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I booked a flight for 01/20/07 from MSP (minneapolis) to STT over two months ago after reading that I could travel to the USVI without a passport. Then I read that your airline carrier can sometimes require you to have a passport anyways or they won't let you board. So I called northwest airlines and was told by a customer service rep AND a supervisor that I would be required to have a passport or would be denied boarding. I'm leaving in 7 days and have no passport, only a birth certificate and drivers license like I was planning on flying with.
So I thought I was screwed but then my girlfriend called me and said she had also called (because i told her what they told me) and she said she talked to a supervisor who said I would only need a photo id and birth certificate?
Are all airlines this unorganized, or just northwest? Am I going to be able to get on a plane in a week?
Such an open ended topic covering the state of Homeland Security, airlines in general, NWA in particular...
Legally, you are not required to have one.
Legally, NW airline can require one as 'policy'.
Your experience confirms that employees in any large company are confused if not trained properly.
The key is, who will meet you at the gate...the supervisor you spoke with or the one who spoke with your girlfriend?
Either way, I think you will get on board just leave enough time if you have to argue your case. Better if you have the name of the supervisor your girlfriend spoke with as 'evidence'.
Next time, get the passport and avoid this altogether.
This is directly from the US government website. I have included the link. Print this from the website and bring it with you. Most importantly don't take no for answer if they attempt to deny you boarding. I manage a travel agency and just had a client denied boarding due to a passport issue. No matter how many times the passenger tried to tell the gate agent she was wrong the gate agent wouldn't listen and would not allow the passengers to board the aircraft. Needless to say the ticket agent was wrong. The passenger is a Federal judge who has now filed a case in conciliation court for the cost of the airline tickets, the cost of their hotel (they lost the entire amount) and nearly $4,000 in damages due to a lost vacation. I have no doubt the airline will be required to pay. The airline employees are NOT always correct. You need to do your homework and provide proof you are right!!!
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html
The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory. U.S. citizens returning directly from a U.S. territory are not considered to have left the United States and do not need to present a passport. U.S. territories include the following: Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Here is another link for you to look at and print out.
From the US Dept of State's website:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html
Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)
The proposed implementation timeline has two phases:
Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable.
As early as January 1, 2008, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible. Ample advance notice will be provided to enable the public to obtain passports or passport cards for land/sea entries.
The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory. U.S. citizens returning directly from a U.S. territory are not considered to have left the United States and do not need to present a passport. U.S. territories include the following: Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Travel Documents for U.S. Citizens Under WHTI
Under the proposed implementation plan, the following documents will be acceptable to fulfill document requirements:
U.S. Passport: U.S. citizens may present a valid U.S. passport when traveling via air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda, and may also use a U.S. passport when traveling via sea and land borders (including ferry crossings).
The Passport Card (also referred to as the PASS Card): This limited-use passport in card format is currently under development and will be available for use for travel only via land or sea (including ferries) between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. Similar in size to a credit card, it will fit easily into a wallet.
DOS and DHS also anticipate that the following documents will continue to be acceptable for their current travel uses under WHTI: SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST, and the U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document. As proposed, members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty traveling on orders will continue to be exempt from the passport requirement.
Pia
Being right isn't necessarily the right thing to do. I am sorry you are having trouble with the airline but you had two months to get passports in place. I hope anyone else that is reading this takes head and gets there passports. In all likelihood by the time you go the airline will have this straightened out. You don't need the passport by law but life is a lot simpler when you have it. This law and the dates associated with it have changed almost annually for the last three years. The bottom line is the governments want everyone to have passports the tourism industry keeps getting the dates changed and rules rewritten to try to help people with travel but its just not worth the hassle. You are spending thousands of dollars for a great vacation spend a few hundred more and get everyone in your group passports you won't regret it. And as said before no day trips to the BVI's without one.
Good luck and enjoy your trip.
Just a warning about getting those passports. I went to the post office yesterday and the lady there told me to get our passports for MAY ASAP. It's now 6-8 weeks and the expect it to go to 10-12 weeks very soon.
Hi everyone.
I think you can get passports in one day if you go to a US Customs Passport Agency (not the Post Office). I did this a few years back when I was dating someone who told me on a Tuesday that he wanted to take me to Paris that Friday. I went down and got my passport the same day. I did have to pay an expedite fee, but it wasn't too much more.
Here is the link to the Gov't Web Page for Philadelphia's agency where it talks about the 1 day process.
I assume some other cities also have this option. (??)
http://travel.state.gov/passport/about/agencies/agencies_899.html
Hope this helps someone.
So, what's the deal now? Do children need passports at this point? We are headed back to STT in Feb and my D has no passport. (yikes!)
I'm thinking with all the confusion....it's just better for all to go get a passport....period!
After the first of this year, I don't think I would chance it not having one....
And yes,,,,I'd get one for my children if I were travleing with them!
