A Briggs Passport & Visa Expeditors

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.

———————————————-

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.

————————————————

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.

————————————————

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.

————————————————

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

A new program signed into law on December 27, 2007, will allow international travelers to register in advance of travel to speed their passage through security checkpoints at U.S. airports.

The government will publish guidelines for the program within about a year. It will be similar to the domestic Registered Traveler program that private contractors operate at U.S. airports.

————————————————

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

A new program signed into law on December 27, 2007, will allow international travelers to register in advance of travel to speed their passage through security checkpoints at U.S. airports.

The government will publish guidelines for the program within about a year. It will be similar to the domestic Registered Traveler program that private contractors operate at U.S. airports.

————————————————

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

Passport Update on new Passport Rules From A Briggs Passport & Visa Expeditors

January 4, 2008

FIRST: New regulations go into effect on January 31st that require all persons entering or re-entering the U.S. to show proof of citizenship. Prior to that date, persons can continue to prove citizenship verbally.

Proof of citizenship can be accomplished by presenting a valid passport, an original or certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate, or an original copy of your certificate of citizenship or naturalization. We recommend a passport because it is the only document that proves both your citizenship and your identity.

SECOND: The Department of State, the agency of the Federal Government that issues passports, issued new rules regarding the new passport card on December 31, 2007. Here is a summary of everything covered in the new regulations. As you will see, there are more rules to be issued in the future telling citizens when and how the State Department will begin issuing passport cards. When and how the State Department will begin issuing the passport cards is not yet known.

1. The State Department will issue passport cards. The official name of the document will be “passport cards.” State will continue to issue “passport books” which up until now we have known as a “passport.”
2. The passport card is valid only for passage through land and sea ports between the U.S. and Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda. The passport card cannot be used for flights into or out of the U.S.
3. The passport card will be issued to citizens in all 50 states but it is exclusively for use for land and sea entrance to the U.S. Passport cards cannot be used for international air travel.
4. Passport cards can be used for identification for domestic flights. Remember: the passport card can be used as government-issued proof of identity and proof of citizenship. So, if you do not have a driver’s license and need identification for passing through security for domestic travel, you can use your passport card for proof of identity instead of presenting your driver’s license.
5. Passport cards have the same validity as passport books – 10 years for adults 16 and over and 5 years for children under 16.
6. Citizens will be able to apply for a passport card at any acceptance agent on the same basis as a regular passport.
7. Passport books must be signed on the signature page by the passport holder to be valid. Passport cards do not have to be signed to be valid.
8. The passport cards will be able to be scanned at U.S. borders when a person is in the vicinity of an electronic reader that will be operated by U.S. border control officials. The chip in the card contains only one item of information – a unique identifying number that has meaning only inside the secure database of the State Department and Homeland Security Department. There is no personal information such as name, date of birth, social security number, etc. stored electronically on the chip. So, if someone did pick up the signal, they would not be able to use the data to learn anything about the holder.
9. The execution fee for applying for a passport card is $25. The execution fee for applying for a passport book is $30.
10. The fees for obtaining a passport card for persons without a passport are as follows:
    • Adults: Total $45 — $20 application fee, plus $25 execution fee
    • Children under 16: Total $35 — $10 application fee, plus $25 execution fee
11. Persons who have a valid passport book (Remember: a “passport book” means a person who has a “passport”) and who are applying for a passport card (in addition to holding a valid passport) are not required to pay the execution fee. Thus, persons with a valid passport who also want a passport card can apply for $20.
12. The government may permit alternative documentation for land crossings such as driver’s licenses issued by states that have established methods for determining citizenship acceptable to the Federal government. Several states have already submitted proposals to the Federal government. This matter will be addressed in subsequent regulations issued by the Federal government.

We’ll keep you posted.

————————————————

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

There is a huge ice storm in the Mid-west that is causing flight delays and cancellations, 550 of them in O’Hare Airport alone.

If domestic travel is planned, check the weather developments.

————————————————

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

We trust you have heard about the registered traveler program. The idea of this program is that participants pay $99.99 and get limited security clearance — the federal government checks to verify your name is not on any terrorist watch list, and then you get an I.D. card that you use to go to the head of the line at the security checkpoint at participating airports listed below. More airports are considering participating and we expect many more to do so as the program gathers speed.

80,000 travelers have signed up as members. If you travel out of any of the airports below with any regularity, we recommend signing up. The I.D. members are given includes their finger prints and iris scanned onto the card. The only problem with the card is that it is not accepted by the Transportation Security Administration — but it will get you to the head of the line. Members still have to show their driver’s license or passport when going through security checkpoint at airports.

The system is evolving and we expect it to improve its operation and add more airports, but long term we think its main use for members will be to avoid waiting in lines at airport check points. The participating airports and airport terminals at this time include the following:

Air France (operating out of Terminal 1 at JFK);
AirTran Airways (operating out of the Central Terminal at LGA);
Albany International Airport (ALB);
British Airways (operating out of Terminal 7 at JFK);
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG);
Indianapolis International Airport (IND);
Jacksonville International Airport (JAX);
Little Rock National Airport (LIT);
Norman Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC);
Orlando International Airport (MCO);
Reno/Tahoe International Airport (RNO);
San Francisco International Airport (SFO);
Virgin Atlantic (operating out of Terminal B at EWR);
Virgin Atlantic (operating out of Terminal 4 at JFK); and
Westchester County Airport (HPN).

————————————————

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

There was an interesting article on MSNBC’s website in which a former airline public relations executive “confesses” the inside skinny on how airlines make decisions about fares and how they cover their mistakes.

Here is a sampling:

It’s very hard to get a refund on non-refundable tickets unless you have a death or natural disaster.

Be suspicious of fare sales — only a “few people get the cheapest fares.”

The best deals are on the airlines’ websites.

————————————————

Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a visa and check the requirements for entry.