete four blocks on PS Tag 155:
- To (Pour) Block: Enter the name of the Drop Shipment ISAL service center and price group:
- Customer Permit No. Block: Enter your permit.
- Kg. Block: Enter the combined weight of the sack and its contents in kilograms (1 pound = 0.4536 kilogram).
- Date Block: Enter date as shown on PS Form 3700.
After completing the above items on PS Tag 155, attach it to the sack.
Residual Sack. For a residual sack, use a universal white plastic sack and label it to the appropriate Drop Shipment ISAL service center as follows:
Labels are prepared as follows:
Content:
Line 1: Drop Shipment ISAL Service Center
Line 2: ISAL WKG
Line 3: Mailer, Mailer Location
Example:
For the residual sack label, use CIN 754.
In addition, use PS Tag 155 to label each sack with the appropriate Drop Shipment ISAL service center. Mailers must complete three blocks on PS Tag 155:
- To (Pour) Block: Enter the name of the Drop Shipment ISAL service center and price group:
- Customer Permit No. Block: Enter your ISAL permit number (5–Digit ZIP Code plus Business Mail Entry Permit Number).
- Kg. Block: Enter the combined weight of the sack and its contents in kilograms (1 pound = 0.4536 kilogram).
- Date Block: Enter date as shown on PS Form 3700.
After completing the above items on PS Tag 155, attach it to the sack.
When presenting an ISAL shipment to the Postal Service, the mailer must physically separate the sacks of mail by type (direct, mixed, residual) and price group (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) at time of mailing.
293.935 ISAL M–Bags
Subject to the provisions of 260, Direct Sacks of Printed Matter to One Addressee (M–bags) may be entered as ISAL mail and sent to all destination countries that are referenced in 293.71. When using that method of mail preparation, the sender must complete PS Tag 155, Surface Airlift Mail, and PS Tag 158, M–bag Addressee Tag, and securely attach each of those tags to the neck of the sack. Merchandise items, in combination with related printed matter, may be placed into ISAL M–bags, provided that the contents and method of preparation conform to the requirements that are specified in 261.22.
Mailers who wish to mail shipments that weigh over 750 pounds but who are not eligible for direct shipment prices must notify the ISAL coordinator at the office of mailing at least 14 days before the planned date of mailing. Specific country information and weight per country must be provided. No prior notification is required for mailers with 750 pounds or less.
