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Well - that depends on Apple's arrangements with UPS. Sure it's really important to you right now, but UPS isn't in the habit of making 2-day deliveries overnight because you wish really hard. "UPS World Ease" is a complicated product, and this is a massive deployment. If the arrangement is to deliver "on or before 9/27", UPS may well trickle them out to destinations as space on scheduled flights allow.

Or, there arrangements could be to proceed as expediently as possible, violating the laws of physics if able, at any cost.

We're in on or before 9/27 territory, I reckon. Thursday is still a possibility for some-to-most, but hard to say.

But just remember that just because logisitically feasible doesn't mean your priorities are the priorities of a giant logistics company trying to squeeze every dollar out of every gram of Jet-A fuel. Which isn't cheap btw.
 
Interestingly my package's Service went from Worldwide Expedited to 2nd Day Air. I guess it really will be Friday, then, unless they consider entering Anchorage today as the start of the first day.
 
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Well I’m hoping when I put my glossy clear Spigen case on it that I will like it. The dullness is bumming me out.

I almost got a Spigen clear case over the Apple due to the price difference but then I read that the Spigen Yellows within a month or two. Hope thats not what happens to yours!
 
If these hit Louisville on Wednesday I have no doubt I’ll get mine on Thursday. Anytime I have an international package coming via UPS that’s the norm.
 
This got me thinking. If it cleared in AK that long ago, wouldn't our phones be en route or in KY right now? Maybe not because there's no departure scan but I can dream.
If you look at the customs scans it becomes a little more clear:

09/21/2019 9:30 P.M.ZhengZhou, ChinaArrival Scan
09/21/2019 8:57 A.M.-The package is at the clearing agency awaiting final release.
09/21/2019 5:54 P.M.ZhengZhou, ChinaDeparture Scan
Past Event
Shipped09/21/2019 4:30 P.M.ZhengZhou, ChinaOrigin Scan
Past Event
Label Created09/21/2019 2:12 P.M.ChinaOrder Processed: Ready for UPS

Customs clearance started when it was back in China. Customs isn't, like, someone inspects the palettes. For bulk shipments like this it's mostly paperwork. Clearance may well have started on the ground in china and ended when the plane was in the air.

I bet you see a departure scan from AK at about 4:30am eastern and an arrival scan in LV at about 10:30 am eastern.

Because they're on that Cathay flight that only flies during iphone season. I suppose its possible that flight is filled with phones for stores but - pretty damn sure on this one.

If I'm right you'll start seeing scans in louisville around 10:30 am tomorrow depending on how many planes there are to unload before that. Only then will individual packages get scanned. Until then, due to the nature of palletized freight, the bulk updates of the tracking numbers are unreliable for exact timing. .
 
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Finally a set date 😭
 

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Apple should do a documentary about the whole process. From release, pre order, to shipping and finally delivery. The whole process from when you press that check out tab.
It’s would be super niche - but I’d happily watch.
Great idea!
[automerge]1569385416[/automerge]
And yeah... I’m now seeing a 27th delivery via UPS. iUP trade-in box arrives the 25th via FedEx.
 
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Apple should do a documentary about the whole process. From release, pre order, to shipping and finally delivery. The whole process from when you press that check out tab.

There have been articles. There was a detailed bloomberg one during iPhone 5 days with anonymous sources, but it's behind paywall.

This one is okay:

Don't bet on them making a documentary. Every article I've found mentions the shipments moving under armed guard. Security is a pretty big component here.

And I bet the janky scans have something to do with that.

A 747 can hold about 200,000 iphones. At $1k a pop, the phones onboard are worth more than the $150Million aircraft. Fudging some tracking data before the shipment gets broken up seems like a trivial and prudent security move.
 
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Mine is finally in Anchorage and says it will be here Friday afternoon 2:30-6:30. That's what I was hoping for so I'm happy now. Still no idea why it was delayed a week when I ordered it so quickly.
 
Why do the phones have to go through so many places? Two or three places in China, Alaska, Kentucky.
 
Why do the phones have to go through so many places? Two or three places in China, Alaska, Kentucky.

Because a direct flight from China to Kentucky is a wee bit outside the range of commercial cargo aircraft.
Great circle distance from ZHCC to KSDF is over 6300 nautical miles. The Boeing 747 that UPS uses has a range of about 4100 nautical miles.
 
I tend to think it’s on this flight, below. Times are off, and there’s another Cathay Pacific that matches the time a bit more closely. At any rate, I hope a Thursday delivery is possible, but I guess Friday is fine too.
 

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Well looking at the tracking from Anchorage below it left at 12:05:

Progress IndicatorStatusDateLocationActivity
Future Event
Delivery---
Current Event
In Transit09/25/2019 12:05 A.M.Anchorage, AK, United StatesDeparture Scan
09/24/2019 6:50 P.M.Anchorage, AK, United StatesArrival Scan
Past Event
Cleared Customs09/24/2019 8:00 P.M.-Your package was released by the customs agency.
09/25/2019 5:31 A.M.Chek Lap Kok, Hong KongDeparture Scan
09/24/2019 7:32 A.M.Chek Lap Kok, Hong KongArrival Scan
09/24/2019 1:54 A.M.ZhengZhou, ChinaDeparture Scan
09/23/2019 3:58 A.M.ZhengZhou, ChinaApple volume at origin pending departure on Charter Aircraft as scheduled.
09/23/2019 3:44 A.M.ZhengZhou, ChinaYour package is in transit. We're updating plans to schedule your delivery.
09/21/2019 9:30 P.M.ZhengZhou, ChinaArrival Scan
09/21/2019 6:02 A.M.-The package is at the clearing agency awaiting final release.
09/21/2019 5:54 P.M.ZhengZhou, ChinaDeparture Scan
Past Event
Shipped09/21/2019 4:30 P.M.ZhengZhou, ChinaOrigin Scan
Past Event
Label Created09/21/2019 3:12 P.M.ChinaOrder Processed: Ready for UPS


And now looking at the Cathay Pacific 2084 it left at 12:03 AM (see below). I am thinking it is most likely this one unless the scan was later than the UPS 2997. So several here were betting on Cathay Pacific 2084 and that looks correct in all the times leaving Hong Kong and Leaving Anchorage but weird arrival time however. Maybe the stuff will match when it gets to Louisville

675EF908-FB57-43B8-851D-63EC30E24C28.png
 
I tend to think it’s on this flight, below. Times are off, and there’s another Cathay Pacific that matches the time a bit more closely. At any rate, I hope a Thursday delivery is possible, but I guess Friday is fine too.

Just posted the info. Cathay Pacific left Hong Kong exactly at 5:31 AM matching our departure scan. It is only 2 minutes later in departure from Anchorage (12:05 AM today) than this flight. Too close for coincidence in my way of thinking, so I bet on Cathay Pacific which one person said was a likely Apple/UPS charter including past history for the previous years as well as opening day shipping day before. In 3.5 hours we will know if this one is correct vs 2 hours for UPS 2997. fun to see
 
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