Do I bring my passport?

H

HadEnuff

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DW and I leaving NY State tomorrow for a month on the Big Island. Flying to LA tomorrow, overnighting there and then off to Kona on Thursday morning.

We both have valid picture IDs, which has always been adequate for travel in the USA for us in the past. I have heard that maybe it facilitates matters if there is a problem (no idea what kind of problem they may have been referring to) if one also has one's passport.
We have passports, but I'd prefer not to bring them along, just because it's one more thing we could lose, misplace or have stolen.

I am interested in all of my travel savvy ER.org friends' opinions on this.

TIA,
Aloha
 
I always keep my passport with me. What if you decide to go somewhere on very short notice where you need it? Doesn’t take up much space?
 
I have an enhanced driver's license that I use. You do not need a passport for travel in the USA if you have the enhanced driver's license.

I would leave the passport at home if you do not need it. Or bring it as a backup.

Danmar said:
I always keep my passport with me. What if you decide to go somewhere on very short notice where you need it? Doesn’t take up much space?
Click to expand...

If the missile siren blows again, maybe the only fast flight will be to a foreign country...
 
I love the Big Island! It's my favorite of all the Hawaiian islands. If you need any travel suggestions let me know.

And no, there is no need for a passport.
 
There is no need for a passport, but I always take it and use it as my ID for flights.

My state is not compliant yet and is only going to offer upgraded compliant licenses as an option. And we have to pay extra for them.
And if you don't pay up, you can't fly with it. So I'll stick to my passport, it is senseless to have to pay more money for an upgraded
license when I've got the passport, and that's what I've been using the last couple of years anyway.
 
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One option when you renew or get a new passport is to get the passport card. It's small and easy to store. If you lose it, you still have your passport. I think it is only an extra $10 or $20 when you get the passport. It is NOT good for most overseas travel, but will get you in and out of Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda.
 
Well, you got me thinking. It is a picture ID and all of that, and it has worked "in the past", however, I know for a fact that it will expire this year, and so is almost 10 years old, which probably pre-dates whatever the current technology exists that would deem it "enhanced".

My only reservation about bringing the PP along was the opportunity to lose it. I think it expires pretty soon as well.

Thanks for the input, folks.
 
HadEnuff said:
DW and I leaving NY State tomorrow for a month on the Big Island. Flying to LA tomorrow, overnighting there and then off to Kona on Thursday morning.

We both have valid picture IDs, which has always been adequate for travel in the USA for us in the past. I have heard that maybe it facilitates matters if there is a problem (no idea what kind of problem they may have been referring to) if one also has one's passport.
We have passports, but I'd prefer not to bring them along, just because it's one more thing we could lose, misplace or have stolen.

I am interested in all of my travel savvy ER.org friends' opinions on this.

TIA,
Aloha
Click to expand...

Don't need a passport. I'll be on Big Island Friday. Kona Surf and Raquet, come say hi!
 
kgtest said:
Don't need a passport. I'll be on Big Island Friday. Kona Surf and Raquet, come say hi!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the invite!. We'll be on the Hilo side for a couple of weeks, then migrating over to Kona for two weeks. Have fun!
 
In New York you can choose whether to renew the Driver's License as a standard or RealID one.

I would bring my passport card just in case for a trip to Hawaii.
 
The only caveat I have is if you are going to Hawaii by cruise ship, as we will be doing. The ship will have to call at Ensenada or Vancouver, so a passport is required.
 
Danmar said:
I always keep my passport with me. What if you decide to go somewhere on very short notice where you need it? Doesn’t take up much space?
Click to expand...

I cannot imagine any circumstance where I'd need to travel out of the country on short notice. I'm not from another country, no family out of country, and no longer working and subject to being called out of country. I'd worry more about losing it than needing it.

My state doesn't have a compliant ID yet. I may start traveling with my global entry card.
 
jetpack said:
backup id in case you lose your license?
Click to expand...

Yeah, it happened to me. Dropped my wallet at the gate in my home airport and didn't notice until I got to my connecting airport. DW was able to recover it and Fedex it to me in HI, but it was a major PITA for a day. Turned out the most difficult thing was to check into the hotel. You can actually get through TSA w/o an ID although it takes some time. I had DW take a photo of my DL and email it to me, which is the only reason I didn't sleep on the beach that night.

From then on, whenever I travel, I keep my passport and one credit card in my backpack as a backup, just in case.

[Edit to add: Yes, I was in Hawaii and left DW behind. When I was w*rking I often traveled to Oahu for business. One of the very few things I miss, although now that I think about it those trips were kind of brutal, flying 10 hours to spend the week in a dingy conference room.]
 
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Nothing is happening with RealID license restrictions for travel until October 2020. But there was a recent front-page story in the Boston Globe about an elderly couple going on a cruise from the west coast and they had put their passports in their suitcases, which got whisked away before they could pull the passports out. They were denied boarding and missed the cruise.

So, yeah, if you're going on a cruise you have to check with the operator to see what documentation you need. If you're just flying within the US, any valid US driver's license will do - for now. But if you're entering certain Federal buildings, you might need RealID.

I did get a passport card along with the book at my latest renewal, so I can use that as an alternate ID if need be. I also have a Global Entry card that qualifies.
 
+1 for the passport card - get one - if you lose your passport when you are traveling overseas - it proves your nationality - all a DL does is prove you can drive
 
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