Find a cheap flight. Get the best flight deal with these insider tips.

Find a cheap flight. Get the best flight deal with these insider tips.

by | May 10, 2017 | Travel Resources

Finding a cheap flight is often the first step in planning a trip.  However, the cost of flights can be a major expense.  But it doesn’t always have to be that way.  If you know how to scour the internet for a deal, a cheap flight can be yours for the taking.  Once you figure out the flight piece, the rest of your trip planning becomes easier to accomplish.  Here are some of the things I do to find a cheap flight.  Or at a minimum, the best deal I can find.

 

 

Cheap flight Insider tips:

 

  1. Book early
  2. Search different travel websites (and the main ones)
  3. Book outbound and inbound flights separately – even on different airlines
  4. Search as a single flyer vs. as a group
  5. Search airline maps’ online availability
  6. Include a stop-over
  7. Be flexible
  8. Fly on a budget carrier
  9. Secure an Award Ticket using miles
  10. Use Miles and Money
  11. Search airline websites from a different country
  12. Skip a segment
  13. Add a segment
  14. Sign up for blog or airlines’ emails or newsletters

 

Cheap flight tip #1: 

Book early

 

Start scouring the internet and travel websites early on for the most availability to your destination.  I would advise 3-6 months out especially for an international destination.  You may even want to check earlier (6-9 months) if you are going to a popular destination during a peak time of the year (ie. Italy in July or Cancun/Caribbean during spring break).

Airlines will have the largest selection of varied seat pricing the further out from your travel departure date.  That’s because airlines have different fares/prices for the exact same seats (in coach).  Once the lower priced fares are taken (and that’s what goes first), then the remaining inventory will be the higher to highest fares.

The one caveat to this is that if an airline has a lot of seats still available and it’s getting closer to the departure date.  Then, the airline will offer a discount on the seats because they want to fill them.  You could score a really good price just because there is extra capacity (availability) and the airline wants to fill those seats.  Refer to: Search airline maps’ online availability (cheap flight tip #9).

Booking early will also let you choose the seat you want.  If it’s a long flight or you’re travelling with a group, then it becomes easier to find seats together.  Sometimes that can make a big difference.

 

Cheap flight tip #2: 

Search different travel websites (and the main ones)

 

Check out the major airlines’ websites (like Delta, American, United) as well as other travel sites like Expedia, Kayak, Travelocity.

This will help you to gauge what a competitive price looks like.  And then you can set your expectations about what price you will end up paying.  Once you find a competitive price, don’t hesitate too long before booking or that fare may be gone.

 

Cheap flight tip #3:

Book outbound and inbound flights separately

– even on different airlines

 

Airlines used to give a slight discount for booking a round-trip on the same airline.  But this is no longer the case as airline pricing has become so transparent.  Thus, it could benefit you to look for your ticket in separate searches.  ie. Look for the outbound flight (to destination) separately.  Then, look for the inbound flight (return from destination) separately.

I did this recently with JetBlue and American Airlines.  I found a cheap flight on the outbound flight with JB.  And also, a cheap flight with AA on the inbound flight.  Had I chosen to book the entire round-trip ticket with one airline, then my overall flight price would have been $150 higher.

There’s no reason why you couldn’t leave with one airline and return with another.  Check the flights both as a round-trip and then separately.  I do find that JetBlue does give a slight (maybe $5-$10) discount for round-trip.  But in my case the return flight on AA provided a bigger savings.  I don’t find the other airlines to give any such discount.

By booking separate inbound and outbound flights, you can also arrive in one city and leave out of another.  This can save you the travel cost of getting back to your original arrival point.  For example, I flew into Rome and left out of Venice.  This saved me from having to pay for a train or airline ticket from Venice back to Rome just to fly out.

 

Cheap flight tip #4:

Search as a single flyer vs. as a group of flyers

 

When searching for a cheap flight, if you are travelling with more than one person (yourself), search for each person’s flight separately.  You can first search as a group to compare pricing.  However, sometimes there are different fares/prices depending on seat availability.

Some airlines will show “2 seats left at this price” on their site which is helpful.  But what if you are looking for 3 or 4 seats.  In that case, take the 2 seats at that lower price, then search for 1 or 2 seats separately.

If you search for all 4 together, you will get a grouped price at the higher fare.  That’s because in that fare category there are 4 available seats.  In the lower fare category, there are only 2 available seats which doesn’t satisfy your search criteria.  Thus, those fares will not be offered/presented to you.  It’s a booking engine/fare pricing thing…

 

Cheap flight #5:

Search airline maps’ online availability

 

One trick I like to use is to go into the airline’s flight map of the seats available.  You get to this by searching for a destination with dates, then clicking on the “available seats” for a particular flight.  This will show a map of the seating arrangement inside of the aircraft.  From here, you can see if there is a lot of availability of seats on the plane.

If you are closer in to the departure date of that flight, and there are a lot of seats available, then there is a high probability that the airline will offer a sale on that route.

If you see limited or no availability on that flight, know that the price of your ticket most likely will not come down.  Therefore, know that the flight is getting booked up with limited probability of seat availability opening up.

 

Cheap flight tip #6:

Include a stop-over

 

Having a stop-over on your way to your final destination can often times yield savings.  Check different websites to see what the pricing looks like to/from the same destination but with a stop-over included.  You may have to select stop-over in the booking engine.  If there is a stop-over and the time between flights arriving and leaving is bearable, then choose that option for a discounted fare.

However, if the layover time adds a lot of extra hours to your overall flight time, then consider the savings versus the time.  Sometimes, it’s just not worth it to sit around for the extra hours just to save a few bucks.  You could probably save that money elsewhere and get your time back.

 

Cheap flight tip #7:

Be flexible

 

When searching for your ticket, you can find the cheapest fares by searching under flexible or open dates of travel.  Some airlines will present a monthly calendar of fares so you can see what different fares are available for different days.  Ie. JetBlue does this; American does this by week, etc.  So if you have some flexibility on the dates that you leave and return, try this option to find the lowest fares.

As well, if you are open to your travel destination, search for open travel dates and/or different destinations to see what city or country ticket prices are on sale.  For example, if you want to go to the Caribbean or to Europe and are open to the destination, search for the different islands or European cities and see what pops up as a value fare.

 

Cheap flight tip #8:

Fly on a budget carrier

 

There are a lot of great options in Europe and Asia to fly inter-country and to another country with a budget airline.  Some examples of budget carriers are: AirAsia in Asia & Australia; SpiceJet or JetAirways in India; or Ryan Air, Norwegian or Wow in Europe.  These are just a few.  In the US, we have Frontier or Spirit Airlines.

These budget carriers provide more flexibility for you to fly within a country and to another country.  For example, if you find a cheap flight to Asia (any destination), you can then search for an Asian budget carrier to take you further onwards (to an alternate destination).  Instead of taking a more expensive, non-stop, long-haul flight to your final destination.  This allows you to stop over in a different town or city for a few days.  Or, you can fly to your final destination with 2 cheap flights.

Keep in mind these airlines can be very, very cheap and you get what you pay for.  When I flew on Air Asia (Kuala Lumpur to Chiang Mai; Chiang Mai to Bangkok; Bangkok to Singapore), it was no frills.  There was no snack or drink onboard, I got only a carry-on allowance for free (not sure if this still exists) and there wasn’t a seating assignment.  It’s the base fare which can be dirt cheap.  Other amenities you’ll have to pay for.  That said, fares can be so low you’ll almost not believe it.

You can get around fairly cheaply and on some long-hauls if you plan your flights out.  You can fly all over Asia, Australia, Europe and India with budget carriers.  So figure out how to get over to a different continent.  Then, pick up a budget carrier to take you around.  The savings from this can be quite significant.

 

Cheap flight tip #9:

Secure an Award Ticket using miles

 

Research your destination and which airlines fly there.  Then, check to see if that airline has a travel credit card with a nice, juicy signup mileage bonus.  This will allow you to earn big miles towards a free ticket.  If so, sign up ahead of your travel time and complete the requirements to get the miles.  Then, book your ticket.

Using miles for Award Travel does require some planning and a bit of time.  You will need to:

  1. Sign up for the airlines’ loyalty program
  2. Get ‘approved’ for the credit card
  3. Complete the requirements
  4. Have the miles posted to your account.

In addition, the best availability for award tickets are waaay in advance.  While planning my Italy vacation, I booked 6 months earlier than my departure date.  You would need to get a travel credit card at least 6 months prior to the 6 month booking. Thus, card approval 10-12 months prior.

I suggest travel credit card since this provide a big chunk of miles upfront.  There are other ways to earn miles with your travel credit card like shopping on the airline mall portal, dining out or using an airline loyalty partnership (ie. FTD, Netflix).  It will take a good while longer for the miles to add up with these methods in comparison to the big signup bonus.

I find the Award Travel process to be totally worth it but it will take planning and patience.

With Award Tickets, you will have to pay the taxes for your flight and the airline processing fee.  My trip to Italy amounted to $40 (instead of $700-$900 which would have been the actual ticket price range).  Note: if you book an Award Ticket days before your departure date, you will also have to pay other fees to the airlines (and these may add up).  In addition, there are change & cancel fees.  In short, if you book Award Travel, be clear and sure about your travel dates.  You don’t want to make changes afterwards.

 

Cheap flight tip #10

Use Miles & Money

 

While using airline’s loyalty programs, you can also take advantage of using airline ‘miles and money’ to pay for your ticket.  If you are signed up with the airline loyalty program and have a set number of miles banked in your account, then use them to pay a portion of your ticket.  Granted, this option can use miles at an unfavorable rate for the customer.  It is nevertheless an option especially if you are travelling in off-season and ticket prices have come down.  In peak season, it’s better to get an Award Ticket outright as the miles are in a set range and not variable as in miles and money calculation.

Note: some airlines may require that you have their airline credit card.  Check the individual airline site for more information.

Cheap flight tip #11

Search airline websites ‘from’ another country

 

If you’re going to an international destination, consider searching for your flight on the airline’s website for that country.  For example, if you type in AirCanada.com, it will prompt you to select your country and language.  You can search from another country to see if there is a better deal from that country.

All the major US airlines (American, Delta, United) have this feature at the top of their websites.  However, you may have never paid any attention to it.  In addition, other carriers have this feature as well (AirCanada, British Airways, Quantas, etc). This reverse country option may show the US fares as more competitive.  Or, it may yield savings from the other country.

In the case of AirCanada example, there’s a better fare if booking from the US site for a flight from Toronto to Ft. Lauderdale.  Thus, if you are Canadian, switch to the US site and book your ticket. Do note that if booking in a country that is different than your own, the ticket will be priced in a foreign currency.  Make sure you use a credit card that doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee to avoid any surprises.

 

Cheap flight tip #12:

Skip a segment

 

Another tip to consider is ‘skipping a segment’.  What this means is that you add an additional segment or flight to your final destination.  This additional segment is one that you add but plan to not complete (ie. Skip).  I did this during my trip to Hawaii.  On my return from Honolulu, flight prices were very high from Honolulu to LA ($800).  So, I searched for flights with an added segment: Honolulu to San Diego with a stop-over in LA.  This flight was around $300.  When we landed in LA, I disembarked without completing the LA to San Diego portion or segment.  The airlines priced this longer trip as if I was going through LA to San Diego and not getting off.

To ‘skip a segment’, you have to skip the last part of the segment.  If you ‘skip’ the first, then you can’t board the plane for the 2nd segment.  I want to be very clear about the order of this.  Also, when you search, select the beginning and final destinations (HNL, San Diego in this example) and check ok for stop-overs.  Then look through the results for LA as the stop-over.  You may need to search different final city destinations to get the best price (ie. San Diego, Phoenix, San Fran for example).

A word of caution: if choosing to ‘skip a segment’ of your flight, do not check your bags.  You can only take a carry-on.  You don’t want your luggage going on to the final destination (without you).

In addition, there may be some risk that your aircraft is the same aircraft going onwards to the final destination.  Sometimes, the flight attendants will announce that passengers booked to final destination can/should remain onboard.  Ignore this and disembark/exit.  In the US, this rarely happens.  Passengers are asked to get off the plane to re-board but an international airline may operate differently.

 

Cheap flight tip #13:

Add a segment

In addition, you can ‘add a segment’.  This means that similarly, you can add a flight or segment to your trip.  If you live in a major city, a city with an airline hub and/or within driving distance to another city, then search for a flight from that nearby city.   This may yield a discounted fare.  For example, if you live in Atlanta (Delta’s hub), search for flights from Birmingham (2 hours away) or Savannah (2 hours away), etc.  You’ll have to drive to the other city to pick up your flight but if it’s not too far away, it could be worth the savings.

Note: you have to start on the first segment or you can’t pick up the second segment.  Thus, you can’t book from Birmingham to NYC with a stop-over in Atlanta and try to get on in Atlanta.  You have to get on in Birmingham.  However, on your return, you can get off in Atlanta and skip the 2nd segment if you coordinate your airport pickup well.  That would be a ‘skip a segment’.

 

Cheap flight tip #14

Sign up for blog or airlines’ emails or newsletters

 

Keep abreast of what’s going on in the travel world and all the latest discounts and deals by signing up for emails or e-newsletters from different airlines or blogs.  If an announcement is made regarding a drop in price for a particular route or if there is an airline pricing inconsistency, make sure you are on the distribution list to be informed as soon as possible.  Timing is everything and many of those deals get booked up rapidly — especially if it is an airline pricing mistake.

Airlines do offer fare sales (discounts) or specials for non-peak travel times.  This includes Award Tickets which they announce in emails or e-newsletters.  You may not be checking each airline website constantly so having the airline or blog email will help to keep you up to date.

*Background photo by Suhyeon Choi.

Explore mysterious Stonehenge and nearby Wiltshire.

Explore mysterious Stonehenge and nearby Wiltshire.

by | May 9, 2017 | Europe, UK London

Stonehenge is a fun and historic attraction not too far from Bath.  It could also be a day trip from London by bus (2.5 hours) or train to Salisbury. In Salisbury, you will have to pick up a bus.

If coming from Bath, there are some tours that advertise in the city.  Just purchase your ticket for the tour and hop on the bus (round trip).  This tour was one for Stonehenge. However, it also included another small town called Lacock which was 15 minutes from Bath.

Stonehenge

Once you arrive at Stonehenge, purchase a timed ticket from EnglishHeritage.org, to view the stones.  While this ticket can be purchased online ahead of time, do note that you have to arrive in the time that your ticket is stamped for.  If visiting in a peak timeframe (ie. Summer), then it makes sense to buy a timed ticket.  If non-peak, then buy your ticket on-site.  Click here for pricing & times.

A visitor center resides next to the stones where you can get all the history of the stones and the area.  Definitely worth it to check out.  From the visitor’s center, walk down a platform and walkway towards the stones.  They are roped off so as to preserve them.  But your best pictures are from a distance anyways so that you can get the circle effect.

Stonehenge, along with Avebury, constitutes a World Heritage Site.

For other things to see and do at Stonehenge, click here.

Solstice@Stonehenge

Visit Stonehenge during the summer and winter solstice and gain free admission to the site.  Check your calendars to reconfirm if June 21,2017 is the summer solstice.  Crowds gather at sunset and sunrise to view a beautiful scene at the stones.

 

 

Lacock, Wiltshire

After Stonehenge, the tour stopped at Lacock (Wiltshire), a very quaint, small and charming town.  This town is owned by the National Trust (after being bequeathed in 1958).

Some pictures of this lovely town.

 

 

Per our tour guide, this house was used in one of the Harry Potter films as Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia’s home.  I’m not sure of which movie in the series it is.

 

stonehenge lacock

 

St Cyriac church

An interesting tidbit about this church is that it’s where Camila Parker Bowles’ (yes, that Camila) daughter got married in 2006.  It’s a very small church in comparison to Lacock Abbey in the town center.  Lacock Abbey was also used in Harry Potter Sorcerer’s Stone.  St. Cyriac is smaller but more charming and blends in perfectly with the surrounding homes and cobblestone streets.

 

stonehenge lacock

 

I would advise/recommend this tour from Bath (or London).  Depending on how long you would like to spend at either Stonehenge or Lacock (or other village), it can be done in a day trip from London or ½ day from Bath.  Coming out into the countryside really shows a different side of England than the very cosmopolitan London.

To read more about Bath, check out my post, Visit Bath on a beautiful day trip from London.

 

Visit Bath on a beautiful day trip from London

Visit Bath on a beautiful day trip from London

by | May 2, 2017 | Europe, UK London

Visit Bath in a relaxing and beautiful day trip from London.  The city of Bath is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Bath is aptly named because of the thermal hot springs that bubble up to the surface within the city. Hence, the city is considered a spa town. In addition, Bath has been referenced many times in English literature. Most notably by Jane Austen who was also a resident of the city at one point.

Bath is elegant, beautiful and easy to navigate. There are two time periods reflected in the city’s architecture – Roman & Georgian.  As you walk around, you’ll notice them in the buildings and town which have been very well kept/preserved.

 

visit bath

 

The Roman Baths

The Roman Baths are a unique attraction with over 1 million liters of water bubbling up through this hot spring at a 46 degree Celsius or 114.8 degree Fahrenheit.  That is hot, hot, hot.  Check out the Roman Bath walkthrough for a close up look.  Click here for a Roman Baths Floorplan.

Although the Roman baths are no longer used publicly for bathing, there are other spas in town for spa-ing. Do note that the popular, Thermae Bath Spa, isn’t the Roman baths. This is a rooftop bath/spa.

 

visit bath abbey

Bath Abbey

Nearby to the Roman Baths is Bath Abbey.  Admire the beautiful architecture outside and inside.

 

visit bath abbey

The Fashion Museum

Visit a fascinating and fun Fashion museum that showcases clothing from the Georgian time period. Previously called the Costume museum, in 2007 there was a name change and the size of the museum tripled.  This museum is in a building called the Assembly Rooms which is also a beautiful example of Georgian art and architecture. The Assembly Rooms are free to enter but the fashion museum requires a ticket. Onsite, grab a tea or bite at the Assembly Room café.

The costume museum is in the basement and often showcases changing exhibits of clothing from the 17th, 18th and sometimes 16th century.  Also, there are exhibits featuring more modern clothing.  However, the dresses and gloves shown below are from a different era.

 

Take a stroll around Bath

There are lots of shops and places to eat in Bath. The city is bustling with retail activity.

 

visit bath
visit bath

Bath offers so much to see

In addition, there are fun rabbit sculptures in the city, Royal Victoria Park (named after Queen Victoria, 1800’s), Pulteney Bridge which crosses over the River Avon and No 1 Royal Crescent or The Circus which shows off beautiful architecture. Check out the slide show below for these sights and more during your visit to Bath.

 

Getting there – Visit Bath

To visit Bath, easily access the train, bus or car.  From London’s Paddington station, purchase your train ticket to Bath Spa (and return ticket).  This trip is 90 minutes.

There is a slower train from Waterloo at a cheaper price.  However, if you are going as a day trip, I would advise to take the train from Paddington instead.

In addition, there are coach buses (National Express, etc) going to Bath from London.  This can take 3-4 hours and for a day trip doesn’t make sense.  I think your time would be better spent taking the faster train from Paddington.  Bath has a lot to see and it’s better to spend your time sightseeing in Bath than on a bus.

 

Roman Baths

Bath Abbey

The Fashion Museum

Queen Victoria Park

Pulteney Bridge

Do I need a visa to go to that country?

Do I need a visa to go to that country?

by | Apr 26, 2017 | Travel Resources

Do I need a visa to go to there?

Determine if you need a visa to travel to another country before you plan your trip.  For Americans, the majority of countries don’t require a visa.  But, there are some that do like Brazil, India or Russia.  To obtain a visa for these 3 countries requires processing time which may be lengthy.  There are other countries that require a visa but you can get that online or at the entry/arrival section.  Turkey is one such example.  When you disembark in Istanbul, you get and pay for your tourist visa before you go through customs.

Americans do not need a visa (or a passport) to travel to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Guam or American Samoa.  You will need a valid form of photo identification.  To be safe, if you have a passport, travel with it.  Consider getting a US passport as that can also be your form of identification.  Refer to my blog post, How to get a US passport, renewal or child passport.

Travel Resources & Links:

Refer to the travel.state.gov site for which countries require a visa and what type of visa.  This US Department of State link is helpful.

As well, if you are an international resident, this Visa HQ link provides information on visa requirements by country of citizenship and residence.  I have not used this site before so double check with your country’s embassy prior to travel.

One important thing to note: you must have a valid passport to travel.  This means that your passport expiration date must be valid 6 months prior to the last day of your trip.  If you travel to another country and you don’t have 6 months validity prior to the end of your trip, you may not be able to get through customs.  In some cases, you may even be stopped at the airport here in the US prior to boarding your international flight.

 

How to get a US passport, renewal or child passport

How to get a US passport, renewal or child passport

by | Apr 25, 2017 | Travel Resources

Planning a trip and need to get your first valid US passport?  Follow these steps to make this process easy and quick.

Visit travel.state.gov, the official US Department of State site, to get your valid US passport.

 

To get a valid US passport, follow the steps below:

  1. First, go to travel.state.gov, the official US Department of State website.
  2. Click How to Apply for a Passport.  In the list of expandable topics or steps, expand ‘Fill out your Form’.  Then, select ‘First-Timer’ to determine your status.

 

If one of the following is true, then you are a “first-timer”:

  • You are applying for your first U.S. passport
  • You are under age 16
  • Your previous U.S. passport was issued when you were under age 16
  • Your previous U.S. passport was lost, stolen, or damaged
  • You have a previous U.S. passport, issued more than 15 years ago

 

If you are a “first timer”, then you must apply in person using Form DS-11.

 

  1. Fill out Form DS-11 online and print a hard copy.
  2. Gather and photocopy your citizenship documentation.  ie. an original birth certificate, Citizenship/Naturalization certificate etc.
  3. Photocopy 1 primary photo identification.  ie. a valid US driver’s license, undamaged US or foreign passport, military id, Citizenship/Naturalization certificate, etc.  If you don’t have 1 primary photo id, then you will have to submit 2 secondary ids.  Review the list of primary and secondary identification.
  4. Bring 1 photo that meets the photo requirements.
  5. Make an appointment at a Passport Acceptance Facility (to apply in person). Thus, you must have an appointment to submit your documents in person.  Search for a location nearby and set an appointment.  If you need your passport expedited, you can apply at Passport Agency.  As a result, additional fees may apply.
  6. Pay for passport processing fees.  Consequently, bring your checkbook with you.
  7. Finally, submit your documentation and wait for your passport to arrive in the mail.

 

A noteworthy video from The US Department of State on how to apply in person for a valid US passport.

 

 

How long do I have to wait?

For Processing Times, click here.

Do you need a visa?

For more information on visa requirements for international travel, click here.

Renewing your US passport can be a seamless experience.   Complete the renewal application online.  Then, mail it in to the US Department of State for processing.

 

You are eligible to renew by mail, if your most recent passport satisfies all of the following:

Criteria as stated on the US Department of State website.

  1. Is submitted with your application
  2. Is undamaged (other than normal “wear and tear”)
  3. Was issued when you were age 16 or older
  4. It was issued within the last 15 years
  5. Was issued in your current name (or you can document your name change with an original or certified copy of your marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order).

If you satisfy ALL criteria, then fill out Form DS-82.

However, if you do NOT satisfy all criteria above, then fill out Form DS-11 and apply in person.  Refer to Tab 1 for more details.

 

Steps to Renew Passport by Mail:

  1. To begin, go to Renew Passport by Mail.
  2. Expand ‘How to Apply’ and click the form filler option for DS-82.  Then, click submit.  The form filler will switch to Form DS-11.  Keep filling out Form DS-11.  Once filled, you will be directed to the correct form – either DS-11 or DS-82.  If you satisfy all the requirements for renewal (above), then your information will appear on Form DS-82.  This will make more sense as you go through the form filler.
  3. Fill out your information and print a copy without signature.  Also, save this form as a PDF for future reference.
  4. Include 1 photo.  Take according to photo requirements.  Staple it to the top of your application.
  5. Gather your previous / most current passport.  Send it in with your renewal application.  Your previous passport will be returned to you by the State Dept.
  6. If you have had a name change, send the certified / original copy of your name change with your application.  ie. Marriage certificate, divorce decree or court ordered name change.  Your certified document will be returned to you by the State Dept.
  7. Determine your passport fees.  This varies on whether you are getting a passport book, passport card or both.  As well, review the Method of Payment.
  8. Lastly, mail in your renewal application, previous passport, photo, check or money order and name change document to the correct address.  Most importantly, verify the address by expanding ‘Mail Completed Application’ on this page.  Also, a trackable delivery method must be included when mailing in your renewal application.

 

Interested in taking the perfect passport photo?  Watch the US Department of State video below.

 

 

Once mailed, how long do I have to wait?

Review this link for Processing Times.

Child passport:

Especially relevant, watch the US Department of State video, “How to apply for a child passport”.

 

Other passport scenarios:

If any of the following scenarios apply, then fill out form DS-5504.

Information as stated on the US Department of State website.