FWIW, my just now experience of renewing a USA passport.
I mailed my application (and old passport) the morning of 3/15 with expedited passport service ($127 total). Mailed it with overnight delivery and enclosed a return overnight delivery envelope ($28 total for both). I got my new passport back 3/24. Much much quicker than I thought it would be. Also, I asked for extra pages and got them.
regards - tom
ps - this interesting, maybe, because for you not involved with getting USA passport the system has been overloaded since first of 2007.

Thanks for this info. I need to get more pages for my husband's passport and had been told to count on 4 weeks, even with the $60 expedite fee. Will feel more confident now about sending it off after his next trip.

blackwell, here, I'll save you the trouble of posting -
"you couldt have picket a better place than malamala been there three times . me and my wife have stayed at the malamala lodge three times we wouldnt go any place else"

regards - tom

Tom, take a deep breath and count to ten...I know its a little weird to me as well.
Eric

Thank you Eric, I needed that
regards - tom

Good one Tom! LOL! Anyway back to the subject, my friend Tom sent his passport off for more pages, got it back in 3 weeks with NO expediting, guess it's luck of the draw.

cary999(tom) could you email me? I have some questions on Kruger you might answer? Thanks, Dennis

Sure Dennis, just emailed you.
tom
ps - Fodors system sure is flaky tonight !!!!

FWIW, I just got my USA passport back after sending it in to have more pages added and it took 11 weeks by normal delivery (non-expedited). The added pages are A-X instead of the usual numbers.

13 weeks today and no renewed passport in sight for DH. Moral: don't dawdle. I can go to TZ - he may have to stay home!!!

We noticed that we didn't have enough pages in our passport, 12 days before we were to leave. We expedited pages to a service recommended by travel agent and got the passports back in 10 days.

This was mid May 2007.

Wonder why it is taking so long for non-expedited? My son had visa and pages added to his passport in less than 10 days (also expedited) back in April.

GrannyJoan

QueenofDaNile, if your trip is coming up soon and your husband still doesn't have his passport, I'd start checking with the State Dept. as to where it is. If that doesn't work, try your Congressman's office. My friend had to do that for a trip to England last month.

CarlaM: <i>I just got my USA passport back after sending it in to have more pages added and it took 11 weeks by normal delivery (non-expedited).</i>

This is a good data point comparison: I also recently sent my passport for extra pages, but I paid for the expedited service. I received the passport back about 3 weeks after sending it.

Thanks ShayTay. Our trip is still awhile away so I'm not in panic mode yet. Kind of letting this play out just to see how the &quot;system&quot; is not working. Tracking on the govt website says we should see it in 8 - 10 weeks. Duh, no.

For data purposes I meant to also add when I sent my passport in to have pages added the website estimated 10-12 weeks and it took 11 weeks, so in my case it was correct.

Queen, if you get to 14 days out without getting it, I'd start calling your congressman.

The advice above is very good about contacting your congressperson if your trip is within 2 weeks. If you put this off thinking you will definitely get your passport within 8-10 weeks of applying, you might end up postponing your trip.

There are a great many threads on the USA and Europe boards regarding passport delays. Due to the new travel rules within North America, the passport office is running way behind and it's not unusual to take <b>4 months</b> to get a passport if you do not expedite.

Well, my DH (dope husband) is still waiting for his new passport.

Oh yeah!!!! Well, is dope husband working to pay for the safari????

regards - tom

i expedited my additional page request and had my passport back exactly 1 week later. this was this past march.

It took 10 days to get the extra pages in my husband's passport. He paid the $60 expediting fee. We thought he had enough pages, but it was well worth the extra money for the comfort of not worrying about it till we get to South Africa. He tracked it on the computer too.