No passports stuck in Canada. Help Please.

[Snowwhyt]

I just arrived in Vancouver from Wisconsin an We leave Monday for Alaska. I'm with my daughter in Vancouver airport and I forgot the passports on the plane. Now they tell me they can't find them. How do I get on the ship?

 

[wilkeliza]

I just arrived in Vancouver from Wisconsin an We leave Monday for Alaska. I'm with my daughter in Vancouver airport and I forgot the passports on the plane. Now they tell me they can't find them. How do I get on the ship?

Is anyone at the US embassy? Unfortunatly it may be closed as it is a holiday on Monday. Have you checked every single bag you brought? Just double checked everything since the airline can't find them.

If you can't get another passport I don't know what your options are since it is an ount of US departure.

 

[tinkerone]

My question is how did you get into the country? You need a passport to get into Canada from the U.S. unless you have a trusted traveler card?? What are you using for customs to get into Canada?

 

[Aby]

I agree - make sure to check every single nook and cranny of your bags, jackets, purse, etc at least 2 more times, and have another person check too that hasn't already if you can. I know you've probably checked already, but I can't count how many times I've sworn something wasn't in my bag when it really was. Keep checking in with the airlines and insist (nicely!) that they check the entire area around your seats again, and also keep checking in with lost & found/security to see if they were turned in. Maybe the airline agents can also check at the next destination your particular plane went to to see if someone on the flight after yours found them and turned them in at the next airport - hopefully if that's the case they can get them back on another flight to you ASAP.

Hang in there - prayers that your passports turn up quickly!

Aby

 

[Snowwhyt]

My question is how did you get into the country? You need a passport to get into Canada from the U.S. unless you have a trusted traveler card?? What are you using for customs to get into Canada?

I just got off the plane 2 hours ago realize it was forgotten on the plane before we got to customs. I'm still at the airport with no passport and the plane is on its way to NYC with my passport.

 

[tinkerone]

I just got off the plane 2 hours ago realize it was forgotten on the plane before we got to customs. I'm still at the airport with no passport and the plane is on its way to NYC with my passport.

I'm so sorry to hear that. I don't know how your going to get out of the airport without a passport. There pretty strict. If you don't mind my asking, are you sure your pp is on the plane? Did you take it out and put it down? Do you know exactly where you left it on the plane? If your not 100 percent sure I would do what the others have been suggesting and take everything out of all pockets and pouches and look again.
I hope this all works out. Take a deep breath and stay calm. Keep us informed.

ETA-Check in with customs, they will probably be able to make some suggestions and for sure they will not make you sleep in the airport all night.

 

[Snowwhyt]

I agree - make sure to check every single nook and cranny of your bags, jackets, purse, etc at least 2 more times, and have another person check too that hasn't already if you can. I know you've probably checked already, but I can't count how many times I've sworn something wasn't in my bag when it really was. Keep checking in with the airlines and insist (nicely!) that they check the entire area around your seats again, and also keep checking in with lost & found/security to see if they were turned in. Maybe the airline agents can also check at the next destination your particular plane went to to see if someone on the flight after yours found them and turned them in at the next airport - hopefully if that's the case they can get them back on another flight to you ASAP.

Hang in there - prayers that your passports turn up quickly!

Aby

It didn't fit in my purse so I had to carry it. I also my other bag had FEs so heavy(wood frames with photos of Alaska with monthly calendars I made and all my heavy shoes and hampers that I hand drew the DCL logo on.) absolutely no room for the 3 ring binder that I kept the passports in.

 

[tinkerone]

Could you have left the binder at the check in at your departing airport? They might have it.

 

[Snowwhyt]

I'm so sorry to hear that. I don't know how your going to get out of the airport without a passport. There pretty strict. If you don't mind my asking, are you sure your pp is on the plane? Did you take it out and put it down? Do you know exactly where you left it on the plane? If your not 100 percent sure I would do what the others have been suggesting and take everything out of all pockets and pouches and look again.
I hope this all works out. Take a deep breath and stay calm. Keep us informed.

ETA-Check in with customs, they will probably be able to make some suggestions and for sure they will not make you sleep in the airport all night.

100% sure the 3 ring binder and it's in the magazine holder in the back of seat 19B my seat was 20B

 

[dcassetta]

https://ca.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/vancouver/

US Consulate office in Vancouver. They do have an emergency number.

 

[bumbershoot]

From their website...604-685-4311 is the number for the US Embassy in Vancouver. One page calls it the normal line, and another page calls it the emergency number.

However, they say emergency passports are only issued during normal business hours. And I can't be sure of it, but I think they would be taking the 4th off. But you gotta try, right?

Not sure if this will help, but look on facebook for USConsulateVancouver. (I would have given the link but I think for other reasons it wouldn't have gone through)



So you haven't gone through customs, right? And they'll require a passport. So you're going to have to get help.

Because the WHTI says

"What types of documents are accepted for entry into the United States via land and sea?

U.S. citizens can present a valid: U.S. Passport; Passport Card; Enhanced Driver’s License; Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST)..."

So if you had, say, an enhanced DL, and you could somehow get through customs, it seems you could board the ship (b/c leaving Canada and going to Alaska on a ship is entering the US by sea). It's that customs part that's difficult.


Call that number. Get on FB.


I'm so sorry this happened. It can be so stressful getting off the plane and trying to make sure you have everything.

Also, call every number at the airline you can. If the person in your seat looks in that seatback pocket, they'll find it. We once found someone's driver's license, and WE were more stressed out about it than the FAs were. We had to insist that they call the gate agent and get that DL to the person. Hopefully someone sitting in your seat is just that stressed out, and will insist that the FAs do something. If that's happening, and you are insisting from your end, maybe it will make its way back.

If you look at flightaware at your flight, you can generally see the next flight your plane is taking, and so on.

 

[SuperDry]

Wow - that's an interesting situation. AFAIK, passports are not required of US citizens for entry into Canada - a DL will do. But, you can't board a US-Canada flight without a passport, so it's usually a moot point. But in this case, where you have a US passport upon boarding the flight, but no longer have it when you reach Immigration Canada at the airport upon arrival, a DL should suffice to get you into Canada. But, how do you then get past US CBP before boarding the ship? The rule is that you must have a passport under all circumstances, and they don't have to grant an exception since you're not on US soil. Whether they will or not is just something you may have to try. Calling ahead is probably not going to help. If it were me, assuming that you can get admitted to Canada, and can't otherwise get your passports back in time, I'd just show up at the cruise terminal and see what you can work out.

The US consulate in Vancouver will have a duty officer on call 24x7 to help a US citizen in distress in an emergency. but I don't know if boarding a cruise vacation by someone that lost their passport would be considered an emergency. Such emergency consular assistance is really designed for people that land up in jail or some other sort of real trouble.

I don't know if this will help you or not, but I'll mention it anyway: If you can't get a passport replacement until Tuesday when the consulate opens, and can't get on the ship, you still can get back to the US earlier if you feel you must. The US border at Blaine, WA is less than a hour south of Vancouver. Rent a car, or otherwise get yourself there. Once you cross into the US, the border checkpoint cannot refuse entry to US citizens even though "passports are required" and you don't have them. Given you situation, I'd doubt that they would assess a fine. The best way to handle it would be to remain in Canada until you get your passports back, or get replacement documents from the consulate, but if you must get back to the US earlier, the land border is always an option.

Good luck!

 

[BigredNole]

Do you have copies? I know when I travel abroad with work, we are told to make photocopies of everything and have a copy in each of our bags. This is in case anything like this happens.

 

[Hundredacre]

Just to let you know. They will not let you on that ship without a passport. Disney will actually turn people away. We have been in a similar situation before but found it at the last minute. You have to insist with the airline that they recover them. Do not let up with the airline.

 

[Reddaisy]

And check with the airport in case another passenger noticed the binder when getting off the plane. They may have turned it in to someone at the gate????

 

[Steelers0854]

Wow - that's an interesting situation. AFAIK, passports are not required of US citizens for entry into Canada - a DL will do.

I'm sorry but this is not correct, you are still required to present proof of citizenship. They can accept a birth certificate and drivers license but just a drivers license is not enough to establish citizenship.

Unfortunately if you don't get your passports back from the airline you will most likely be denied entry into Canada and required to leave the country on the first flight back to the US at your own cost.

As others have stated I would try all the above numbers for the consulate and hope that a sympathetic individual can get you an emergency passport. But the airline would be your best bet. Hopefully the same plane you were on is scheduled to return to your airport. Also, depending on how long your cruise is you can still potentially catch up to the ship if you cannot board Monday depending on where your first stop is.

Best of luck, I can only imagine how stressful this is for you.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I'm so sorry to see this. I hope you have good travel insurance and that you'll be able to get on the cruise somehow, but if not, at least get some money back.

 

[Plaid Princess]

And check with the airport in case another passenger noticed the binder when getting off the plane. They may have turned it in to someone at the gate????

What airline are you flying? I would recommend trying to speak with the baggage office at the Vancouver airport. They are generally one of the only departments with an outside phone line. You can ask the agent to verify with the cleaning crew that the items were not picked up by them. This happens from time to time and it's just miscommunication between departments.

You might also try contacting the general airport L & F, as they likely coordinate with police who are often the ones who end up with important documents such as passports. The phone number for that is 1.866.817.5243. They will probably also have necessary local contact information.

If you can't recover the items I'd see about flying to Seattle... they have a big passport office with emergency services, and you might be able to turn around in time for your cruise?

You have to insist with the airline that they recover them. Do not let up with the airline.

Unfortunately, it's not the airlines responsibility to "recover" the passport. In this case the OP left her items behind. The airline will forward them to her if they are located, but it's on the passenger to remember their belongings.

 

[Hundredacre]

What airline are you flying? I would recommend trying to speak with the baggage office at the Vancouver airport. They are generally one of the only departments with an outside phone line. You can ask the agent to verify with the cleaning crew that the items were not picked up by them. This happens from time to time and it's just miscommunication between departments.

You might also try contacting the general airport L & F, as they likely coordinate with police who are often the ones who end up with important documents such as passports. The phone number for that is 1.866.817.5243. They will probably also have necessary local contact information.

If you can't recover the items I'd see about flying to Seattle... they have a big passport office with emergency services, and you might be able to turn around in time for your cruise?



Unfortunately, it's not the airlines responsibility to "recover" the passport. In this case the OP left her items behind. The airline will forward them to her if they are located, but it's on the passenger to remember their belongings.

I did not say it was the airline's responsibility. I said she should be very pushy and not allow herself to be dismissed by airline employees. Sometimes you have to "fight" for things. She should press them to follow the trail. At this point however it is more difficult. I am sure the plane has been turned over a few times already. Harder to track it down if it has been taken. Still, if it was not in that seat during the next flight, either the maintenance crew has it or a passenger who was on the next flight. Hopefully she has found it at this point. Sometimes things do turn up.

 

[CamColt]

Oh my goodness! What a tough situation! I do not have any good advice, but I am sending pixie dust that things have been resolved by now.