Travel plans put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic are back on!
State Department officials issued a record number - more than 20 million - of passports last year. Earlier this year, department officials stated it's on track to break that record this year, calling the passport demand "unprecedented."
An increase in demand can mean increased delays for travelers like Ruth. She and her son, Ben, planned a once-in-a-lifetime trip together.
"He chose Alaska. He loves animals, he loves nature, the water..." Ruth said, listing some of the top attractions that guided Ben's interest.
The mother and son booked an Alaskan cruise for mid-July. Their trip goes through Canada, which means both will need passports.
"I had started the process back in December," Ruth recalled. But she says it was nearly impossible to get an in-person appointment. Ruth says she expanded her search for an appointment to the entire state of Arizona, finally able to schedule an appointment in April.
"Our departure date was four days before the maximum length of 12 weeks," said Ruth.
According to the State Department's website, current processing times for passports are 10-13 weeks. This means Ruth and Ben may not receive their passports in time.
Ruth decided to pay to have their passports expedited, which takes 7-9 weeks, but was told there are no guarantees.
"How do you break your child's heart and tell him we can't go on the vacation that he's so looked forward to?" Ruth questioned, saying she constantly refreshed the website searching for any update on the status of their passports.
The emotional impact of waiting with uncertainty and the possible financial losses if the trip didn't happen began to grow.
"I would only get 75% of the total cost back and that's only in a cruise credit," Ruth explained, adding she had pre-paid for shore excursions Ben would enjoy and had to buy appropriate cold weather gear for both of them.
With just hours to spare before their initial flight, good news, Ruth had all of the documents they needed to travel in hand. Her message of relief: "We made it!"
Ruth isn't the only traveler playing the waiting game with a trip on the line.
A slowdown of passport renewal requests during the COVID-19 pandemic and then a rush of applications after the pandemic created a big backlog at the State Department.
Senators James Lankford (R -Okla.) and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) introduced legislation to address the passport backlog. The legislation proposes a 12-week processing time requirement for the State Department and a tracking system so applicants can more easily see updates on how their application is coming along.
Travelers with imminent trips or a "life-or-death emergency" have other options. If your departure date is within two weeks, call the National Passport Information Center to make an appointment at a passport center or agency.
You can find a list of passport agencies and centers online.
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