Originally Posted by
cheltzel
Many of the expediting services have pre-arranged appointments reserved. You can find them all over the web. I have used travisa in the past, but there are other businesses that offer this kind of service.
I was able to get my son in the next day via travisa in a similar situation about 4 years ago in Chicago.
Again, there are several places that offer similar services, I recommend you research several and get the best deal for you (fastest service, lowest piece, or whatever you require).
Indeed they squat on appointment spots, thus making it somewhat harder for ordinary persons to plan to use the passport agency offices without dealing with these intermediaries. Giving them business rewards them for blocking appointment spots that often go unused and would help others with planning. But when desperate, paying a price comes with the territory, even as it is avoidable by just showing up in Chicago.