The picture shown looks like 2 US passports put together. That's not uncommon. When I've had to replace my passport because they wouldn't add more pages but I still had valid visas in my previous passport they would attach them together.

Long term visas and HK eChannel were my reasons for adding pages (I'd rather carry one fat passport than two slender passports). My passport looks old and ugly; it's not something I'm the slightest bit proud of.

Yes I'm a business traveler and yes I can expense the fees. But the process of adding pages is a lot easier than getting a new passport. I just make an appointment, preferably late morning, drop off my passport with the simple application, go get lunch, swing back after lunch and pick up my passport with 48 pages added.

Why would I want to go through the hassle of getting a new passport?

To echo a previous poster, the multi entry, multi year visas in the existing one are reason enough. A bit more atypical but I've also had to hunt through the passport to find entry stamps when exiting to prove length of stay (or lack of overstay) when the entry point didn't actually run me through the computer. Either of those could require me to carry 2 (or 3 or more) passports so I'd rather just keep the fat and ugly one I have...though is does start to look odd as the inserts stick out farther and farther with each new one as they are added in the center.

Getting this done via ACS at US consulates/embassies was a breeze; but now with the electronic appointment system and the fee for the supplemental pages, I am more agnostic between using a US passport agency office to do the page insert or using ACS to do this outside of the U.S.

The U.S. would permanently bind/staple your expired US passort to a renewal US passport? When and where did that take place?

That is definitely not standard common practice nowadays for personnel employed by the State Department and it hasn't been for decades.

I think officially you're only allowed 1 insert and they seem to be stricter these days. (And after about 100 pages, it's gets to be pretty bulky for a shirt pocket and you get tired of waiting while immigration officials spend 2 or 3 minutes trying to find visas and entry stamps.)

My old 96 page passport was filled (>500 stamps,visas,etc). So I got a new one earlier this year.

Easiest way (expense aside) to do this is at a U.S. Passport Agency, of which there are about 25 located in large cities. You're supposed to get an appointment, but it's easy to walk in. They'll issue same day if you have a copy of an international airline ticket departing within a few days. Turn around time is a couple of hours.

As soon as they handed me the new 52 page book, I took it back to the reception window and requested a 48 page insert, which I got in about 15 minutes. I figured it was easier than going back and making a separate trip in a couple of years.

P.S. - The main problem with a new passport is remembering the new number. Now I always have to pull out the new passport in order to fill out customs and immigration forms.

Regarding thumbing through pages, paper clips are quite useful for organizational purposes.

'tis definitely one passport, albeit one with many issues.

Some of the consulates glued new pages in, other had them stitched in. I'm waiting for the day someone stamps my photo page...

Have any airline staff or immigration officials commented on the state of your passport before?

I certainly believe you because my old passport looks about the same as yours.

In my case, no serious issues with the size. But often it would get a laugh and they would show it to their partner the next booth over. Sometimes they would just flip through a page or two and not even bother to stamp it. And airlines never cared.

The only issue I had was that late in its life I spilled a bit of Nyquil on it which made the photo page look like it could have possibly been tampered with. But still they eventually let me through each time.

Yes, but mostly from immigration authorities who were either curious or amused; a few were paranoid that the inserted pages weren't legitimate.

Lots of curious or amused comments from airline reps but no paranoia from them over this.

Speaking of just my own experiences as a passenger.

Everyone commented, but really, it was more of a critique of the Department of State...

Yep! Ostensibly, it was because of you, GUWonder and I that they started to charge for additional pages...

In other news, itt was because of that passport - though really, it works for any passport - that I started carrying it in a Ziploc bag while traveling through humid countries. Otherwise, it would have looked like it was trampled by a tank.

I've said this before, and I'll say it again -- someone needs to start a "My passport is bigger than yours [w/ pics]" thread

A quick flip through shows 116 pages in my passport with 5 years left to go until it expires.