Comments on: Spain or Pain?

Question: Spain or Pain?

JohnnyGunn — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:00:52 -0800

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.

By: lockestockbarrel

lockestockbarrel — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:09:09 -0800

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.

By: chickletworks

chickletworks — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:12:33 -0800

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.

By: CreativeJuices

CreativeJuices — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:13:56 -0800

This thread should help you out!!

By: JohnnyGunn

JohnnyGunn — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:13:57 -0800

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.

By: JohnnyGunn

JohnnyGunn — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:16:21 -0800

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.

By: CreativeJuices

CreativeJuices — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:19:14 -0800

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

Sorry!

By: brownbeards

brownbeards — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:27:09 -0800

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.

By: JohnnyGunn

JohnnyGunn — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:33:54 -0800

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.

By: dawson

dawson — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:47:05 -0800

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.

By: JohnnyGunn

JohnnyGunn — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:13:12 -0800

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!

By: phatkitten

phatkitten — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:28:18 -0800

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.

By: clh

clh — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:30:31 -0800

I used these guys to successfully expedite my passport if you need to go that route.

By: DarlingBri

DarlingBri — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:39:45 -0800

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.

By: JohnnyGunn

JohnnyGunn — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:47:25 -0800

Is it possible to get a passport in 1 day without these expediter companies?

By: dawson

dawson — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:49:21 -0800

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.

By: spaceman_spiff

spaceman_spiff — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:59:40 -0800

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.

By: Ironmouth

Ironmouth — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:22:34 -0800

There's a place in DC where you can get passports in 24 hours, I believe.

By: clh

clh — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:29:07 -0800

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.

By: mrmojoflying

mrmojoflying — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 04:35:17 -0800

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.

By: catesbie

catesbie — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 06:48:06 -0800

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.

By: brownbeards

brownbeards — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 06:57:17 -0800

JohnnyGunn, shoot me an e-mail and I will see what I can do to help out. E-mail is in my profile.

By: incessant

incessant — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 11:37:57 -0800

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.