 You might need a passport with new rules.
U.S. citizens will be required to have a passport, Air NEXUS card or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document for air travel to Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda by Jan. 8, 2007.
The new regulations are part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative through the Departments of State and Homeland Security.
However, land or sea trips across the U.S. border and nearby areas previously required just a copy of a birth certificate, but passports or other documents determined by the Departments of State and Homeland Security are anticipated to be required by U.S. citizens by Jan. 1, 2008.
The departments have also proposed regulations for a new travel document called the PASSport card, an alternative type of identification for U.S. citizens traveling across land borders or on cruises to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean.
But the details on land and sea travel are still being worked out, Tara Marsh, travel consultant for Jade Travel in Manhattan said. The regulations have been changed a few times already, Marsh said, especially with regard to cruises.
“They have changed, and they have still been working out the details on this,” Marsh said. “They may change again. This is probably the third change.”
Jim Hanni, executive vice president of the Kansas region of American Automobile Association, said the change in passport regulations has not been too difficult for his agency to handle.
Manhattan’s AAA office has experienced an increase in business, Hanni said, which has not been the trend across the state.
“Overall, we’re down as far as traffic this year, probably about 3 to 4 percent,” he said. “We think that is an effect of gas prices this year.”
Marsh said she has not seen any change in planning by travelers despite the passport regulations. Some hotels and companies are offering discounted prices to entice people to travel.
“It really hasn’t affected it too much,” she said. “I don’t think it’s been discouraging people at all. We are seeing a lot of discounts to help in paying for the passports to help alleviate the cost for some people.”
Although the number of people planning to travel next year has not seemed to change, Marsh said the number of passport applications has increased.
For those planning trips during the winter and into January through Jade Travel, Marsh said a lot of people do not have passports but are aware that they need one. Even though passports are not required until after the first of the year, Marsh said the agency suggests that people who might be traveling in the future should apply for passports now.
The number of passport applications to process has increased this year for Sam Collins, a post office passport clerk. Collins said people are planning trips for spring break or summer vacation and are trying to get their passports processed expediently.
The workload has been balanced by increased hours at the passport office, Collins said. The office, previously open from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, has extended its hours to 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
With the volume increase, Collins said passport applications might take up to eight weeks to process now, an increase from the four- to six-week time period.
Marsh said people are complying with new regulations without much resistance.
“We’ve had a few people moan and groan about the cost,” she said. “But most people, it’s been pretty neutral, because what else can you do?” For more info on passports visit the official US Passport Site . To discuss this and other travel issues visit our Travelers Forums . |
