Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Our clients well-being is very important to us. We are keeping up with daily reports from the CDC and the U.S. State Department travel advisories. With the spread of coronavirus, travel companies and airlines are relaxing cancellation and change policies. Information changes daily, so please call or e-mail us regarding your vacation plans.
REAL ID – Important Information
President Biden Postpones Real ID Requirements Due to Virus Concerns.
What was to begin October 1, 2021, has now been postponed to May 2023 for Pennsylvanians to obtain a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, photo ID card, or another form of federally-acceptable identification (such as a valid passport or military ID). This will eventually be required to board a domestic commercial flight or enter a federal building or military installation that requires ID.
Getting a new REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or photo ID card is optional for Pennsylvania residents, but will be required if you plan on using this as your government issued photo I.D. when checking in for domestic flights. If you choose to use your valid Passport or Military ID, it is not necessary to obtain a new driver’s license with REAL ID. Please visit www.PennDOT.gov/REALID for more information.
12 Packing Hacks to Live By! As featured in Jetsetter magazine:
Passport News:
Passport prices have increased! As of December 27, 2021 – New Adult passports are now $165 and Adult Renewals are $130 and children under 16 years of age will now pay $130. Adult passports are still valid for 10 years and child passports are valid for 5 years.
The State Department has discontinued its practice of providing extra passport pages by the end of the year. Travelers will have to renew their passport when their pages run out, though the agency said it will offer a larger, 52-page book for new passport holders.
We are currently advising clients to use the passport agency’s Expedited service to insure your passport will arrive within eight weeks.
Things you didn’t know about your passport:
Most countries require your passport be valid for at least 6 months from the date of your return.
Anyone under the age of 16, will have a passport issued that is valid for 5 years. Anyone over the age of 16, will have a passport issued that is valid for 10 years.
Fall is the best time to renew your passport. According to the State Department, the best time of year to renew your passport is early autumn when applications are at a low before Thanksgiving and holiday rushes.
You don’t have to pay for a passport photo!
The picture must be a 2×2 square, unaltered and on a white background, but you’re allowed to take it at home! The rules do not stipulate that you stand in line for hours at Walgreens.
You may denied boarding if your passport doesn’t have enough blank pages.
“Some countries require that your passport has two to four blank visa/stamp pages,” reads the State Department website. “Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement in not met.”
If you are a frequent traveler, you can get an XL passport with extra pages — for free!
A traditional U.S. passport comes with 28 pages, but you can request a 52-page one for free when you apply for your first passport or renew an old one. You can also add pages to an existing passport, but that will be an $82 fee.
If you obtained your passport after 2007, there’s an electronic chip in it.
That chip on the back stores the same personal info printed on your passport’s photo page, plus a biometric identifier (aka a digital image of your face). If you have one of these “e-passports,” agents can use facial recognition technology to confirm the passport is indeed yours.