For the third year in a row, AmazonPrime Day is here and ready for your money.
While much of the buzz focuses on bargain basement and limited-time deals (including Echo for half off), there are big developments in the background to make sure all of those new orders arrive in a timely manner. (After all, Prime Day deals are only available for Prime members, whose subscriptions include free two-day shipping nationwide.)
Related: All the Amazon Prime Day Deals Announced So Far: From Echo to LaCroix Sparkling Water
Wedged in between all of the headline-grabbing sneak peak discounts, Amazon noted in an announcement on Monday morning that its Prime Air cargo planes are fueled and ready to support Prime Day in the United States for the first time.
Approximately 40 jets leased from Atlas Air (Amazon’s air cargo partner since last May) made up the fleet, flying to at least 10 U.S. Airports as of the end of 2016. Beyond trucks, the cargo air service complements deliveries made via UPS and FedEx but also signals another move to corral more of its delivery logistics in-house.
Similar to Alibaba’s Singles Day in China, Prime Day has proven to be a bonanza for Amazon over the last two years, delivering up to 20 times more than its normal daily sales. Prime Day on July 12, 2016 surpassed Black Friday and Cyber Monday the previous winter in generating the most sales for the company in a single day.
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Prime Day officially kicks off for all Prime members at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET, with more promos promised to roll out every five minutes for the following 24 hours. For serious shoppers, Prime members can use the Amazon App to watch and track upcoming deals up to 24 hours before they are live.
Related: The Best Deal Ahead of Amazon Prime Day Is a $99 Google Home Bundle
Would-be Prime subscribers an even sign up just by asking Alexa, and some offers will actually run through July 17.