I read through posts. Still not sure what to do. My wife's passport expires in Feb. 08. No passport travel plans on the horizon, I guess there is a chance we would go some where in January.

So should I expedite or not?
I'm almost willing to pay the extra $60 so I don't spend 10 weeks waiting for it.

Just got my passport back yesterday. 12 weeks exactly without expedited service.

Did not like being without it, so if I had to do it over again I would pay the $60, even if it's more like 7 to 10 days processing.

SunLover

I sent mine off on July 5th expedited and it arrived on july 13th.

It was about 250 bucks including fedex.

The letter telling me how to check on line on my passport status arrived yesterday.

Thank you US government. I dropped my expedited application at the local post office 2 weeks ago, and was told to expect 4 weeks at least (I was replacing a lost passport).

My check to the state department cleared and I received my passport yesterday. Suffice to say, I was very surprised with the turnaround. I was also impressed with the significant improvements they've made to the passport itself. My last one was issued in 1998.

I have to say, I've been really nervous the past couple of weeks without a passport. It's weird not being able to go on international flights. I felt naked.

Good luck to everyone else still waiting, maybe things are turning round?

Mrs k. sent hers in for renewal July 2nd - regular rate, non-expedited - and received the new one yesterday: 2 weeks to the day. Seems like they're getting caught up.

fabulous!

received notification today that it has been mailed.
5 weeks. not too bad

Perhaps. But it seems to me like it might say more about their horrible workflow system in which processing times are erratic than that they have their act together again.

I had the problem of running out of places to stamp in my passport. I still have nearly 4 years on it. I had already been yelled at by US Imm. for not having a blank space. As I travel intl. so much I did not want to give up my Passport even with expediated service. So, on my cruise from CPH I went to the US Embassy in Tallinn, Estonia and within 15 minutes had the pages added. No fuss, no muss, no charge. Don't know if they can do renewals but if they can and your current passport is still valid but will expire shortly it may be worth a shot.

..........of having to wait for a passport. ?
First of all, any one posting on these sites ( 'Frequent Flyer' and such ) should know when their passport will expire. I mean they look at it at least once when flying, and "frequent" at that.
So, why do they wait until the last moment to apply ?
Even years ago, when a passport renewal took about 2/3 weeks, I always applied for the renewal about six months out.
Just don't blame the agency for being slow or understaffed.
Any 'Newcomers' to international travel surely make travel plans for such an undertaking at least six months ahead of scheduled trip. They are the ones most likely applying on time and getting the document on time.
So, all you complainers, compare this issue with road/car travel through the sticks of Kansas, leaving a town late at night, knowing the next town is at least 80 miles away, does not have a filling station, at least not open at night, and you forgot to get gas at your departing town before they closed at 6:00 PM.
Even the few in dire need of travel because of an emergency can not make up the bulk of affected not getting their passport in time and therefore making National News Headlines.
Enlighten me.
As always: I stand corrected.

While I agree with you about renewing early, you must understand that many of us "frequent fliers" can't go weeks without a passport, for just that reason: Frequent flying.... If you only have a month break between international trips, what choices do you have? It's either Expedited with both ways FedEx or nothing for many of us, and some can only renew by taking time off and going to the nearest passport agency for an appointment. For example, my daughter had a name change and had exactly 6 weeks between trips to get a new passport (she was 16). We did the expedite + FedEx method and had her passport within 10 days.

But I get truly annoyed with INfrequent travelers who do not have passports (including many of my friends). They don't get around to renewing or applying until way too late in the game, and often I have last minute opportunities for a great trip and can't find a friend with a valid passport to come with me. These are the people clogging the system at the moment... The INfrequent travelers who never thought they would need a passport to go to the Bahamas, and don't even know that the passport agency has a webpage. Often the people who never had a passport to begin with. I have a friend who applied for her passport expedited in June for an Aug. 1 trip, and who is panicking... I asked her about the FedEx, etc, she whined that "nobody told her that she could use FedEx". I had actually told her, but she blew me off when I mentioned it.

And I *sort of* blame the government for this particular mess. I think there was not enough "fair warning" for many of these infrequent travelers, and they weren't prepared for the onslaught of applicants. When you make such changes, you should expect such response. (Plus I think they went through a period of denial, publicly underestimating the renewal/application timeliness.)

Robin

That's a good way to get additional pages added. Renewals are not printed in the embassies and consulates any longer. Embassies generally issue only short-term travel documents in travel emergencies and process renewals for printing in the US.

When the passport agency says that a renewal will take six weeks and you have 15 weeks until travel, I don't consider that waiting "until the last moment". (They have since adjusted those times, but, even so, they aren't consistently meeting them.)

As has already been pointed out, if one travels frequently, one tries to find the international travel lull in their schedule and applies at that point. There is absolutely no reason why State can't process passport renewals in a consistent and timely fashion. More importantly, citizens should be able to expect that the provided time frames accurately reflect actual processing times.

Another reason for all of the frantic stories in the press is that State requires travelers to wait until 14 days prior to travel before speaking with a rep about getting a passport resolution. At that point, things have to happen pretty quickly for anything to happen.

Whew - finally arrived after 13.5 weeks.

Practice tip: When you are completing the forms, tell them you plan to travel within the next 12 weeks. That seems to expedite the process, though - as indicated throughout - there is no guarantee no matter what you do.

After waiting her 10 weeks without a passport in sight, my daughter contacted our congressperson and explained her situation.

The office was extremely understanding and helpful.

The passport was delivered via FEDEX within 5 days.

We were so relieved and grateful but that is their job.

So, try contacting your congressional representative ....

Susan

received in mail July 22 = 40 days from post office picture to delivery...