UPS “A Late Flight has Caused a Delay” – Tracking Guide

You’re expecting a delivery from UPS and have received an “A Late Flight has Caused a Delay” tracking update.

What does this mean exactly? How long will your package be delayed and is there anything you need to do?

Let’s take a look…

A Late Flight has Caused a Delay – Guide

Essentially, the UPS “A Late Flight has Caused a Delay” tracking alert is self-explanatory.

The international shipment in question is on a plane that has arrived late at its designated destination.

However, considering there are still many steps in the delivery chain before the package reaches the recipient, it does not mean that the delivery will be delayed past the scheduled delivery window.

In other words, UPS still has time to mitigate the delay caused by the delayed flight and have the package moving again according to plan.

There is also the consideration of how late the flight actually was.

If it was a mere hour or two, there will be no discernible problems that could end up delaying the delivery of the shipment.

It is best to think of this update as UPS attempting to be transparent (or cover its butt, depending on your level of cynicism) 🙂

By communicating the fact the flight was delayed, UPS is helping to manage the expectations of the customer, should further complications arise.

Essentially though, the shipment is simply late arriving at the hub that sorts packages from the plane. It is not delayed in terms of being a late delivery.

What to do if the Package is Stuck on “A Late Flight has Caused a Delay”

Because the next steps after being unloaded from the aircraft include customs clearance and potential checks with other government agencies, truth be told, it can seem like your tracking has become stuck.

This is because you will often not receive any fresh updates until UPS once again has your shipment within its delivery network.

All the same, your package should not be in this state of apparent “limbo” for more than a day or two.

If several days pass without the shipment moving, or the delivery window is drawing to a close, you will have no choice but to contact UPS for more information.

• Related Content: UPS Sortation Delay – A Complete Guide

Final Words

Overall, the “A Late Flight has Caused a Delay” tracking update is nothing to be concerned about.

It is simply UPS communicating the fact that a flight carrying the shipment arrived late.

There are still many steps in the delivery chain to go before the final delivery is completed, meaning that the short delay here should not present a significant problem.

Still, it is recommended that you keep an eye on your UPS tracking page to ensure the shipment continues on according to schedule.

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