Скачать или смотреть Holiday deliveries improve but hiccups continue

YOUR DESCRIPTION HAS REACHED THE LIMIT OF CHARACTERS ALLOWED AND WAS CUT. NEW YORK (AP) -- Christmas came on time this year for most people.

After FedEx and UPS failed to deliver some presents in time for Christmas last year, the two package carriers improved their performance this holiday season.

FedEx delivered more than 99 percent of express packages as promised on Dec. 22 and Dec. 23, according to shipment tracker ShipMatrix. UPS delivered 99 percent of express packages as promised on those days.

Last year, the percentage of express packages delivered on time those days was in the "low 90s," said Mark D'Amico, a spokesman for ShipMatrix.

The firm did not have data for Christmas Eve deliveries as of Friday. It also does not provide data on packages that are sent using ground shipping, since those are not guaranteed to be delivered within a set time in the weeks before Christmas.

The improved performance comes after delays by FedEx and UPS last year were blamed on a mix of bad weather and overloaded systems, with more people shopping online. Neither company disclosed exactly how many packages were delayed a year ago, but said they represented a small share of overall holiday shipments.

To avoid similar headaches this year, FedEx and UPS invested in improving their systems and increased the number of seasonal workers they hired.

FedEx said Friday it was "proud" of its performance this season and UPS said its operations ran smoothly, "demonstrating the value of our additional investments in capacity and technology." Neither company provided details on how many deliveries were delayed or actually delivered this year.

Both big shippers expected to ship the most packages during this holiday season than ever before. FedEx had previously forecast it would ship 290 million packages between Black Friday and Christmas Eve. UPS had said it expects to ship 585 million packages in December.

The record forecasts come as retailers have been pushing back ordering deadlines and extending free shipping offers, increasing the pressure to get packages delivered in time for the Christmas. Amazon extended its free-shipping deadline by a day to Dec. 19. Wal-Mart, Barnes