A Briggs Passport & Visa Expeditors

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.

————————————————

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.

REMINDER:

Starting Jan. 31, adult travelers re-entering the USA by land or via ferry or small boat must carry either a passport or a government-issued photo ID plus proof of citizenship such as a birth or naturalization certificate. …. The change here is that persons driving into the U.S. until Jan. 31st, can get in by just answering questions.

Children 18 and younger need only proof of citizenship.

Effective Jan. 31, 2008, U.S. and Canadian citizens (19 and older) will be required to present proof of citizenship, such as

1) a passport or

2) a birth certificate or naturalization certificate supported by a government issued photo ID, when entering the United States through land and sea ports of entry from Canada.

Children ages 18 and under are only required to present proof of citizenship (without ID), such as a birth certificate, naturalization certificate or passport.

If a birth certificate is presented, it must be a certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state. A photocopy of a birth certificate will only be accepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) if the original has been sent to the Department of State in support of a passport application. In such case, the traveler must obtain and provide proof of passport application.

These changes are significant as compared to the current and long-standing policy that allows CBP officers to accept oral declarations of citizenship from U.S. and Canadian citizens seeking entry into the United States through a land or sea border. Effective Jan. 31, 2008, oral declarations will not be accepted.

All persons traveling by land or sea to Canada to take either a valid passport or a government issued birth certificate and photo ID beginning Jan. 31, 2008.

All persons traveling by air should be reminded to bring a passport. The passport requirement for air travelers entering the U.S. from Canada has been on the books since Jan. 8, 2007.

Please note that travelers holding NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST cards will continue to be accepted for cross-border travel.

Eventually, at an unspecified date by mid-2009, the Department of State will require passports, or soon-to-be announced passport alternatives, from ALL travelers at ALL points, including air, land and sea, within the Western Hemisphere.

Prior to the effective date, the State Department intends to make available a Passport Card, which is specifically designed for land and sea travel from neighboring countries. The primary advantages of the Passport Card are that it will be less expensive and smaller than a traditional passport.

In addition, several states including Washington, Vermont and New York are creating an Enhanced Driver_s License that will, according to the CBP, also fulfill the proof-of-citizenship requirement at land and sea borders. Further details of these alternative products are unknown.

However, CBP says that ample notice of the exact date of implementation will be provided to ensure travelers can obtain the appropriate documents.

Since passports are the gold standard for entering and exiting the country from all foreign destinations, ALL travelers, including those traveling by land or sea in the Western Hemisphere, should be encouraged to obtain, and travel with, a passport.

Specific documentation requirements for land, sea and air travel may be found at www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/.

To learn more about NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST, visit www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/trusted_traveler/.

The State Department recommends that all persons obtain a passport for any international travel. If you need a passport or have questions, contact A Briggs. If you need an expedited passport, A Briggs can obtain one for you as quickly as one day.

————————————————

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

By James Brown

Some people simply can not afford to invest a lot of money in heavy duty plastic budget travel accessories that separate the various items that they place in their luggage when they are ready to travel. In the real world, it should not matter how things are packed or how orderly they are arranged in the luggage. Some people do not realize the importance of being neat, but still want to pack what they want when they travel.

The important things that people try to remember when they are packing their luggage is that all clothing articles should arrive dry and ready to wear. If they use some budget travel accessories to pack their clothes in, they the clothing items will be ready to wear after they are ironed a bit to knock the wrinkles out. Some people have never realized that the budget travel accessories will keep things safe until a traveler reaches their final destination.

Some budget travel accessories are very cheap and can be disposed of at any time during a trip. These disposable containers would be absolutely perfect for a traveler to store small items in. These budget travel accessories are available in several sizes too and would be perfect to place any type of lotion, shampoo or other liquid in.

The budget travel accessories that are most commonly used for this purpose are plastic storage bags. People use them all of the time for many chores and they are easy to replace because they can be found in discount stores and supermarkets. Plastic storage bags are equipped with zippered tops on them that perform exactly like the more expensive travel bags that someone might pick if they wanted to color coordinate their wardrobe right down to the travel accessories that they choose to keep their garments nice and dry and ready to wear.

New parents choose to use these budget travel accessories in a diaper bag. They learned from friends how these plastic bags would simplify their life. They found out quickly how these plastic bags would allow them to gain quick access to wipes and clothing and a teething cookie if they needed it. The plastic bags were used quite often by the new parents to keep the talcum powder under control.

Parents realize that traveling can get expensive and they have become comfortable with using these plastic bags all over their house. So, it seemed only natural for them to adapt the plastic storage bags to uses such as separating wet items from dry items in their luggage when they travel. When travelers choose to use these budget travel accessories they have more options. They can carry dental care items from their luggage to the sink and return them to the luggage without worrying about the wetness of the items.

These budget travel accessories have also been used to separate the dirty laundry from the clean inside the luggage. People use them to keep their glove compartment organized and to store spare change in for use on toll roads and ferries that they may come in contract with when they are traveling in their own automobile.

————————————————

Planning a trip overseas? You might need a visa. Click here to check the visa requirements for your destination.

About The Author:

James Brown writes about UK Travel Deals and Discounts.

The strikes in France continue and the future is uncertain, so even if it ends, it may start again without any advance notice.

We recommend staying away from France all together.

————————————————

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

Airports are installing services to reduce flight-related stress.

XpresSpa has day spas in 11 departure terminals, including DFW, Philly, and JFK. McCarran Las Vegas has a 24-Hour Fitness center where flyers can take classes. The Absolute Spa in Vancouver has yoga classes and a lap pool. Hotels at terminals in Detroit and Chicago O’Hare also have gyms for about $15 a day. Austin features local musicians weekday afternoons and a number of local restaurants have airport concessions. Vino Volo operates has wine bars in five airports and will add as many as 10 more in 2008.

The American Airlines Admirals Club at DFW has a kid’s room with computer games and cartoons. O’Hare has a play zone in Terminal Two operated by the Chicago Children’s Museum. San Francisco has Kids’ Spot in Terminal Three. Vancouver’s international terminal has a man-made stream that leads to an aquarium filled with 850 sea creatures and a 1,000-gallon jellyfish tank. Singapore’s Airport was named best airport in the world for the past two decades by Business Traveler magazine. It has exotic gardens, a two-hour tour of nearby Singapore, napping rooms, and a movie theater.

So, if you are stuck in a big airport with nothing to do or time on your hands, talk to folks in the know in the airport and ask them what’s available there for flyers who are going to be there for hours. You might find a pleasant surprise. And remember that if you are in one terminal, there may be something in another terminal.

More travelers are checking in from home, checking more luggage and carrying less on board, and using smaller regional to save money in the face of increased prices and flight delays according to Orbitz.com’s quarterly Traveler Update Report.

One third of air travelers are booking out of regional airports rather the larger ones to avoid delays. Two thirds are leaving for the airport earlier to insure they have plenty of time to clear security and get their bags checked. More travelers are booking earlier flights or traveling the night to make sure they get to their destination time.

The telephone poll was conducted in September among 838 people who traveled in the last 12 months. Orbitz hired Ipsos Public Affairs to conduct the poll.

————————————————

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

The requirement for having a passport or passcard for land and sea crossings into the U.S. has not yet been established as law. Everyone entering the U.S. by air must have a valid passport.

The government is talking about a date in mid-2008 to require a passport or passcard for entrance to the U.S. by land and sea, but we do not think it will be able to meet that date. Our expectation is that the requirement for having a passport or passcard for land and sea crossings into the U.S. will be implemented in the first six months of 2009, but certainly no later than June 30, 2009.

Meanwhile, until then, the government rules state you can enter the U.S. by land or sea with a state-issued photo I.D. and an original or certified copy of your birth certificate or a valid passport. If you are traveling by air and need an expedited passport, you can contact A Briggs for assistance.

If you are flying into the U.S., you must have a valid passport in your possession.

————————————————

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

So you are traveling to a destination for a one week or two week vacation and have two bags. What to do? What if it is lost? Do I want to worry about it?

Well, why not ship it UPS overnight. It’s not cheap but you can bet that it gets there and will be waiting you when you arrive. And you don’t have to carry it to the car or taxi, to the airport, through check in, through security, pick it up upon arrival, take it to the car/taxi and finally to the hotel.

If you ship it UPS (our favorite carrier for friendly service and reliability and price, unlike FedEx), they come to your door and carry it to the truck. You put your basics in a back pack and your on your way. You arrive at the hotel and your luggage is waiting.

And what the heck, since I’m doing that, I’ll carry a few more things that I might want to wear but wouldn’t carry if I had to carry it all.

Want to know more? You can look into luggageforward.com who’ll do it all for you.

A

————————————————

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

So you are traveling to a destination for a one week or two week vacation and have two bags. What to do? What if it is lost? Do I want to worry about it?

Well, why not ship it UPS overnight. It’s not cheap but you can bet that it gets there and will be waiting you when you arrive. And you don’t have to carry it to the car or taxi, to the airport, through check in, through security, pick it up upon arrival, take it to the car/taxi and finally to the hotel.

If you ship it UPS (our favorite carrier for friendly service and reliability and price, unlike FedEx), they come to your door and carry it to the truck. You put your basics in a back pack and your on your way. You arrive at the hotel and your luggage is waiting.

And what the heck, since I’m doing that, I’ll carry a few more things that I might want to wear but wouldn’t carry if I had to carry it all.

Want to know more? You can look into luggageforward.com who’ll do it all for you.

A

————————————————

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