Supposed to leave today...NO PASSPORT
 

For those interested, here is the story from an earlier thread...

""Unfortunately, my husband and I are having same problems. We applied 2/27 and was told at post office AND also listed on the passport webpage that the wait was 6-8 weeks instead of the usual 4-6 weeks. 2 or 3 days after we applied, their webpage was updated to I think around 10 weeks. So after it had been finally put into their system, I called to see if we could expedite after that fact. Was told we could, but they still would not do anything about it until 2 weeks before departure. We are supposed to fly out on 5/21. I have called and had our passports expedited and they have sent numerous emails to agency in Charleston where our passports are being processed. I had our senator step in on our behalf but not until a few days ago...didn't think of it until then. I rec'd my passport Thursday morning. My husband's is still "in process" as of about noon today. I need to call again for an update. Even though we leave Monday out of Houston in late afternoon, he has an appt. at 800 (Probably with hundereds of other people). They told us they could try to print it out and have it right there for us. Going to the Houston office was not brought to our attention until Thursday and my husband was out of town until tomorrow and unable to make it back. I am not sure what we are going to do except hope and pray. I think the appt. Monday morning is a long shot, but we'll see. What is really aggravating is that on their webpage and on the recorded phone conversation it still states about 10 weeks."

Update...my husband got up at 2am to go to downtown Houston to try to get his passport, well, he was #3 in line at the front door a little after 300am. He called me about 430 and said there were about 50-75 people already in line with more constantly showing up. He called back about 530 and said that a security guard told all these people that they could not enter through the front and were rerouted to the back of the building and now he says there are about 200 people in front of him. Apparently there are alot of people waiting at ALL entrances to the building. I am so mad I can't even cry. So if you have an appt at the Houston office, be forewarned.

What a mess!!! I hope things work out for you!

:-< 200 in front of him?

I had a similar situation last year. I paid a passport expediter $150 dollars, and got it the next day. Money well spent to have the peace of mind of knowing it was in hand. I used itseasy.
Would use then again if I ever misplace my passport.

I really feel for you.

Surely this problem must happen quite often nowadays. What is standard procedure in a case like this? Are airlines offering any compensation for unissued passports?

You know, this is pathetic. The Passport office offers their "expedited" service for like $60 I think. My daughter used it in January and got her passport in 2 weeks.

Now, if they can do that why can't they process a "regular" application in 3-5 months? Exactly what "security measures" are they doing that takes 1/3 year? Or do they not do any checks if you expedite? Back in the early 1970's I got a top secret clearance in like 3 months.

I sure hope it goes well for you guys.

dave

Hi Teexgirl, I feel I could cry for you. By the time I finished reading your post I was irate, so I could only imagine how you and your husband are feeling!

I am praying that somehow he'll get it! Please , if you have time let us know how it ends.

Hopefully, you'll be so busy going to the airport that you will not have time. So if we don't hear from you I'll asume you were able to leave after all.

What a mess!

With my recent experiences, I can only sympathise. I look forward to hearing from you as soon as you get back from your holiday

Does anyone remember the posts earlier this year which cited the passport folkks saying the processing time was going to double and perhaps even triple given the huge number of requests?

This past week with all the "no passport" posts it seems to be true.

I'm so sorry! I hate being in a line and then a different line opens instead. That isn't fair. :(

I hope that worst case scenario is that he gets his passport today (although maybe too late to catch today's flight) and that the airline puts you on the next available flight at no additional charge...So if you don't make it today, then hopefully there's tomorrow...I do hope you make it today though.

After reading your message this morning, I realized that I will have to take matters into my own hands in order to avoid the disaster in Houston. I found phone numbers for the Charleston office (very difficult task) and got through to someone who said that she'd have my passport done today and they would call back with the FedEx number. I'm hoping!!! I won't quit worrying until I have a FedEx tracking number...and finally the FedEx package...But I do feel better that I was actually able to speak to someone in Charleston myself.

I have a Plan B, but I can't post it yet because it would only work for a limited number of people. Once I get my FedEx tracking number, I'll post it and someone else can decide if it's worth trying.

I'm thinking about you today and sending optimistic thoughts your way.

I was lucky enough to get my passport back in time for my trip after sending it in to have pages added. I am now thinking that the nightmare that is occurring now will be repeated in 10 years unless some changes are made!

Marsh, I don't get why you suspect this will be repeated. Surely you will have learned a lesson, and check out and follow the current delays next time -- even if it means sending in your passport 6 months before expiration.

Update...he called at 1000am and his passport will be ready to be picked up at the federal building at 230 (but we are going to get there way early just in case)...our flight is at 355...we can definitely make it to the airport, but probably not through security. I am going to go the airport separately and go through security with our bags so he can just be dropped off and go through security with no bags to hopefully speed things up. But if we miss the flight and we are at least in the airport, the airlines will let us go on the next available flight...never had any experience with that. One can always hope. If anyone has any other ideas, I am open to anything at this point.

Thank you for everyone's support.

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. Thats awful =(

NeoPatrick, the # of folks getting passports this year will need to have them renewed in 10 years. So, if they all decide to do it early next time, it seems that there would be another bottleneck. My passport is good until 2014, so maybe I will miss that ordeal.

texgirl,

Keep the hope! Do they have a later flight today?

I'm really hoping it all works out for you and your husband.

I'm so sorry to hear about all the stress this has caused you, texgirl. Please do post back and let us know how it went.

The situation is outrageous. In effect, the 'expedited' rate has, for all intents and purposes, become the standard charge for processing a passport.

Marsh, many people only travel out of the country occasionally or maybe only once or twice in their lifetime. So, many will let their passports lapse without ever getting them renewed.

Of course, to counter that number, there will always be new travelers who will be getting passports for the first time...

I think it is wise to always allow at least 6-8 months when getting a new passport or renewing a current one.

bettyk-- I don't believe you are allowed to renew (USA) passports prior to the 6-month expiration date. At least that is what the Continental Customer Service Rep told me when I asked if I needed to renew a passport that expires in Feb 2008 for an Aug 2007 trip to Ireland.

Crossing my fingers for you. I would be a total basket case by now. You will more than deserve your vacation when you finally get there. I have til 2009 on mine so I hope the "rush" is over. With the new laws coming into being, so many people now need passports that didn't need them before. What a mess, ya think?

texgirl:

I think as soon as you check in you should explain the airline employees the situation and tell them that your husband is on his way. Don't wait until you miss the flight. Ask them, IN ADVANCE, if they can put you on the following flight in case your husband is late, tell them he has been there all night, show some emotion, look desparate. They may understand.

I know someone who was able to fly his entire family with passports that had expired a couple of days before the flight. Of course, it was their own negligence. They were foreign citizens and promised to renew their passports abroad before they would come back. It was a NO-No, first, but in the end, it worked. You never know.

If the lead time to renew a passport is 6 months, then what are people supposed to do who travel more often than that? These delays are ridiculous.

schuler, why would the airline offer compensation it is not an airline problem.

texgirl,

I realize that you will probably not be able to let us know how it went down at the airport until you are at your destination but please find an internet connection and let us know. Inquiring minds want to know. Since so many of us have experienced this hardship, we would like to hopefully celebrate with you also.

texgirl

Got my fingers crossed for you two! What an awful thing to deal with so close to a trip.

Oh, Texgirl, I am sitting here sweating for you. It is SO stressful just to get to the airport, through security and on the plane that I can't even imagine dealing with your current situation. I post earlier about a similar problem that our Congresswoman was able to solve. But in the meantime, we were coming up with lots of alternative scenarios in case things didn't work out.

Hang in there as well as you can and just picture yourself on that plane, drink in hand. I am sending my very, very best wishes that you have the absolute trip of a lifetime! Please be sure to post back and give us the HAPPY details.

Now I'm going to drag my husband to the drugstore for photos, then to the post office to put in his renewal application for a passport that expires in February...

Good luck! I hope you make it and have a wonderful trip.

J_Correa, I agree. Obviously the passport office knew this would happen. Why didn't they hire more people? They are there to provide a service, which is not cheap, and right now it's a pretty crummy service.

People from the passport service told everyone MONTHS AGO this was going to happen.

Why they din;t hire more people? perhaps all the moey was flowing elsewhere..and we know that nobody wants to hear about higher taxes..even if it MIGHT have made a difference.

Well, my mothers passport expires this fall and we have already submitted it for renewal. It was more then 6 months in advance, but we told them we would be out of the country when it expired. (Not exactly true, but..... it's close. It expires in November and we will be traveling in October) I am giving them ten weeks and then we are going to call our congressman every day. The nice thing about her congressman is he has a great team for this type of issue!

I am not giving them much slack, thier last excuse was "spring break rush" HUH? It's May!!!

Good Lord, what a stressful way to begin a trip! I'd be stompin' and screamin'!

I do hope everything from here on out goes smoothly for you.

To avoid the frustration and aggravation, I paid the expidite fee for both my granddaughter's first passport and my renewal. We got both within two weeks.

On a wing and a prayer. What a horrible story. All the best.

As posted by <b>J_Correa</b>,

<i>If the lead time to renew a passport is 6 months, then what are people supposed to do who travel more often than that? These delays are ridiculous.</i>

I don't have these problems because I just renew the passport at a US Consulate when I'm in a foreign city. Usually just takes 2-3 days (~2 hours each day) to drop it off and pick up the new one.

I just had extra pages added to my passport last June at the Tokyo US Consulate. No charge and it was done within ~2 hours as I waited.

As posted by <b>schuler</b>,

<i>Are airlines offering any compensation for unissued passports? </i>

huh? why???

wow I hope it worked out

OK, compensation might have been the wrong word but the airlines did offer to rebook texgirl on a later flight.

I am not sure that they did rebook her or that she is hoping they rebook her.

This is just unbelivable. Our tax dollars at &quot;waste&quot;

AA - That is a really good idea for frequent travellers or anyone who is going to be in a city with a foreign consulate for a few days. I do think it is interesting that it takes so little time to get a renewal that way, but it takes months to get a renewal at home.