New Passport Fees Begin Later This Month

If you are in need of passport-related services, now may be the time to start the process. That's because the U.S. State Department is upping several fees beginning July 13th. For example, the total cost to apply for an adult passport will increase from $100 to $135. Been doing some extensive travel and need new pages? Before that was free of charge, but come July 13th, an $82 fee will be assessed. Here is a listing of all current fees, and new fees effective July 13.

How to Add Pages to Your Passport

By Mike Grasso

Frequent international traveler? Running out of room in your passport for all those Visa's? Easy fix. Simply mail your passport to the U.S. State Department and request extra pages be added. How much might you expect to pay for such as service? $20? $40? Actually...it's a FREE service from our federal government. Even the postage to ship it back to you is FREE. It gets better: The turnaround time to process extra pages may take several weeks according to the application, but my recent experience had the passport back in my hands in under 2 weeks. Now that is our government in action!

So if you are running out of space in your passport, now may be the time to send it in for some extra pages. Click here for more information.

inFLIGHTout Travel Tip: Scan Your Passport

When you travel outside the U.S, some people recommend you keep a copy of your passport in a separate location, such as your luggage or wallet. This way, if your passport is ever lost or stolen, you have a copy to provide officials. Great advice!

In addition to a photocopy, consider scanning a copy of your passport and saving into your email box or other online file server. A scanned copy is crisp, clean and colorful, appearing a little more legitimate than a photocopy, particularly important when you need to work with government officials in a foreign country to secure your flight out of the country. Provided you have Internet access, a scanned passport is readily available anywhere you find yourself traveling in the world.

inFLIGHTout Travel Tip: Discounted Passport Photos

Save a few bucks on your next Passport and/or Visa photo by visiting your neighborhood Costco store. Costco charges members only $4.99 for a pair of photos. Other companies normally charge upwards of $10-$15 for the same service. Click here to find your local Bay Area Costco store.

inFLIGHTout Travel Tip - Scan Your Passport

When you travel outside the U.S, some people recommend you keep a copy of your passport in a separate location, such as your luggage or wallet. This way, if your passport is ever lost or stolen, you have a copy to provide officials. Instead, or in addition to, consider scanning a copy of your passport and saving into your email box or other online file server. A scanned copy is crisp, clean and colorful, and looks pretty legitimate (although it is still just a copy). Plus, you have a copy of your passport anywhere in the world you may be, provided there is Internet access to retrieve it.

Traveling internationally this summer? 9 things to do now!

From Lydie over at the wonderful travel is more fun with kids blog comes some useful tips for those planning a summer vacation. Lydie has crafted 9 points to start considering now, in preparation for this summer's big voyage.

It is always exciting to book tickets to visit another country. My family is always looking forward to discovering new monuments, new food, new parks, new people, etc. But there are some not-so-much fun paperwork that has sometimes to be taken care of. So if you have booked your tickets, here are 9 things that you need to do right now.

Tip 1

Check the expiration date of all your passports. Some countries, like Thailand and Singapore, ask that you not only have a passport that is valid during your trip, but that you have at least 3-6 months of validity after you leave their country. If you need to renew your passport, pay extra for the expedited shipping: you do not want to be left behind!

Tip 2

Make a copy of your passports and give a copy to a family member who won’t be on the road with you. If your passports get stolen or lost, it will be easier to have them replaced if you have a copy of your information. You can also email yourself the passport numbers and date of issuance so you can easily retrieve the information, just in case.

Tip 3

Inquire for visas. Do not assume you do not need a visa even if you are visiting for a day. Check that information with the appropriate consulate. If you booked your travel through a travel agent, he or she should take care of the paperwork for you.

Tip 4

Check the immunization records of the whole family and make sure that no specific immunizations are needed. The CDC www.cdc.gov/travel has an extensive list of recommended vaccinations and shots on a country by country basis. Be sure to consult your doctor as well.

Tip 5

Call your medical insurance company to understand how you are covered abroad. Check if your credit card provides any travel health insurance. If not, you might consider buying travel medical insurance.

Tip 6

If you are planning on driving, make sure you do not need an international driving license and if you need one, apply for one. If you are renting a car abroad, be aware that you will most likely get a stick shift car, so be prepared!

Tip 7

Be aware of the difference in electrical plugs and voltage in some countries like England and Australia. You can buy plug adapters at your local hardware store or online, click here.

Tip 8

Ideally, have some cash from the country you are visiting with you in case you need to take the taxi when you arrive or buy something right away. It will make your life simpler instead of looking for an ATM or currency exchange kiosks just after landing with tired and jet-lagged kids in tow.

Tip 9

Call your credit card company to let them know that you will be traveling abroad. If they see activities on your bank account abroad, they may deny the charges and cancel your credit card if they can not confirm the purchases with you. Always bring several cards with you when traveling in case one does not work. Be aware, that if you are using your ATM card, certain countries like France only have a 4-digit PIN number system. If you are trying to withdraw some cash and you have a 5-digit PIN number, you will not be able to withdraw money. Visit your local branch to inquire about this.

Bon Voyage!

Rite Aid $3.99 Passport Photos

Bay Area residents living near a Rite Aid store can appreciate this weeks circular. On the Photo Shop page (page 12 locally, but may vary by market) advertises Passport photos for only $3.99 a set, after a $4 rebate. Best of all, Rite Aid rebates are submitted electronically, saving you the hassle of submitting forms and receipts by mail. Passport photos can often cost between $8 and $20 elsewhere. Click here to view this weeks Ride Aid circular.

Effective today, U.S. Citizens traveling by air to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda must present a passport to enter or depart from the United States. It is always strongly recommended that U.S. Citizens verify the specific documentary requirements for their destination country as well. The previous temporary policy which relaxed documentation rules expired on September 30th. Bring your passport!