Originally Posted by
michab
Interesting to learn about that document - it makes sense that something like that would exist, but I’d never thought about it. Is it generally accepted in lieu of a passport globally, e.g. when it comes to the ability to enter various countries visa-free etc.?
Yes, most countries will accept it in lieu of a passport on the basis of several UN conventions covering refugees (though there are a handful that don't—largely authoritarian places). Most airline staff look at it as if it has three heads, but a TIMATIC search will clear that up since there is almost always specific information listed. Very very few countries accept them for visa-free entry, but notable exceptions—at least for US-issued documents—are Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Croatia...
There's a good overview on Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refugee_travel_document