I either write AIR MAIL or stick the free stickers.

You can write AIR MAIL on your envelopes before posting, or get some free stickers from the post office. Either way, they will send your letter via air mail for you.

I know that in Australia, overseas mail all seems to go (except for really big parcels) via air mail, so it's not much of a problem.

However, some countries also have surface mail. It's much slower, and can take weeks or even months to reach the destination. Air mail may only take a few days, but does cost a little more. If this is the case, make sure you write air mail on your letters so they don't get sorted at the post office to travel via surface mail.

Additionally, don't forget to write it on your SAE/SASE as well.

nowandagain [rockon]

if all this hasnt confused you go and ask the ppl at the post office next time you have to post a letter and ask or just write air mail on it anyway just in case. {up} :D

You can also obtain sheets of Airmail stickers for free from a post office in the UK.

I do this as I work out the cost to send at home myself and use 1st / 2nd class stamps to make it up for simplicities sake.

[quote="robrap"]so i just write my letter to someone in the USA and dont add airmail on it, and just post in into a post box, and when the post office people take it and look at it they add airmail for me or something[/quote]

Not exactly.

I don't know how it works in the UK, but in Poland we have different prices for letters overseas:
1) air mail;
2) surface mail.

Air mail costs more than surface mail and it comes to the addressee faster.

So it isn't enough to leave a letter in the post box, because it'll be sending as a surface mail. Even if you stick a sticker/write "AIR MAIL/ PAR AVION", because the stamps must be for a letter sending by air mail.
You have to write "AIR MAIL" and buy the stamps which cover shipping by air mail.

I hope, you understand what I mean.

Paul.

so i just write my letter to someone in the USA and dont add airmail on it, and just post in into a post box, and when the post office people take it and look at it they add airmail for me or something

We don´t write Airmail :)

It can be done either way :D I usually take my letters to the post office and they put the sticker on them :)

Fatima xxx

i am now starting writing to people in usa, and i am from the UK i have only been sending letters to people in the UK so far, and i want to try and send some to other famus people in the USA.

can you tell me if i have to write Airmail on it my self, or do i have to take it to the post office and they will stamp it for me,