Comments on: Your passport’s no good http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/your-passports-no-good/ Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott's site. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymous http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/your-passports-no-good/comment-page-1/#comment-85516 Anonymous Wed, 09 Nov 2011 01:18:00 +0000 http://beta.elliott.org/photos/your-passports-no-good/#comment-85516 Just revisiting an archived post, but if you add 6 months, then someone will just complain that it expires too soon and will ask for another 6 months.  A lot of people don't even check their passports until they're ready to book travel. Whether a US passport expires in the near future is not a problem with the US.  A US passport holder can get back into the US on a passport that expires on the day of reentry back into the US.  The issue is with other countries that won't issue a visa (or allow entry if a visa is not required) without a minimum validity on the passport. And what's the expense?  At $75 at the time of your message, a 5% loss is $3.75.  Anyone would really miss less than $4? Just revisiting an archived post, but if you add 6 months, then someone will just complain that it expires too soon and will ask for another 6 months.  A lot of people don’t even check their passports until they’re ready to book travel.

Whether a US passport expires in the near future is not a problem with the US.  A US passport holder can get back into the US on a passport that expires on the day of reentry back into the US.  The issue is with other countries that won’t issue a visa (or allow entry if a visa is not required) without a minimum validity on the passport.

And what’s the expense?  At $75 at the time of your message, a 5% loss is $3.75.  Anyone would really miss less than $4?

]]> By: Stephen Doggette http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/your-passports-no-good/comment-page-1/#comment-11860 Stephen Doggette Wed, 07 May 2008 23:19:54 +0000 http://beta.elliott.org/photos/your-passports-no-good/#comment-11860 from my experience in recent months with aa, ignorance, indifference, silence and rudeness are simply normal operating procedures. for my money, it's the "see you in court" article that will be addressing many of my future needs. from my experience in recent months with aa, ignorance, indifference, silence and rudeness are simply normal operating procedures. for my money, it’s the “see you in court” article that will be addressing many of my future needs.

]]> By: BriCo http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/your-passports-no-good/comment-page-1/#comment-11844 BriCo Wed, 07 May 2008 17:10:31 +0000 http://beta.elliott.org/photos/your-passports-no-good/#comment-11844 Yes, many people are in fact stupid; others are arrogant. I fly AA often and am very familiar with many of their policies. Once after landing in Chicago for a connecting flight, decided to change my departure flight. So I called AA, made the arrangements, and proceeded to the departure gate to get a new boarding pass (I never went outside the terminal's gate areas). I got the new boarding pass and asked the agent to put me on the airport upgrade list for the flight and she said I had to go to the AA ticket counter (outside security) and have them do it. I politely said, no, I have often asked/had gate agents add me to their upgrade lists, to which she replied "I have been doing this for 14 years and you are wrong." I asked to speak with a supervisor and she said SHE was a supervisor, so that went nowhere. I reluctantly boarded the flight and sat in coach (don't you feel for me?). I contacted AA Customer Service and they verified I was correct and the gate agent wrong. So I asked for that policy in writing, and they emailed it to me and I now carry it with me "just in case". My point is that even when people appear to know what they are doing, and even when you know they don't, many time circumstances prevent you from prevailing (at the time). Yes, many people are in fact stupid; others are arrogant. I fly AA often and am very familiar with many of their policies. Once after landing in Chicago for a connecting flight, decided to change my departure flight. So I called AA, made the arrangements, and proceeded to the departure gate to get a new boarding pass (I never went outside the terminal’s gate areas). I got the new boarding pass and asked the agent to put me on the airport upgrade list for the flight and she said I had to go to the AA ticket counter (outside security) and have them do it. I politely said, no, I have often asked/had gate agents add me to their upgrade lists, to which she replied “I have been doing this for 14 years and you are wrong.” I asked to speak with a supervisor and she said SHE was a supervisor, so that went nowhere. I reluctantly boarded the flight and sat in coach (don’t you feel for me?). I contacted AA Customer Service and they verified I was correct and the gate agent wrong. So I asked for that policy in writing, and they emailed it to me and I now carry it with me “just in case”. My point is that even when people appear to know what they are doing, and even when you know they don’t, many time circumstances prevent you from prevailing (at the time).

]]> By: trate http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/your-passports-no-good/comment-page-1/#comment-11833 trate Wed, 07 May 2008 15:07:03 +0000 http://beta.elliott.org/photos/your-passports-no-good/#comment-11833 it seems that more and more those behind the desk are getting stupid .thier lack of knowledge of where countries are in the world and what can and can not be used is scary for airline personal .as more americans get passports and travel surely the education of airline personal should keep up? it seems that more and more those behind the desk are getting stupid .thier lack of knowledge of where countries are in the world and what can and can not be used is scary for airline personal .as more americans get passports and travel surely the education of airline personal should keep up?

]]> By: james little http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/your-passports-no-good/comment-page-1/#comment-1967 james little Wed, 02 May 2007 18:55:25 +0000 http://beta.elliott.org/photos/your-passports-no-good/#comment-1967 Re passport expired within 6 or whatever months. I intend to write my member of congress. Since the primary purpose of a passport is to use it, the ten years is short changing us by five percent. Cure: add a half year and that overlap would eliminate a huge inconvenience and expense. The cost of the outsourced "service" has raised price every renewal we have made significantly. Maybe we need civil servents back? Re passport expired within 6 or whatever months. I intend to write my member of congress. Since the primary purpose of a passport is to use it, the ten years is short changing us by five percent. Cure: add a half year and that overlap would eliminate a huge inconvenience and expense.

The cost of the outsourced “service” has raised price every renewal we have made significantly. Maybe we need civil servents back?

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