Wednesday, May 8, 2024
Arriving at the airport to board your flight with an expired or damaged passport will do more than ruin your vacation. An invalid passport is not a covered reason for cancellation under your travel insurance policy. This mistake can cost you thousands of dollars and a huge disappointment. Here are some true tales of travelers I have met, stories from colleagues, and even some of my own clients I have helped save from disaster.
Tales of a Travel Advisor:
Did you know that even the slightest damage to your passport can make it invalid? Does it have a few loose threads? How about a stain? Maybe a slightly torn page or bent and crumpled? Or maybe your husband washed his passport in his pants pocket, didn’t tell anyone, assumed it would be ok and went to the airport with it tattered and torn only to be denied boarding the flight. Any damage can invalidate your passport; it’s time for a renewal.
Did you know that the expiration date is actually only valid until 6 months prior to your return to the US for many countries? Many popular travel destinations have entry/exit requirements that demand your passport have at least 6 months validity from the time of your scheduled departure from their country (the end of your trip) in order to enter their country. Don’t procrastinate, renew your passport early! I recommend renewing when you have 1 year left on your passport. Always check your expiration date before booking your next trip.
Did you know that the US Department of State is currently experiencing a high volume of passport applications right now? This has increased the normal turnaround time of 7-9 weeks up to 12 weeks or longer. Be sure to file your application with plenty of time. If your passport fails to arrive in time, you forfeit the cost of your nonrefundable vacation, and travel insurance will not cover any claim for failure to have a valid passport. In current news, there is concern of a federal government shutdown. When this happens all passport applications and renewals stop until the shutdown ends. Apply now to get ahead of a potential shut down delay.
Did you know that passports for ages 16 and under are only valid for 5 years? Adult’s passports are valid 10 years, and many times parents don’t realize their kid’s passport is only valid five years. It is a common problem when a family books a trip and assumes everyone’s passport has the same expiration date. A parent looks at just their own passport (because the family got them all at the same time years ago for the previous trip) and the adult passport is valid; however, the kid’s passport is expired. Don’t assume anything; check every passport.
Do you know the difference between the Passport Card and the Passport Booklet? Don’t make the mistake of getting the Card to save money. The Passport Card is only good for driving across the border at Mexico and Canada. You need the Passport Booklet to fly internationally.
One final note: Make sure when booking air travel or cruise travel that you provide the full name exactly as it appears on the passport. Even a single letter or space difference, and you may not board the vessel. Fixing your name can be costly. A recent traveler had to spend $350 on a name change fee, plus the cost difference of rebooking the air at current rates compared to the cheaper rate they paid 10 months ago. All that just for a typo.
Zac@DaydreamVacations.com 817-559-7150
