Post office advises planning ahead for holidays Published Nov. 6, 2009 By Senior Airman Kali L. Gradishar 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- The holiday season is fast-approaching and Santa Claus isn't the only one who's going to be swamped with gifts. The Bitburg and Spangdahlem Post Offices are advising Sabers to plan ahead for the upcoming holiday season to ensure presents make their way under the tree on time. "This is the busiest time of the year for postal workers. Mail volume usually doubles, if not more," said Tech. Sgt. Melvin Graham, Spangdahlem Post Office postmaster. So busy, in fact, that they're searching for volunteers. "We usually get between four and six volunteers during the holiday season, but there's no set number," Sergeant Graham said. "However many people want to volunteer, that's how many we take. "Volunteers can expect a lot of walking, standing, lifting and hopefully tons of mail." The deadlines and approximate shipping times for holiday mail in order from least to most expensive include: Nov. 13 - parcel post Nov. 27 - space-available mail, four to six weeks Dec. 11 - priority mail, seven to 10 days; and first-class mail (letters or cards 16 ounces or less), seven to 10 days Dec. 18 - express mail, three days Pricing for packages is based on weight, destination and class of mail used. "Someone could easily spend $200 or $300," Sergeant Graham noted, making it even more important to plan ahead for shipping packages back home or having packages shipped here. "Don't wait to the last minute to mail out your packages or to order any gifts," Sergeant Graham said. "And try to check your mail boxes daily, or if possible, check more than once a day, as we are limited in space."