Please excuse if a dumb question...Can you explain about the locator no.? Is this something I can request for possibly faster service? Are certain locations/locator no. faster/better? TIA.

looking for any help/suggestions etc.. I have been calling relentlessly but not at 7:45 AM (and waiting till 8 to hit 1, will do that tomorrow morning)
applied, expedited, in 1st week of November, 2021...nothing yet...they refuse to give any info...local congress woman also submitted a request on our behalf..last week..but nothing yet...

I did make a reservation at a Hilton in Toronto (for next week) and have been telling them I will be driving...how exactly will they check the reservation..do they have a way? they keep asking for the confirmation number..and I give them...but am not sure what they do with the confirmation number

is it better if I actually have a flight confirmation number? I can do that....I just thought they have no way to tell..but once they give an appointment..I can then make a real reservation and take it with me...

1) will it help if I have a real airline reservation? instead of a hotel in canada!!
2) will it help/can I simply just apply for a new passport..marking the old one "lost"...the presumption here is state lost the application/passport...(why would it take more than 3 months...)

Data point

Applied for Renewal using Routine service
• Mailed: 2/10/22 via USPS
• Delivered: 2/12/22
• Shipped: 3/7/22
• Received: 3/9/22

Mailed to which center? Did you receive a NexGen (new type) passport?

Mailed to Irving (Dallas). No I did not get a NexGen passport.

Mine says it's approved as of yesterday (3/12); last time I remembered to check and it still said in progress was Wednesday (3/9). Application was delivered on 2/17, and locator was 34 (Charleston).

From eyeballing this thread, it seems like something may have changed with the email system mid-late summer? Looks like no one has reported receiving any emails since July or so.

Interesting, I hadn't noticed that, but I signed up for email updates and received none. (My new passport arrived last week.)

Hey beepyou ... if you happen to remember, where did your returned original documents come back from? (May not be the same as where the passport was printed.) Just curious since 17 is an office that doesn't appear on any of the known lists so far.

Adding a data point on appt availability as there aren't a lot of recent ones in this thread:
Called yesterday morning Mon 3/21 at 8am on the dot, looking for an Atlanta agency appointment for travel Sat 4/2. (I believe this was the earliest possible for this departure as they're not open weekends... didn't try Friday which would have been 15 days out.) The only options at that agency were 8:30am and 9am 4/1 (which worked for us, so we didn't ask about other agencies).

Applicant already has an expedited DS-11 that's reached the In Process stage. If that gets approved this week we may be able to cancel the appointment.

Folks on Reddit report that it need not be either/or: you can start the process expedited by mail/acceptance facility, and if later going to the agency in person, they can transfer/finish the existing application using the locator number, and charge a lesser fee (possibly $35 for in-person execution, but fees already paid would be applicable). Will report back with a data point if we end up needing to do this. When initially starting this process ~4 weeks before the trip, it seemed like a gamble to choose which route (too close for the official expedited turnaround, though sometimes faster in practice, and too far out to know if any in-person appointments would be available). Hope this info may be helpful for others in the 2-5 week "uncanny valley" period.

Also, a couple of suggestions for Atlanta local acceptance options:

• There is a USPS Mega Passport Center at 1920 NE Dresden Dr, Brookhaven (North Atlanta PO, near Buford Dr) that accepts walk-ins, replacing the now-closed Midtown office. Inexplicably, this is not shown anywhere online and the USPS directory doesn't state that this location does passports at all. This was a 3-4 hour wait the day we tried with only a few windows open. One plus is the hours are Mon-Sat 9a-6p (very few other Saturday options including other POs).
• The DeKalb Superior Court Clerk takes walk-in applications (only) -- great service and had no wait the day we went. It's a bit hard to find, on level G of the further back tower after clearing security.
• GSU Clarkston takes adult walk-ins as well as appointments (no personal experience here).

Anyone know where locator #11XXXXXXX is coming from? I don't see it on any list?

DP for Minor Passport Renewal (same as new application), regular service and mail

Appointment: 2/28
Check cashed: 3/9
Locator #57 (San Fransisco)
Approved: 3/29
Passport received: 3/31

Child renewal-routine
 

Arrived at passport center: 3/30/2022
Check cashed: 3/30/2022

I'll update as more info comes in.

Sent to Philly or Irvin? Thanks