Us Passport Requirement

Question:

Since Airlines such as AA have a very large presence in markets service tourist destinations in caribeean and central america, and since only a relatively small percentage of americans have passports, will this new requirement have any impact on travel to those destinations ?

Or will the impact be minimal beause the type of tourists going to the caribeean would be the type to already have passports ?

Answer:

Starting Janurary 8th 2007, US nationals will require a passport to re-enter the USA fro just about any trips outside the USA, notably to the caribeean.

Or will the impact be minimal beause the type of tourists going to the caribeean would be the type to already have passports ?

Or is this a case where airlines and tourist bureaus are taking pre-emptive actions to get potential customers to get their passports ahead of time so that it is not a show stopper when the time comes to book a winter holiday ?

I know that Trinidad/Tobago had setup a booth at Penn Station in NYC to warn potential tourists to first get their US passports (and hand them passport forms).

There have been ongoing informational campaigns to encourage people to obtain passports to travel anywhere outside the U.S. for some time so I don't see a problem. And systems are in place for rush issues (at a surcharge) if necessary so I don't see any major issues forthcoming.

BTW, JF, I am traveling to Quebec City for Christmas this year and my son's passport expired. He reapplied approximately 2 weeks ago, and I'll let you know when the passport is received.

It's certainly a problem for land crossings. The states and provinces along the border have been lobbying consistently to delay the start of the passport requirement. Most Americans still don't have passports.

I also believe that there are significant questions to the legality of such a policy, since it is my impression that US citizens have an absolute right to enter the US.

I am just wondering what percentage of the travelling population is really aware of the changes, especially those who do not travel often (such as once a year during winter holyday).

Have airline web sites and web based booking engines been updated already to remind/prompt customers of the need to have a passport when travelling from USA to anywhere else ?

But the government has the absolute right to determine what documents can be used to prove citizenship. And if you're going to standardise on a single document, "passport" is the right choice.

have US passport and only that one, born there, lived there, no criminal record. On my last visit to the States through JFK (big mess but not an issue in my opinion), lady from Immigration asked me to supply a US address. Told her hadn't chosen hotel yet. Replied to make up my mind quick or to go get lost. Mentioned to her t'was the kind of question being asked in some very specific countries and that there was certainly a Holiday Inn in town since that's always the address you'd give under such circumstances. Replied I wasn't allowed in. Had her call her supervisor who assessed situation within 5 seconds, handled me a hotel directory so I could randomly fill in some address, and escorted me through the checkpoint a bit sorry.

Is this symptomatic or an incident? What sense does that make from a security standpoint?

this is a slippery slope. Proof of citizenship should firmly rest with the Courts, not with administrations serving the Executive powers. An ID card delivered by the Ministry of Interior in most countries is not a proof of citizenship, yet it is made compulsory to carry, and administrations failing to issue those papers to those legally entitled to them are turning millions of people's lives miserable. There are many abuses in Europe today, administrative procedures often being devised as a burden. You'd also have countries requiring their people to apply for visas when traveling within the borders. Makes lots of citizens aliens inside their country when such visas are 'overstayed' or when employers keep their workers' IDs inside their safes, for instance.

That's true, but it's sort of tangential to the question. American citizens have a right to enter the US, period. There's no "only if you can produce adequate documentation" attached to that.

A passport will certainly speed the process but, if you're a citizen, the best the border patrol can do if they don't like your documentation is hold you while they investigate...so far as I know, they can't deny you entry because you don't have the paperwork with you.

When a person shows up at the border, he is not given any "American citizen" rights until he can prove he is an "American Citizen". So it is quite acceptable that a government be able to dictate the means by which a person can prove he is a citizen of that country.

Consider that the policy will also force other countries to require americans to produce a passport to enter that country simply to prevent that tourists from becoming stranded in that country because he might lack adequate documentation to be allowed back in the USA.

Anytime someone books a reservation for any of these destinations, they're reminded of the requirement and I'm sure they are by the hotels they book in as well. There will always be people who'll show up unpreprepared, but nothing you can do about that.

Ads have been running in all major NYC papers reminding people of the requirement and even small suburban post offices have been hosting "passport days."