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A Day Late or A Passport Short?
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, 03-07-2008 at 08:18 PM (72937 Views)

Bermuda, April 1971.............Spring break with my college girlfriends and I was certain I had died and gone to Heaven. So while there I made a promise to return on my honeymoon with the man I loved. Well, 3 (yep, count 'em 3!!) honeymoons later I, sadly,still had not returned. And then I discovered Luxury Link and an auction for Horizons & Cottages. One click and we were almost there! I could see the pink sand, feel it between my toes. Are we there yet? I was childlike with anticipation and glee! So much so that we arrived at the airport 3 hours early, presented boarding passes and passports and waited for seat assignments. The agent studied the screen for a VERY LONG time and then uttered the dreaded words: "It's coming up expired passport". With attitude I demanded: "Whose?" and she quietly said "Yours". Tears were instant. I HAD WAITED 36 YEARS!!! Please can't you just look the other way? We're nice, we're attractive, we're in love and I HAVE TO GET TO BERMUDA! It just wasn't going to work but Plan B was forming. Aren't we inWashington, DC? Can't I go to the Passport Office? Can't you put us on a later flight? And the answers were yes, yes and yes........ a day later. Horizons,Bermuda and the beatiful sand and surdwere worth the 36 year and 24 hour wait.And so was the my husbandwho never said a reproaching word except to remind me to stop crying because they would be taking my picture at the Passport Office! paularec aka corgigirl

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funtimes - 03-09-2008 03:46 PM
Oh what a very nice husband you have! My neighbor recently was excited to travel to Romania - Transylvania He is a bit of a nut for spooky/horror stuff Anyway I received an extremely early morning call stating "remember when you said you would always be available to help us - we are neighbors?" Yes - this was the call in your numbers so to speak .... I raced to their home finally finding the passport under the scanner. He was trying to be the good traveler by having extra passport copies around when he inadvertently left the passport on the scanner. Fortunately I was not stopped and raced his passport to him at the airport over a half hour from our rural home. Well I'll always have a good neighbor to call upon in an emergency myself now
Happy travels Great story...Funtimes
LL_Customer_Service - 03-11-2008 11:22 AM
I too arrived at the airport once with an expired passport. Same story - they would not let me on the plane. But if you have a plane ticket for international travel, you can get a passport in a few hours. I was blown away that an agency plagued by bureaucracy could operate so efficiently. This was in like 1990 - so I wonder if the whole Homeland Security department has changed any of that? Not sure. But the icing on the cake was the airline, SAS, moved my seats a day forward for free and upgraded me to Business Class. I lost a day of travel - but it all worked out.
paularec - 03-12-2008 06:35 AM
thanks, nice to know I'm not the only one! the airline and horizons both made the changes w/out penalty but no upgrade for me! the passport office was VERY strict and SEVERE! much more than i am sure it was back in '90. but i minded my manners, did what i was told, got it and got out! lost a day on the front but added on the back so, for sure, it all worked out. thanks!