A Briggs Passport & Visa Expeditors

If you want to order one of the new a passport cards, get a passport application — it’s called a DS 11 and follow the instructions. On the new applications that will be available by February 1, 2008, you will find an option for applying for a passport card which you will select to order a passport card. Alternatively, you can order the traditional passport book with the same application.

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Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a Passport.

This is an exerpt from the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) Newsletter regarding Skybus Airlines:

Skybus Airlines Ceases Operations, JetBlue and US Airways Offer Standby FaresColumbus, Ohio-based Skybus Airlines has ceased operations effective April 5, 2008. Ticket holders who paid by credit card should contact their credit card company. Future bankruptcy updates will be provided at www.skybus.com. JetBlue will offer affected Skybus customers a special $50 one-way standby fare. This fare will be honored for any JetBlue destination within 100 miles of the original Skybus destination. Skybus customers must call JetBlue Reservations at               800-JETBLUE        (              800-538-2583       ) to list as standby customers and must show proof of Skybus purchase at the airport upon check in. All travel must be completed by April 13, 2008. Details can be found on JetBlue’s Web site. US Airways will also offer a $50 standby fare for travelers who were scheduled to fly on Skybus to/from Columbus, Ohio and Greensboro, NC. The $50 fee applies per non-stop leg and does not include applicable taxes and fees. See USAirways.com for more information.

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Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a Passport.

Salt Lake City’s airport is the location of a TSA experiment to speed up security checks and it appears to be working well and may be instituted in other airports.

Travelers in Salt Lake are separated into three groups, depending on the number of carry-on bags, whether they’re with children and other factors.

It is being done to separate those carrying a number of bags and those with children and strollers from those who can move quickly through the lines. The most likely airport to start the new system is the Denver airport.

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Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a Passport.

New technology is enabling travelers to refine their searches using of relevant intelligence.

The president of Internet start-up Kango.com said there are six to eight billion searches for travel information a year.

The number of searches is small compared to the major travel site like Orbitz, but it is growing fast. Users find the booking information they want, then book it directly at the site of the destination or provider. The search sites don’t charge fees and make their money through ads.

The two biggest companies in the industry, Kayak.com and SideStep.com merged in December, and handled 34 million searches in January.

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Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a Passport.

The U.S. State Department just issued a travel alert regarding travel to Serbia (Capitol is Belgrade) and Serbia (Capitol is Prisina). If you are in Europe or going there, stay away from that area.

Here is the alert from the State Department:

This travel alert is being issued to inform U.S. citizens of safety and security concerns from ongoing demonstrations in Serbia related to Kosovo’s recent declaration of independence.

This travel alert expires on March 6, 2008.

On February 21, a large organized demonstration in front of the Serbian Parliament in downtown Belgrade turned violent. Street protesters in different locations clashed with police and have attacked the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade. The U.S. Embassy in Belgrade remains temporarily closed to the public. U.S. citizens are advised to remain in a secure location and avoid downtown Belgrade.

The U.S. Embassy consular section will be closed on Friday, February 22, and Monday, February 25. U.S. citizens or family members concerned for the safety of U.S. citizens in Serbia or with an afterhour’s emergency may call 24/7 at 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada. Callers outside the U.S. and Canada should call our regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.

The U.S. Embassy in Belgrade expects that future gatherings and events protesting Kosovo’s declaration of independence, both official and unofficial, could pose security risks for onlookers and participants. Businesses and organizations with U.S. affiliations may serve as focal points for these demonstrations.

We wish to remind American citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. Avoid the areas of demonstrations and exercise caution. Since the timing and routes of marches and demonstrations are always subject to change, American citizens should monitor local media sources for new developments.

For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada, or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
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Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a Passport.

Beginning May 11, 2008, about one hundred million Americans might not be able to use their driver’s license to prove their identity when traveling on domestic commercial flights. If you hold a driver’s licenses or state-issued identification cards issued by Maine, South Carolina, Montana, Oklahoma, and New Hampshire, you might be one of them. Those states’ legislatures have voted not to participate either because of privacy issues or because of the added costs to the states.
Eighteen other states and the District of Columbia have rejected the Real ID regulations on privacy and cost grounds or have not yet agreed to comply. The 18 states that have not yet decided whether or not they will participate include TX, LA, MS, TN, MO, GA, FL, NC, VA, WV, DC, MD, DE, NJ, CT, RI, MA, WI, and MI.
Beginning May 11, if your state has not agreed to comply with the Real ID Act or has not asked for an extension, you will experience delays going through security at airports.
Travelers from these “non-Real ID states” will have to undergo delays and “enhanced security screening,” in the words of TSA, unless they have a valid U.S. passport book or card. About 27% of Americans have a U.S. passport and many more have applied for the new passport card which can be used exclusively for crossing at land and sea border. Both the passport book and the passport card will be acceptable, in lieu of a driver’s license, for proving identity for airport security clearance for domestic flights. The passport card cannot be used for international flights.

There may be a last-minute compromise before the May 11 deadline, but neither the Bush administration nor the states have blinked yet. Any substantive changes would require a new law to be passed by Congress and that is unlikely.
The Department of Homeland Security says the law is clear: a federal agency may not accept, for any official purpose, a driver’s license or state-issued identification card unless the state is meeting the requirements of the law or has agreed to do so. Thus TSA, a federal agency, will not accept driver’s license from non-participating states.

DHS has published almost 300 pages of regulations that states must comply with. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said that only criminals and terrorists should be “disappointed” with the Real ID rules.

DHS has offered states a five-year extension, until 2013, to issue the new cards, provided they agree to abide by Real ID regulations and submit a report describing its plans by May 11, 2008. Those that don’t will find their driver’s licenses disallowed at airports beginning May 11, 2008.

In the final rule released in January 2008, DHS extended the deadline a second time to December 1, 2017. Only states that can prove they are well on their way to implementing Real ID can qualify for the lengthiest deadline extension.

Here is the essence of the Real ID Legislation if you want to know the details

TITLE II–IMPROVED SECURITY FOR DRIVERS’ LICENSES AND PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION CARDS

SEC. 202. MINIMUM DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS AND ISSUANCE STANDARDS FOR FEDERAL RECOGNITION

Beginning May 11, 2008, a Federal agency may not accept, for any official purpose, a driver’s license or identification card issued by a State to any person unless the State is meeting the requirements of this section.

To meet the requirements of this section, a State shall include, at a minimum, the following information and features on each driver’s license and identification card issued to a person by the State:

(1) The person’s full legal name.
(2) The person’s date of birth.
(3) The person’s gender.
(4) The person’s driver’s license or identification card number.
(5) A digital photograph of the person.
(6) The person’s address of principle residence.
(7) The person’s signature.

To meet the requirements of this section, a State shall require, at a minimum, presentation and verification of the following information before issuing a driver’s license or identification card to a person:

(1) A photo identity document, except that a non-photo identity document is acceptable if it includes both the person’s full legal name and date of birth.
(2) Documentation showing the person’s date of birth.
(3) Proof of the person’s social security account number or verification that the person is not eligible for a social security account number.
(4) Documentation showing the person’s name and address of principal residence.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

A State shall require, before issuing a driver’s license or identification card to a person, valid documentary evidence that the person–

(i) is a citizen or national of the United States; or
(ii) is an alien lawfully admitted for permanent or temporary residence in the United States; or
(iii) has conditional permanent resident status in the United States; or
(iv) has an approved application for asylum in the United States or has entered into the United States in refugee status; or
(v) has a valid, unexpired nonimmigrant visa or nonimmigrant visa status for entry into the United States; or
(vi) has a pending application for asylum in the United States; or
(vii) has a pending or approved application for temporary protected status in the United States; or
(viii) has an approved deferred action status; or
(ix) has a pending application for adjustment of status to that of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States or conditional permanent resident status in the United States.

You can see here your state’s position on the issuance of Real ID’s by clicking on your state on the map.

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Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a Passport.

Going to China for the Olympics or for a visit or business?

You’ll have to get a visa first. A visa is a stamp in a passport obtained prior to entry.

To obtain a visa, you have to have a valid passport with at least six months validity and at least one blank visa page. If you don’t have six months validity, you will have to renew your passport prior to applying. If you do not have blank pages, you will have to add pages to your passport prior to applying.

To apply for a China visa, a personal appearance by the applicant or a representative at the China Embassy or consulate office is required. If you cannot appear in person, contact A Briggs and we can assist in acquiring your visa for you. China no longer allows visa applications to be mailed or shipped to its embassy or its consulates.

China offers single, double and multiple entry visas processed in one, two or four days at rates ranging from $130 to $160. Typically, single entry visas are enough for most people, however if you depart mainland china and return (for example, a day trip to Hong Kong), you will need to obtain a double-entry visa. A Briggs representatives can assist in determining the right visa for each traveler.

When applying for a China visa, it is very important that the applicant apply for the correct visa. We hear of many business travelers being advised by their agents to secure tourist visas because it’s “easier”.

If you are in China doing business and have an incident with the police or authorities and they learn that you there on business with a tourist visa, the applicant will be detained and fined. Chinese authorities are very thorough in their enforcement of immigration policies; therefore, it is imperative that all visitors comply with China’s travel document requirements.

For details on China visas, click here to view a detailed description of the process and requirements. Due to high call volume a dedicated toll-free number for China visas has been established.

Please call 1-800-417-4023 for a China Visa Specialist.

Note: Special permits are required to visit Tibet. China visa applications to visit Tibet require a Travel Permit issued by the Tourism Bureau of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Note: Applicants who were born in China must submit either their China passport or a prior U.S. passport with a China visa in the passport. Applicants born in China must put their names on the application in Chinese irrespective if they hold U.S. passports.

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Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a Passport.

Virgin Atlantic and British Airways were voted the most child-friendly airlines in a poll by guidebook publishers Rough Guides with 36%. Budget airlines did poorly — EasyJet and Ryanair got 6% and 2% respectively.

Fawzia Rasheed de Francisco, who conducted and wrote the study said, “…budget airlines tend to be allocated inconvenient gates in airports, involving walking long distances, negotiating stairs and buses etc.,” making it hard for parents traveling with small children.

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Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a Passport.

Continental Airlines will offer 36 channels of live TV to all passengers on new Boeing 737’s and 757’s beginning January 2009. It will also offer Wi-Fi including email and instant messaging.

The programming will include CBS, NBC, ESPN, MTV, CNN and Fox News. There will be no charge for first class and $6 for coach for the service.

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Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a Passport.

Going to China for the Olympics or for a visit or business?

You’ll have to get a visa first.

Here is everything you need to know to obtain your visa.

You have to have a valid passport with at least six months validity and at least one blank visa page. If you don’t have six months validity, you will have to renew your passport prior to applying. If you do not have blank pages, you will have to add pages to your passport prior to applying.

You will have to either appear in person at the Embassy of China or one of its U.S. consulates. If you cannot appear in person, contact A Briggs and we will secure your visa for you. China does not allow visa applications to be mailed or shipped to its embassy or its consulates. A personal appearance by the applicant or a representative is required.

Visas are required to transit China.

Special permits are required to visit Tibet. China visa applications to visit Tibet require a Travel Permit issued by the Tourism Bureau of the Tibet Autonomous Region in addition to other requirements listed below.

Single-entry visas must be used with three months of the date of issue. Double-entry visas must be used in three or six months, but are usually issued for use within three months. Recently single-entry visas have been extended to six months; however, there is no assurance that this practice will continue.

Multiple-entry visas are issued for use within either six or twelve months depending on the invitation.

You can stay in China for up to 30 days on each visit.

The validity of a China visa is not from the date you enter China but the dates issued on the visa.

China takes four days to issue visas. You can pay an extra $10 and secure it in two days or $20 and secure it in one day.

If you are going to China then Hong Kong and back into China, you will need to obtain a double-entry visa.

If you are traveling only to Hong Kong and do not plan to enter China, you do not have to have a visa. You can stay in Hong Kong for up to 30 days without a visa. You will need a valid passport. Each time you enter Hong Kong or Macao from the mainland, you need one entry.

Tourist visas are marked “L”, Business visas “F”, Student visas “X”, Work visas “Z”, Crew visas “C”, and Transit visas “G”. Single-entry visas are marked “1”, double-entry “2”, and multiple-entry “M”.

If you are traveling on business, do not apply for a tourist visa. We hear of persons traveling on business advised by some travel professional to get a tourist visa. Do not do that. If you are in China doing business and have an incident with the police or authorities and they learn that you there on business with a tourist visa, you will be in trouble. China is not the place to get into trouble with the authorities.

To secure your visa, the following documents must be presented:

Your valid passport with at least six months validity and at least one blank visa page.

One completed visa application form

One passport photo.

China consular fee for issuing the visa of $130.

If applying for a business visa, you must submit a letter from your U.S. employer indicating the purpose of your travel, duration of your stay, and taking responsibility for your moral and financial actions.

If you are applying for a multiple-entry business visa, you must submit an official invitation from the Chinese Provincial Government specifically requesting a multiple-entry visa.

For other types of visas, including single- and double-entry business visas, invitations from China are not required.

Applicants who were born in China must submit either their China passport or a prior U.S. passport with a China visa in the passport. Applicants born in China must put their names on the application in Chinese irrespective if they hold U.S. passports.

If you cannot appear in person, contact A Briggs and we will secure your visa for you.

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Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a Passport.