ellinj

If I were to order a replacement for a lost passport today how long can I expect a replacement to take to arrive?

I have a trip mid September and am wondering if I need to use one of the expediting services that are out there.

squeakr

that said, when I renewed last year it took two weeks.

tom911

I sent in my renewal on July 9 to avoid the fee increases, and had an e-mail yesterday that it's still being processed and would take 4-6 weeks from time of application. It will be a full four weeks from their receipt of it tomorrow. Keep in mind their volume may be higher this month because of all the passport requests/renewals sent in to avoid the fee increases implemented on July 13.

cordelli

You can expedite it through the passport office without using a service. They are saying

ROUTINE SERVICE
As of ( Monday August 9, 2010 ), we are processing routine applications in approximately 4-6 weeks from the time of application.

EXPEDITED SERVICE*
As of ( Monday August 9, 2010 ), we are processing requests for expedited service, that include overnight delivery to and from the Passport Agency, about 2-3 weeks door-to-door*.

Anything more than getting it off to them tomorrow or Wednesday or I'd be considering using a service to handle it or if one is nearby an appointment at a passport office.

ellinj

Apparently I need to fill out the forms and take them to the post office. Do they mail them in for me? I selected expedited service and overnight delivery on return but I would like it to get there sooner.

cordelli

They can overnight it for you, for the overnight fees of course. Make sure to go Express, not Priority, so you can track it.

ellinj

Earliest I can get the papers out is Wed. Travel is booked 9/13 That seems a little bit tight. I think I will have to use an expediting service. Anyone have any recommendations?

dd992emo

Check out post #10 in this thread:

http://http://www.flyertalk.com/foru...earned-ft.html

Edit: I've apparently forgotten how to post a link. Check out post #10 in the thread "Best Tip You've Learned on FT".

cordelli

There's an extra http in front of the link (you probably didn't erase the default one that comes up in the insert link window)

here it is

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...earned-ft.html

squeakr

Passport
Had an issue with my passport and misplaced it last summer. I knew all about passport agent/expeditors who charge a healthy fee but get the work done and came onto FT to look for reviews/reccomendations on which one to use.

Hidden in one of the threads was this nugget (for US citizens only - other nations may have similar set ups): Call your Senator's office and they will assist you for free (well, on taxpayer money). I did just that late on a Friday afternoon. The friendly clerk/assistant sent me to a website, told me to fill out a certain form, fax it and to call them back ASAP (it was almost 5PM). The Senator's office could make a booking for me at the local passport issuing office/bureau (in my case then, DC), where I would show up with copy of originally faxed document and some other standard documents (if memory serves me right) on the next business day (in this case, Monday) at 8AM sharp and be out of the office with a new passport at 10AM (apparently it takes the ink 2 hours to dry).

All for free.

Although I found my passport in the end (later that evening - long story), if it was not for FT, I would have called an expediter and spent hundreds on a new passport I didn't need, and on top of that, a service I could have gotten for free.

ellinj

Found out that work is willing to pay, so money isn't an issue. Saving me a trip into Boston is an added bonus.