Any updates? I can't find any.

I've seen nothing different changing the expected Jan 1, 2016 date for the new passports.

Additional passport page insert service is being discontinued. The fees for that are ending, more or less along with that service.

Edit: Never mind. I was thinking of another thread.

Time to merge with this one:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/pract...l#post25629432

New more secure version of US Passport
 

Thanks GUWonder, it's just that Jan 1 is only about 6 weeks away and if they were going to reveal a new design they would be boasting about the innovative the design. As far as I can tell all they're really "committed to" is elimination of the larger passports and page addition. The language about the introduction of the new design book is vague. Maybe they have a few million books of the current design they want to use first.

The larger passports are not going to be eliminated.

You're right, though, that they probably want to exhaust their current supply.

I too haven't seen any updates on this, are we sure of the date?

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-201...2015-09719.htm mentions items which are in the newly designed "next generation" US passports. Someone mentioned to me that they think they heard that Kerry had already seen the new design some time back earlier this year. I've not cared to confirm that, so you can discount it however you wish. I'm pretty sure this newly designed passport is used in 2016. Whether or not it's January 1st, definitely not sure and it may vary from post to post even after the first of these go into circulation for ordinary passport users.

I emailed the NPIC and this is the reply I got today. Guess there is no info on the redesigned passport yet.


"Thank you for contacting the National Passport Information Center.

We do not have any information on passport updates for 2016. Please continue to check www.travel.state.gov for the most up-to-date passport information.

For further information, please refer to our website www.travel.state.gov or call (877) 487-2778, for TDD/TTY users 1-888-874-7793 (Mon-Fri 8:00AM to 10:00PM ET; excluding federal holidays). If you need to contact us again by email, please include all prior messages/correspondence in your reply so we can review what has previously taken place.
Thank you.
National Passport Information Center
Agent #"

It does not seem right that whenever the State Dept redesigns the passport, it never announces what the future design might be or collect any input from the public about it. This is the document that kind of represents the USA abroad, but the general public cannot even provide their feedback on this matter before this document is finalized and approved.

Most countries do passport redesigns without really caring about input from the general public. The US is truly not exceptional in this regard.

When was the last time the public's opinions made any difference
in how the State Dept re-designed the US passport? :)

My passport will expire in a few short months. Guess there's no
chance of the new one coming one, so I'll just have to settle with
renewing now and getting the current design. :(

The new design of the British passport is a good example
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/architecture-design-blog/2015/nov/05/design-blunders-of-the-new-uk-passport-a-very-british-mess

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...-passport.html

Took them long enough. Polycarbonate bio pages are a no-brainer. Many European countries have one, and it's surprising that <redacted by moderator> never caught on until now. The perforations, too...