Spain or Pain?

February 15, 2008 7:00 PM

Panic is in the house. My wife has planned a trip with our 13 year old daughter from the US to Spain. They leave on Sunday afternoon from JFK. Tonight while gathering her passport, we realize that her passport expired 1 year ago. (A minor's passport is only valid for 5 years.) Assuming cost is not an issue, is there anyway for my wife and daughter to make the trip legally on Sunday? I am looking for practical advice for someone in the NY tri-state area.
posted by JohnnyGunn to travel & transportation (22 comments total)

No way in hell. You could try to call your Senator or Congressperson and maybe something will happen, but that's like a near-zero percent chance. The better question is: how can I change two tickets to Spain while incurring a minimal amount of fees.
posted by lockestockbarrel at 7:09 PM on February 15, 2008

Oh man... sorry to hear this.

The New York Passport Agency handles requests from people who are traveling in 14 days or less. However, they're not open on weekends. You might try their recorded information line, though: 1.877.487.2778.

If you google something like "express passport," a ton of passport expediting agencies come up. I've never used these and I suspect that you could get similar results through the New York Passport Agency, but it couldn't hurt to look at some of them.
posted by chickletworks at 7:12 PM on February 15, 2008

This thread should help you out!!
posted by CreativeJuices at 7:13 PM on February 15, 2008

Lockestockbarrel, I am resigned to that problem. My Senator is running for President and my congresswoman is recovering from a heart attack, so getting them on a Saturday is the same chance a snowball has in hell.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 7:13 PM on February 15, 2008

The major problem is the weekend and the holiday on Monday. My daughter is in tears and my wife is beside herself and I am afraid to leave this room. If we had just looked at this a week ago or even a few days ago....ugh.


Next step is to shift the dates.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 7:16 PM on February 15, 2008

Bite the bullet and change your dates. It will be next to impossible to renew it over the weekend.

Sorry!
posted by CreativeJuices at 7:19 PM on February 15, 2008

The senator/congressman route is not an option. I just talked to someone who has access to this option with one call, and they said it was impossible with it being the weekend. Sorry.
posted by brownbeards at 7:27 PM on February 15, 2008

Reality has set in downstairs. They are not going this weekend. They have shifted into change the dates or stay in the states mode.

I thank everyone for trying to help. If anyone has a miracle ticket, let me know.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 7:33 PM on February 15, 2008

I add my 'sorry man'. I've had a few similar experiences, like my passport stolen in China, and I was in limbo, couldn't leave even the city I was in w/o permission from the Chinese government. Wasn't allowed in the US, or even Hong Kong. It was actually about 60 days before I got it stright. Fortunately I have friends in China, but then most people who've ever been there do.

My best advice is trying to persuade your ladies that (cliche alert) these things really do happen for a reason and generally work out for the best.

Only thing left to do is put the best spin on it, which is not total bullshit, and change the tix.

Monday, contact yr passport agency

* NEW YORK Passport Agency
376 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014

Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., local time, M-F, excluding Federal holidays
Automated Appointment Number: 1-877-487-2778

NOTE: New York Passport Agency serves customers who are traveling within 2 weeks (14 days), or who need foreign visas for travel. An appointment is required.

also: How to Get Your Passport in a Hurry

additionally.
posted by dawson at 7:47 PM on February 15, 2008

Dawson, THank you. I just called the automated line and the first available appointment there is the 25th of Feb. No walk-ins accepted. I am trying Norwalk. Our goal is to move the trip to Wednesday and get the 24 hour passport using a service if need be.

I don't travel overseas much (obviously) and just assumed that if my passport was valid for 10 years that my children's which I got at the same time were too.

Lessons are learned. Regardless of what it costs in dollars, it is a cheap lesson. No one got hurt. There is no emergency. My girls still love me because it was not my fault. I wasn't even invited on this trip!! Boyz Klub Meeting at home with my two sons!
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:13 PM on February 15, 2008

Our goal is to move the trip to Wednesday and get the 24 hour passport using a service if need be.

Don't forget that Monday is a holiday.
posted by phatkitten at 8:28 PM on February 15, 2008

I used these guys to successfully expedite my passport if you need to go that route.
posted by clh at 8:30 PM on February 15, 2008

Also try Philly, which is where I got my passport replaced for next day travel after I put it through the wash. I lived in NYC but the service in Philly was way faster. This was 10 years ago, though.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:39 PM on February 15, 2008

Is it possible to get a passport in 1 day without these expediter companies?
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:47 PM on February 15, 2008

Good attitude. Best wishes, and don't feel like an idiot (though the tag made me grin), that's an understandable oversight. At least it wasn't discovered at airport security. Which would make a strong man cry.
posted by dawson at 8:49 PM on February 15, 2008

At least it wasn't discovered at airport security. Which would make a strong man cry.

That happened to me once - I was going to the UK with my parents and my little brother; my mom's passport, oddly enough, was the only expired one. She and my brother ended up staying home, since Dad and I had business across the pond.
posted by spaceman_spiff at 9:59 PM on February 15, 2008

There's a place in DC where you can get passports in 24 hours, I believe.
posted by Ironmouth at 10:22 PM on February 15, 2008

I believe that what you are paying the expeditor for is to stand in line on your behalf at the passport office. So if you have the time, inclination and are in the vicinity of the right line, you can go stand in it yourself.
posted by clh at 10:29 PM on February 15, 2008

When I worked for a major film studio, we had to get passports for people in a matter of days, but even when money was no object, it sometimes took 3-4 days depending on circumstances....and a passport that fast would cost more than your tickets.
posted by mrmojoflying at 4:35 AM on February 16, 2008

I ran across this yesterday in Budget Travel:

"ItsEasy.com's new 24-hour desk at JFK Airport helps people with emergency visa or passport problems, even arranging same-day passports for passengers at the Passport Agency in New York City."

No idea whether expiration counts as a 'passport problem' (as opposed to just replacing a lost but current one), but there you are. Worth a shot, anyway.
posted by catesbie at 6:48 AM on February 16, 2008

JohnnyGunn, shoot me an e-mail and I will see what I can do to help out. E-mail is in my profile.
posted by brownbeards at 6:57 AM on February 16, 2008

This won't help with your leaving this Sunday, obviously, but here's my question when I was renewing my passport. I'd give A Briggs a C+ for service, and wouldn't use them again.
posted by incessant at 11:37 AM on February 16, 2008