Passport Cards

[sail7seas]

I'm a consular officer in Jamaica (which also covers cayman) and you'd be surprised how many of those flights we unfortunately handle. I'm a fan of always being prepared!

 

 

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Great you posted this message.

It's so important for people to understand there are situations we cannot anticipate but when there is an emergency, who wants to have to deal with travel documents along with whatever else is happening.

 

I wonder if you or someone can explain why a passport card is not acceptable for domestic flights? I understand why it cannot be used for International Air Travel but why is it of less value than a driver's license?

 

Thanks anyone who can answer.

 

[kitty9]

I just looked into passport cards for our children, but they aren't good for air travel so it's kind of like what's the point... to me anyways lol. birth certificates serve the same purpose as the card. if you're worried about having an emergency and having to fly home mid cruise, the passport book seems the best way to go. just my opinion :)

 

It depends on air travel to where? I use my passport card for domestic air travel and it's never been refused. When I cruise a mass market line, I just use my passport card to get to the US port and for the cruise. If it's international travel, you need the passport book.

[Brampton]

What is the big fuss about getting a normal PASSPORT!!! We always got one for our kids when they were babies. We always take a passport no manner where we go, even in Canada. If we go from Toronto to Vancouver we still use a Passport. These people who refuse to get a passport are taking a BIG chance. You need one to get into Canada now as we ensure that you have one as you will not be able to get back to the U.S. if you don't. Canada does not require a Passport.

[sail7seas]

What is the big fuss about getting a normal PASSPORT!!! We always got one for our kids when they were babies. We always take a passport no manner where we go, even in Canada. If we go from Toronto to Vancouver we still use a Passport. These people who refuse to get a passport are taking a BIG chance. You need one to get into Canada now as we ensure that you have one as you will not be able to get back to the U.S. if you don't. Canada does not require a Passport.

 

My question was not 'a big fuss about getting a PASSPORT'!

I just renewed my passport for about the 4th time (40 years) and I also got a Passport Card.

 

I would like to know why the statement is made that the Passport Card is not good for air travel. It does not say International Travel, it says air travel. I cannot understand why a State Department issued Passport Card would not be accepted whereas our state Drivers License is adequate for domestic flights.

 

Sorry you may have misunderstood my post.

 

[sail7seas]

It depends on air travel to where? I use my passport card for domestic air travel and it's never been refused. When I cruise a mass market line, I just use my passport card to get to the US port and for the cruise. If it's international travel, you need the passport book.

 

Thank you, Kitty.

Interesting.

 

[Quackattackaggie]

Great you posted this message.

 

It's so important for people to understand there are situations we cannot anticipate but when there is an emergency, who wants to have to deal with travel documents along with whatever else is happening.

 

 

 

I wonder if you or someone can explain why a passport card is not acceptable for domestic flights? I understand why it cannot be used for International Air Travel but why is it of less value than a driver's license?

 

 

 

Thanks anyone who can answer.

 

 

 

 

 

Actually, an ID is not technically required at all for a domestic flight. TSA states that passport cards are acceptable for domestic flights.

 

Source for both of those statements: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification

 

You'll find anecdotes where people were turned around with passport cards on domestic flights, usually where the card is unfamiliar (aka most airports to begin with). USA Today agrees http://traveltips.usatoday.com/identification-requirements-domestic-air-travel-united-states-64080.html

 

 

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Edited February 7, 2016 by Quackattackaggie

[sail7seas]

Actually, an ID is not technically required at all for a domestic flight. TSA states that passport cards are acceptable for domestic flights.

 

Source for both of those statements: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification

 

You'll find anecdotes where people were turned around with passport cards on domestic flights, usually where the card is unfamiliar (aka most airports to begin with). USA Today agrees http://traveltips.usatoday.com/identification-requirements-domestic-air-travel-united-states-64080.html

 

 

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Thank you, Quackattackaggie......

 

Very helpful.

I suppose when State Department first started issuing the Passport Cards it took time until they were recognized as legitimate and what they are. :)

 

I found it interesting the Passport Card has a different number than my new Passport. I would have thought they would have the same number.

 

[sparks1093]

My question was not 'a big fuss about getting a PASSPORT'!

I just renewed my passport for about the 4th time (40 years) and I also got a Passport Card.

 

I would like to know why the statement is made that the Passport Card is not good for air travel. It does not say International Travel, it says air travel. I cannot understand why a State Department issued Passport Card would not be accepted whereas our state Drivers License is adequate for domestic flights.

 

Sorry you may have misunderstood my post.

 

 

I would thing the person making that statement meant international air travel, it is a valid ID for domestic air travel.

[sparks1093]

Great you posted this message.

It's so important for people to understand there are situations we cannot anticipate but when there is an emergency, who wants to have to deal with travel documents along with whatever else is happening.

 

I wonder if you or someone can explain why a passport card is not acceptable for domestic flights? I understand why it cannot be used for International Air Travel but why is it of less value than a driver's license?

 

Thanks anyone who can answer.

 

 

Yes, an emergency can happen anytime and obviously if someone wants to minimize all delay in the unlikely event that one happens there obvious recourse is to obtain a passport. It's simply a matter of what risk one is willing to assume. If an emergency does happen the main delay in getting home won't be obtaining the necessary paperwork, but with other things such as getting a flight in the first place. In a bona fide emergency the State Department has the authority to waive the passport requirement and I like to think that they would act quickly to get the traveler on their way.

[sparks1093]

What is the big fuss about getting a normal PASSPORT!!! We always got one for our kids when they were babies. We always take a passport no manner where we go, even in Canada. If we go from Toronto to Vancouver we still use a Passport. These people who refuse to get a passport are taking a BIG chance. You need one to get into Canada now as we ensure that you have one as you will not be able to get back to the U.S. if you don't. Canada does not require a Passport.

 

I am driving up to Montreal next weekend and my passport will be locked in my safe deposit box. There is no big fuss, our government gives us options under certain circumstances regarding what travel documentation to use. I can't speak for everyone but I know for us it would have set us back around $850 or so for passports when we first started cruising. We analyzed the risks and our travel needs and decided to wait to obtain passports until that time we needed them for international air travel. If we had determined that passports were essential then we either would have found a way to pay for them or we would have chosen a different travel method.

[MrsPete]

We are traveling NOLA to Jamaica, Cayman, and Cozumel this summer. It would be so much cheaper to get passport cards for our kids. Has anyone ever successfully used these on a cruise? Research says they are OK but I'd like to hear from someone who has used them.

Your kids (and you too) will be able to board the cruise ship with a Passport card, but it probably isn't the best option for you. Consider:

 

Assuming you're Americans leaving from an American port and returning to the same port, you can cruise with official birth certificates and driver's licenses for those cruises. Reason to make this choice: You almost certainly have these documents in your possession already, so the cost is zero ... and your birth certificate doesn't expire, making it even a bigger bargain.

 

On the other hand, you can cruise with full-fledged passports, but if you're getting them for your family of four, you'll end up spending $400-500, depending upon cost of photos and whether your kids are 16 years old. Reason to make this choice: In theory you could fly home internationally in case of an emergency with a Passport Book.

 

Now ... the Passport Card ... it doesn't have the benefit of being free, nor does it give you the benefit of being able to fly home. The Passport Card will allow a cruiser to board, but it gives him or her NO benefits. It costs money, it gives you nothing beyond the birth certificate, and it expires! It's the red-headed stepchild of the document world.

 

On the other hand, it doesn't exist for no reason: the Passport Card is designed for Americans who live near the Mexican or Canadian borders and who want the freedom to drive across those borders frequently ... without paying for a full-fledged passport. For those people, the Card is a logical choice. It gives them the benefits they need; and, unlike the Passport Book, it fits in their wallets nicely, making it convenient to carry. THEY are the target audience for the Passport Card; cruisers are not.

[sail7seas]

I would thing the person making that statement meant international air travel, it is a valid ID for domestic air travel.

 

The "person" making that statement is the U.S. Department of State.

The Passport Card was mailed in a folded packet and just below where the Card is attached to the paper is the statement: "The U.S. Passport Card is not valid for air travel". It does not say International Air Travel..... it says Air Travel, thus my questions.

 

[sparks1093]

The "person" making that statement is the U.S. Department of State.

The Passport Card was mailed in a folded packet and just below where the Card is attached to the paper is the statement: "The U.S. Passport Card is not valid for air travel". It does not say International Air Travel..... it says Air Travel, thus my questions.

 

 

Ah, got it.:) Two possibilities- the State Department doesn't want to muddy the waters by drawing a distinction between the two types of air travel or they never conceived of the idea of someone using the passport card for domestic flights since most people use other forms of ID and the passport card is meant to be used for land and sea border crossings (in my mind the most likely reason).

[Librarian365]

Your kids (and you too) will be able to board the cruise ship with a Passport card, but it probably isn't the best option for you. Consider:

 

Assuming you're Americans leaving from an American port and returning to the same port, you can cruise with official birth certificates and driver's licenses for those cruises. Reason to make this choice: You almost certainly have these documents in your possession already, so the cost is zero ... and your birth certificate doesn't expire, making it even a bigger bargain.

 

On the other hand, you can cruise with full-fledged passports, but if you're getting them for your family of four, you'll end up spending $400-500, depending upon cost of photos and whether your kids are 16 years old. Reason to make this choice: In theory you could fly home internationally in case of an emergency with a Passport Book.

 

Now ... the Passport Card ... it doesn't have the benefit of being free, nor does it give you the benefit of being able to fly home. The Passport Card will allow a cruiser to board, but it gives him or her NO benefits. It costs money, it gives you nothing beyond the birth certificate, and it expires! It's the red-headed stepchild of the document world.

 

On the other hand, it doesn't exist for no reason: the Passport Card is designed for Americans who live near the Mexican or Canadian borders and who want the freedom to drive across those borders frequently ... without paying for a full-fledged passport. For those people, the Card is a logical choice. It gives them the benefits they need; and, unlike the Passport Book, it fits in their wallets nicely, making it convenient to carry. THEY are the target audience for the Passport Card; cruisers are not.

 

You touched on all of the reasons we brought this up in the first place. We live near the Canadian border - we have lived in the US for only 6 years and by now my kids' passports have expired. We don't like to go anywhere with my son's consular record of birth abroad because it is hard to replace. And my youngest turns 16 soon.

 

Ultimately we decided on a passport book for a reason not being argued about since I posted. My kids will be going to college and may study abroad (or not). Paying for a passport book once my son turns 16 will cover them for 10 years of 'maybe's' where the passport card will only help if we stay driving or cruising in this hemisphere. We are looking at the 10 year value of having the passport book over the card.

 

Thank you for an excellent and well thought out response.