I have just recently had two requests for books to be sent to APO addresses, so yesterday I printed the labels and took them to the post office. My concern was that he stated media mail may not make it to an APO until the first week of July? I know the site acknowledges that APO/FPO may take longer but had I known media mail took that much longer I may have sent First class, does anyone have any experience with sending to APOs and know if it actually takes that long? And for future request should I send First Class? I had an APO address until last summer and first class mail doesn't take that much longer to get to Germany than it did in the US, usually just an extra 2 or 3 days but I don't think I recieved any media mail there.

I've mailed a few APO, they took awhile but arrived safely.  And the members appreciated my effort.  But yes, if I think of it next time I'll send First Class also.

I know some members say they always send First Class. I always let the PBS system do its thing. I've only had one book go lost in the PBS system before it got there.

I am watching to see how long they actually take, as these are my first to go to APOs. If they do sem to take an extra long time with media mail, I will use first class for APOs. I don't mind paying the occaisional extra postage if it could get there weeks faster, I just had no idea there was that much difference in time between the 2 postage rates. 

I'm at my second APO since joining PBS. my first in germany, aside from November to January (Christmas mailing times) media mail would arrive at just about the 30-35 day mark if not a few days before. During the summer I would get books within 2-3 weeks. Here in the UK, my first 5 books are lost and I'm approaching the 45 day mark. I have heard through our grapevine that receiving packages is taking longer than expected without a given reason. So I think it may just be those working in my military post office because the 3 books I have sent out media mail/first class were all received in 10 days to less than 3 full weeks! So while we hope that books would get here faster, we expect to run the PBS timer out. I am happier to wait a couple of more weeks for a book because it is taking its time than to have a request canceled because the sender didn't want to send it to me.

reading the post above I am now feeling guilty about not noticing if a book was upgraded to first class. I just assumed it would be mailed at what ever PBS printed on it.   

UPDATE- received two requests so far. One single book from GA- 6 weeks. One pack of 5 kids books from CO, 6 weeks BUT it sat in NJ port for 4 weeks I suspect because it didn't have a customs form but PBS paid label.

Kristina-

We lived in England for 3 yrs and it would take books forever to get to us.  It was because the books would first go to NY and then fly over to Germany and then sent on to whereever.  We were living on a very small base so it would go to Lakenheath first then finally make it to us.  Most of the books sent to me would go lost but eventually would get to me.  And from lat oct until mid jan mail would even be slower due to holiday shipping.  The prob is that the mail is flown space available..so if there wasn't room then it would sit there until there was space available.  I was happy to be moving to Hawaii thinking, I'm back in the states and things will ship quicker.  Nope.  Hawaii is pretty much like overseas.  So it takes stuff longer to get here just as if I was overseas...

Welcome back to the states Rachel!  Media Mail to and from Alaska and Hawaii can take longer than the lower 48, but at least it doesn't require customs (and DC works)!

Sounds like it depends whether it's Germany or England.  I learned from my Post Office on post in Germany that (if you put a tracker on) mail that goes through NY is by air, mail that goes through NJ is by boat.  Not sure about APO AP (Pacific) though.

If it's APO to Afghanistan, it won't matter if it's first class or media mail - so don't waste your money on first class.  I'm new to PBS so I haven't received any books, but I noticed from another book swap website that it's been taking about 2-3 weeks for arrival by media mail - same time as Priority Mail.