Airmail etiquette

"Par avion" redirects here. For other uses, see Par Avion (disambiguation).

An airmail etiquette, often shortened to just etiquette, is a label used to indicate that a letter is to be sent by airmail.

Imprinted etiquette of Thailand

This 1959 cover from the Australian Antarctic Territory has a plain dark blue airmail etiquette in the upper left corner.

Etymology

The term "airmail etiquette" derived from the French word étiquette ("label, sticker"), from which is also derived the English word etiquette ("rules of behavior").

Use

Because airmail etiquettes are just instructions to postal clerks, and have no monetary value, their printing and distribution need not be as carefully controlled as for postage stamps, and most are privately produced. The usual design is a plain blue oblong, with the phrases "AIR MAIL" and/or "PAR AVION" in white letters. Various airlines and hotels have also produced etiquettes.

The airmail etiquette may be omitted if airmail stamps are used on the letter, and in some cases even this is not necessary if a country sends out all its foreign mail by air. In some regions, such as the United Kingdom, one may simply write "PAR AVION -- BY AIR MAIL" on the envelope,^[1] even though etiquettes are available free of charge from post offices.

USPS airmail label

The United States officially requires international First Class and Priority Mail letters to be marked with "AIRMAIL/PAR AVION".^[2][3] This requirement is often ignored in modern practice since the United States Postal Service discontinued international surface mail in 2007;^[4] all international mail from the US is now sent via airmail. Pre-printed airmail etiquettes are no longer produced by the USPS. If USPS customers purchase international stamps from self-service kiosks, from post offices, or online, the letters must then have "AIRMAIL/PAR AVION" written on the address side of the letter. This applies to both First Class Mail International and Priority Mail International services.^[5][6]

China Post official "par avion" rubber stamp

China Post does not use any airmail stickers, but an official "par avion" rubber stamp is used if an international letter or postcard is sent by airmail. In contrast, if the international letter or postcard is not sent by airmail, an official "surface" rubber stamp is used.

See also

• Airmail stamp
• Airmail stamps of Denmark
• List of United States airmail stamps

References

1. "International Standard: How to send". Royal Mail. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
2. "§234 Priority Mail International, Mail Preparation". USPS International Mail Manual. Archived from the original on 2007-08-16. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
3. "§244 First-Class Mail International, Mail Preparation". USPS International Mail Manual. Archived from the original on 2007-08-08. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
4. "International Mail - Frequently Asked Questions". USPS. 2007-09-29. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29.
5. "How to Send a Letter or Postcard: International | USPS".
6. "292 International Priority Airmail (IPA) Service | Postal Explorer".

Further reading

• Baldwin, N.C. "Collecting Etiquettes." Stamp Review. (May 1938).
• Field, Francis J. Air Mail Labels (etiquettes). Sutton Coldfield: Francis J. Field, Ltd., 1940 32p. Series Title: The Aero Field Handbook; no. 5.
• Jones, Frank G. Etiquettes: Par Avion - By Air Mail. London: Frank G. Jones Associates, 1992 40p.
• Müller, Frank. Catalogue des etiquettes aéropostales: émises par les administrations postales, les compagnies de navigation aérienne, etc. Paris: La Maison de la poste aérienne, 1947 288p.
• Postal Label Study Group. Mair Airmail Label Catalog.

External links

• Riga Stamps page on etiquettes, with many pictures Archived 2008-05-07 at the Wayback Machine