Flying without a Passport question

[Think I'm Tink]

Hi! My DH and I are planning a wonderful holiday to WDW. Right now we're disagreeing over whether we should get passports for us and our kids (16 and 15). I phoned the passport office and the man I spoke to recommended that we get passports since we're flying, but said that it is not required. He just said that it helps prevent delays.

What kind of delays would he be talking about? 10 minutes? 45 minutes? 3 hours?

We're leaving from Winnipeg so we should clear US customs here, isn't that right? If we're clearing customs here, would there be a problem at the airport in Minneapolis where we change flights? Don't want to miss our plane!! How about for the return flights home (reversing trip Orlando-Minneapolis-Winnipeg?

Sorry I've got so many questions for my first post!

Donna

 

[cabmom]

Welcome to the DIS!

I always cross with my passport. If it's recommended by the passport office it's probably a good idea to get them!

Marilynn

 

[cdnmickeylover]

First off, welcome to the Dis.

While it's not required passports are recommended and I, for one, wouldn't travel outside of Canada without one. Delays could occur if someone in your party doesn't have the proper identification such as a driver's licence or birth certificiate. Delays could also occur if the US raises its threat warning. How long these delays are depends. My brother had a friend who was denied entry into the US because he forgot his wallet at home and didn't have any ID on him.

Also for your 15 year old -- the passport is cheaper and lasts just as long as an adult passport. Found this out when I got my then 15 year old his passport. So it saved some money rather than waiting 3 months and getting it after he turned 16.

We drive and have to show identification crossing the border. Have never had a problem using passports.

 

[GrannyEv]

I think it would be crazy to take the chance and not have a passport. When I went in May with my DD and DGD (she is 10)we all had them. Made it much easier. I would hate to have planned for a trip for a year only to get to the border and be turned away. Better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Snowwark]

Welcome to the DIS, Donna, and especially to the Canadian Visitors board!

I'm a big advocate of passports. Although you may not have a problem with customs, the peace of mind you have when you do have passports, is well worth the expenditure, imho.

Kim

 

[RoyalCanadian]

I would just add a "me too" to all the other posts. There is no reason NOT to get a passport. While it is quite possible to travel without one -- it is the universally recognized travel document. Nothing guarantees your passage into the USA -- but a passport is definitely the way to go.

 

[Debbie]

Five of us got our passports last May. (DD and I had ours, and, since they are about to expire, I sent my last week. Fingers crossed that it won't take long by mail!). We really pushed to get them before my middle one turned 16 in June. Yep, saved some money....and had family time while they all met at CAA to get the pics done.

 

[Quadman]

Hi and Welcome.......

Dont know when your travelling, but.....

One question I would ask myself is... What will happen between then and now in and to the US?..... What will their passport policy be in a week from now based upon events that have not yet happened. It's impossible to answer these questions and them best form of identification when travelling outside of Canada (possibly indise too) is you passport.

So, I'd get one, we have them for our family.

 

[hockey mom]

Our family of 5 does not have nor do we plan on spending the cash for them. We have never had a delay of any kind with our birth certificates as I.D. We have never had any official tell us things would have gone quicker or smoother if we had passports. I am not saying it couldn't happen but I don't think you need to stress without them.

 

[Amberle3]

As a travel agent I always advise my clients to travel with a passport. I use mine even travelling within Canada. It's so much easier at the airport. You have to show your ID for every flight segment, when checking in at the counter, when going through Customs - I keep expecting to be asked for it when buying a soft drink! It seems everyone else asks for it. How nice to only have to dig out 1 piece of ID.

A passport is the ONLY official form of ID that is undeniable proof that you are a Canadian citizen. While a birth certificate is well and good, when it comes right down to it nothing beats a passport. Newer passports are all barcoded, computer scanned and watermarked. It's pretty easy to fake ID, it's much harder to fake a passport these days.

I went to a DIS meet last weekend at the Second Cup. The beverage I had there cost more than the monthly cost of a passport.

Other things to consider:
- As someone else mentioned, you have no idea what's going to happen in the world tomorrow nevermind when your travel date is. September 10, 2001 most of the world had no inkling of what was going to happen the next day.
- The US can change their pasport requirements at any time, and without notice. I've been hearing October as a probable date for over a year, although so far I haven't seen any indication of that. However they have changed their passport requirements for other countries, and it's really just a matter of time before Canadians are required to have one too.
- Even with a passport the US is under no obligation to allow anyone other than a US citizen to cross the border.
- For those that say the US would definitely give us notice if they were to change the requirement for a passport, under "normal" circumstances that might be so. Unfortunately since 9/11 "normal" circumstances have changed dramatically, and should something else happen in the US then you can bet they'll want passports immediately.
- Even if the US does give notice that they'll be requiring passports, that's bound to cause a great backlog at the passport office. Longer lines, longer wait times, longer processing times. Better to get them now.

 

[MECH8T7]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=622318

IMHO, you should get one. I think they are easier to replace if lost than the other documentation you would be bringing (birth certificates or citizenship cards). Should you decide to go to another foreign country in the next few years (e.g., U.K., Caribbean), you won't have to rush around and get one. And, quite frankly, they are harder to misplace than card-size birth certificates and citizenship cards.

 

[SKFamily]

We flew in July without passports. Our TA said they weren't necessary and for a one-time trip wouldn't be worth the expense. There were people at the airport with passports, lots of them. Some of them took longer to get through than we did. One group was very upset because "in spite" of their passports they were put aside for a more detailed check. (heard this story on the plane coming home)

We were also told that there was absolutely no way someone without proper ID would get through a border crossing in a vehicle. Well, he did. Go figure.

If you feel more comfortable with passports go get them, but we were certainly glad we didn't spend $300+ for them. Nobody even questioned us not having them. When they asked for passports dh said "we don't have them... just the rest of our ID" The first US customs official said "That's just as good'.

 

[Hockeychic]

I can tell you my experience. I just got home last night, one of the last flights allowed to leave from Orlando Airport before Jeanne hit....whewwwwwww

We drove across the boarder as we where flying out of Buffalo. No one asked for drivers licence or birth certs of any of us. Just citizenship, where we are going and how long.

Next morning we flew out of Buffalo Airport I showed my drivers licence twice and no birth cert, they didn't even ask my citizenship. They only asked my kids their names. Again coming out of Orlando airport only drivers licence twice and no other questions or ID for any of us.

Now that being said, I know the US gov't has the right to change this at any time but we had no problems at all.

Overall I was very diappointed in the level of security at the airport, nothing has changed since 9/11 except 2 people at Orlando airport infront of us where asked to remove their shoes....

 

[maryliz]

I just ordered my passports last week. I too was not planning on getting them because we've never needed them. And yes, overall for the 5 year term, they're not that expensive, but the gov't won't accept a monthly payment option of the price of my coffee I think the deciding factor was watching a co-worker try and get a replacement birth certificate. I've decided that once the passports are in my hand, all birth certificates are going into the safety deposity box never to be seen until we order new passports.

Oh, and where they now ask for additional "ID", the form says to provide "at least one", so I had driv lic for both DH and I. She insisted on having 2 pieces, which of course I didn't have for my DH and he was not reachable that day. She did accept my writing down his SIN (gee, I hope it was right ), but I told her that since the form doesn't say that 2 are required, I didn't think it was fair that she wasn't going to process his. After all, I had original birth cert, driv lic and a marriage certificate.

And my kids just have the wallet size birth cert and they were fine ... I know that some people have had to provide the long-form ones for their kids. Guess it just depends on who you get. WOW ... these folks could go and work for CRO

Mary-Liz

 

[Think I'm Tink]

Thank you all for all your advice! And to whoever mentioned CAA - a double thanks! I had forgotten that my membership entitled me to passport photos, which was a sticking point for my DH He didn't want to pay WalMart $40, so now we don't have to!

I showed this thread and the other one to my DH and he now agrees with me that it is a good idea to get passports for "peace of mind".

 

[SKFamily]

"Overall I was very diappointed in the level of security at the airport, nothing has changed since 9/11".


That's what I thought, too. I had more hassles with US customs 12 years ago. WAY more hassles, and passports wouldn't have done me one ounce of good.

 

[Mortlives]

One other thing about passports, I don't think anyone has mentioned yet is that a birth certificate cannot be replaced while you are outside the country. A passport can. If you lose BC or DL or both, and that's what you were travelling on, you may have quite the time getting back into Canada. A passport can be replaced at the consulate, and is fairly routine for them.

Passport pictures are a CAA benefit? Rats! I don't want to say what we paid for ours.

Kungaloosh!
Morticia.

 

[Think I'm Tink]

Originally posted by Mortlives


Passport pictures are a CAA benefit?

Apparently not. I checked their website and it said I can get up to 4 free in a year. But I phoned to see if I needed an appointment and just on a whim double-checked that they were no charge. And she said no! $8.95 for mine (I'm a member), and $12.95 for the rest of the family (non-members).

So we went to WalMart.

P.S. Why do passport photos look so scary? LOL

 

[Amberle3]

First of all, if CAA is advertising free passport photos then you should be insisting on the free passport photos. Talk to the manager of the location if necessary, and if that doesn't work write/call the main office.

Second, for those who are not CAA members Costco takes pictures too, I think they're $5.99

And regarding why passport photos look so scary - remember they now want you to look in the photos the same way you'll look when you're crossing the border. SO, all you have to do is imagine yourself being on a plane for hours, connecting in a busy airport, delayed flights, screaming kids, the kid behind you that keeps kicking your seat and the guy in front who's reclined fully and is pressing against your knees. Then imagine standing in line for 45 minutes with your tired kids hanging on you before you get to the Customs officer, and THAT'S how they want you to look in the photos!

 

[maryliz]

I think they might be free if you're a CAA Plus member. My DH and I got ours free, and I had to pay for the kids (they were $21 or so for both kids).

My DSIL had hers done at the mall at Black's and paid over $20. Yikes, I better not tell her about the Costco price

Mary-Liz