For those flying out of DTW or BUF do you have passport for your kids?

[MomtoEmIs&Ow]

We are flying out next month, and I was just curious???? I have a passport, only because I went to the Dominican this spring, but DH and the kids do not. How many of you have passports for the kids?

[dangler]

We have passports for the kids, helped us get across the border no problem. We didn't need them past there. The kids were given boarding passes at the Detroit airport, the officer asked them their names and if I was their mom. That is all, they never asked for ID, only for 18 and older.
Hope that helps!:goodvibes

[Disneydaddycanada]

We have passports for both our children...I would want to take the chance of a mess up at the border or airport.

[mtmbyck]

We fly out of Detroit regularily and the adults do not have passprts nor do the kids. Since you are flying domestic, you have customs at the bridge as you drive across. Once you are there - you only need photo ID for guests 18 and older to board the plane. There is NO CUSTOMS since you are flying domestic within US.

I just read this is changing for June 2009 but for now you are 100% fine!

[iluvwesties]

Both my kids have had their own passports since they were babies at 6months old. I just renewed my son's passport at the Whitby office recently and it took less than a week to do :thumbsup2

I found it was always easier for the kids to have their own passport as I often travelled with them alone, but made sure I had a letter of permission from their dad saying that they were allowed to leave the country.


As someone else posted, as of June 2009 everyone will need a passport to fly or cross the border.

[MomtoEmIs&Ow]

Children under 16 will not need passports to cross the border in June 2009.

[cslittle999]

We have passports for the kids. It makes traveling so much simpler.

[disneyfan2]

i have passports for both my kids. Yes, it does make it easier. but because you are driving across the border, you can suffice with Birth Certificates for kids, and DH and his photo ID. If you don't plan on any travel in the next few years where you require a passport, i would pass on the extra fee. But it does make it much quicker to get through with one...;)

[hockey mom]

We don't have passports for our kids and trust me you will be just as quick as those with passports.:thumbsup2

[mickeymorse]

We don't have passports for our kids and trust me you will be just as quick as those with passports.:thumbsup2

:lmao: Gotta just love Homeland Security. Guilty until proven innocent at all border crossings.

[maryliz]

We have passports for our kids, and while it does make it much simpler at the border crossing, the security agents at the airport actually get annoyed if you hand them everyone's passports. They refused to even look at them, handed all 4 back to me and told me to only hand them the ones for the adults. :confused3 Took more time than if he had just looked at all 4 passports. ;)

So if you don't need them anytime soon, I wouldn't bother getting them just yet.

[snickerboo]

We don't have passports for the kids and I don't think they make them easier at border crossings because we've never had any issue in all the times crossing the border.

[fuzzy164]

You don't need a passport for any domestic flight in the USA but we got the daughter and the granddaughter their passports as we're over in the US alot shopping makes for a hassle free border crossing as HomerLand security tends to be a little stricter when you cross at 7 a.m. with a child.
:banana:

[jmann]

I have found it speeds things up to have our passports. We cross at Sarnia usually and I just hand the guard all of our passports. They scan them and we are on our way. Once at the airport I do the same...it's just easier.

[MomtoEmIs&Ow]

We cross at Sarnia quite frequently, and it is always very quick. I am not concerned. Just curious what others do. Thanks! :thumbsup2

[calgarygary]

For those that don't have passports, do you really want to be in the mess that will happen next year? I think that it will make last spring look like a walk in the park.

[cdnmickeylover]

I've said it before and I will say it again. The United States is a foreign country - yes we are neighbours, yes we are buddies but it is still a foreign country. Did and does my child have a passport to travel to a foreign country? - Absolutely. It proves his citizenship. His birth certificate proves that he was born in Canada but does not necessarily prove he remains a Canadian citizen. Now that he is well able to travel on his own he travels with a passport. I want him to be able to prove his citizenship should anything happen and he is anywhere other than in Canada. If the US status ever goes to 'red' again I want him to be able to re-enter Canada without a problem. It's not a matter of getting into the US -- it's a matter of being able to re-enter Canada without a problem.

If for some reason you have to fly back to Canada you will need a passport. Frankly I wouldn't want some hassle if I had a passport but my kids did not and it was an emergency.

Everyone should have a passport if they are going to travel to a foreign country regardless of what that foreign country is.

[mtmbyck]

Oh, and for the record, we bought DDs passports for their "build-a-bears" (build-a-bear sells these and tells you that they can get stamped wherever you travel) and so we asked the customs guy in Sarnia if he would stamp them and he looked at us like we had 4 HEADS! He said he doesn't even have a stamp in the booth. Nice try build-a-bear!

[Miss LD]

I've said it before and I will say it again. The United States is a foreign country - yes we are neighbours, yes we are buddies but it is still a foreign country. Did and does my child have a passport to travel to a foreign country? - Absolutely. It proves his citizenship. His birth certificate proves that he was born in Canada but does not necessarily prove he remains a Canadian citizen. Now that he is well able to travel on his own he travels with a passport. I want him to be able to prove his citizenship should anything happen and he is anywhere other than in Canada. If the US status ever goes to 'red' again I want him to be able to re-enter Canada without a problem. It's not a matter of getting into the US -- it's a matter of being able to re-enter Canada without a problem.

If for some reason you have to fly back to Canada you will need a passport. Frankly I wouldn't want some hassle if I had a passport but my kids did not and it was an emergency.

Everyone should have a passport if they are going to travel to a foreign country regardless of what that foreign country is.

That's exactly what our reasoning was.
We flew out of Buffalo when we went to WDW in July, but made sure we all had passports. There were too many "what-ifs".
Also when we crossed the border the border guard asked DS (4) several questions like whether we were his parents, where we were going (his answer "to Neverland" - too much pre-trip Peter Pan?) his age and if DD (3 months at the time) was his sister.
I have no idea why so many questions, but I was awfully glad we had photo id with us.

[MomtoEmIs&Ow]

That's exactly what our reasoning was.
We flew out of Buffalo when we went to WDW in July, but made sure we all had passports. There were too many "what-ifs".
Also when we crossed the border the border guard asked DS (4) several questions like whether we were his parents, where we were going (his answer "to Neverland" - too much pre-trip Peter Pan?) his age and if DD (3 months at the time) was his sister.
I have no idea why so many questions, but I was awfully glad we had photo id with us.

Where did you cross?

[disneyfreak89]

We fly out of Detroit regularily and the adults do not have passprts nor do the kids. Since you are flying domestic, you have customs at the bridge as you drive across. Once you are there - you only need photo ID for guests 18 and older to board the plane. There is NO CUSTOMS since you are flying domestic within US.

I just read this is changing for June 2009 but for now you are 100% fine!

That sounds good to me. My sister and nephew are flying out of Detroit and meeting us in Disney this fall and are on a limited budget, so if passports are NOT required to fly out of Detroit, then that will save her some money. Thanks.

[Miss LD]

Where did you cross?

We crossed at the Peace Bridge. I believe that is Fort Erie.
It's the only time he'd been questionned.

[realfam]

I think the whole passport thing is stupid. I had to make 4 trips to Walmart to have my 7 week old baby girls photo taken (eyes open, lips closed, no shadows, no shine, etc.) now that she is 6 months old, the picture doesn't even look like her anymore!
And my passport doesn't even have my proper name on it. They will not change/update passport name due to marriage. You have to either wait til it expires or start from scratch and get a new one. Just a money grab I think.

So much for security.....pictures that don't look like the person and names that don't match.....not real secure to me.

[Tantor]

So what happens if you have an emergency (god forbid) and have to to fly directly to Canada? I have known someone this has happened to and believe me they were happy they had a passport........... Just curious.
I personally would not take the chance. The passport is the ONLY ID that they have to accept.(as ID)

[pigletto]

My kids have passports and I am darn glad for it. We live quite close to the border and go over to shop and have been asked for them several times.

[MomtoEmIs&Ow]

So what happens if you have an emergency (god forbid) and have to to fly directly to Canada? I have known someone this has happened to and believe me they were happy they had a passport........... Just curious.
I personally would not take the chance. The passport is the ONLY ID that they have to accept.(as ID)

There would be no reason for me to fly directly into Canada unless it was an emergency landing in Canada. :confused3 Although on the flights I take we don't fly over Canada.....

My house is about the same distance from Detroit, and Toronto. I am not worried about it. I'd be able to survive in the States for a few extra days :) ANd all the border crossing websites say to have a passport OR birth certificate for kids...

I am not meaning to debate the whole issue. I was just curious what others did. That's all.

[disneyfreak89]

There would be no reason for me to fly directly into Canada unless it was an emergency landing in Canada. :confused3 Although on the flights I take we don't fly over Canada.....

I agree.....if there is an emergency, they can 'fly' them back to Detroit (or whichever city you flew out of closest to you) and take an ambulance across the border if the need arises.

I am not meaning to debate the whole issue. I was just curious what others did. That's all.

Me too. Point taken. :thumbsup2 I just spoke to my SIL who travels the states on a weekly basis and the kids don't have passports and they are always allowed across with their birth certificates.....and as long as you are flying domestic in the US they don't require passports either, just photo ID for adults and birth certificates for kids so that's good enough for me.

I also agree with a previous poster who believes all this passport talk is just a money grab. I remember we were in a 'panic' to get ours 2 1/2 years ago because they were telling everyone to get it before 2007, then they moved it up to 2008, then February 2009 NOW they have bumped it up again to June 2009! I give up! :faint: