Passport becoming necessity Rules change for flights to Canada, Mexico, Caribbean

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BANGOR – As temperatures begin to dip below zero this winter and school vacations near, the cost of escape to a warm, sandy Caribbean or Mexican beach now will need to include the price of a passport.

Beginning Tuesday, anyone flying to Canada, Mexico and countries in Central and South America as well as the Caribbean or Bermuda will be required to hold a valid U.S. passport.

Until now, Canada, Mexico and some Caribbean islands have not required a U.S. passport, only a birth certificate or driver’s license.

“With the first snowfall there has been a huge surge; everyone wants to get out of town,” said Denise Hardy, travel consultant for Bangor Travel Services. “Out of 20 calls, about 20 percent don’t have passports or are scrambling to get passports.”

Travel agency officials in the area said they have warned customers for months about the change, but some of their customers have run into problems anyway.

“At least two times this week somebody wanted to go to the Caribbean, but had to change their trip to Florida” because they lacked a passport, Hardy said Thursday.

Fees for new passports for people 16 and older total $97. Renewals cost $67. For adults, they are good for 10 years.

On average, an applicant receives a passport in six to eight weeks, but people can pay an extra $60 to obtain the document within two weeks.

Passports may be required as early as Jan. 1, 2008, for Americans who cross borders with Canada and Mexico by land or sea.

Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have become hot destinations this year since they are part of the U.S. and don’t require the additional documentation.

“Puerto Rico is thrilled by this, so is the Virgin Islands. They know they are going to capitalize on this for a year or so,” said Peter Ramsay, destination specialist for Main 1 Travel in Bangor.

Some countries and private resorts have pitched promotions that will compensate for travelers’ passport fees.

For example, Jamaica is providing passport rewards equivalent to the $97 fee. Resorts in Aruba are offering $50 and $100 worth of food, beverage and shopping vouchers for these customers, Ramsay said.

“Putting $500 on top of the ticket price for a family, plus $15 for photos – it adds up for a family of four or five,” Ramsay said.

In response to the law change, travel agents and the U.S. Postal Service have offered campaigns such as passport fairs to help people meet the impending deadline.

In October, November and December, the Postal Service in Maine saw a 63.5 percent increase in passport revenues, when compared with the same three months in December 2005, said spokeswoman Leanne Payeur.

For the same three months in 2006, the Bangor post office alone saw a 59 percent revenue increase over 2005.

“Many people [coming in are] referencing articles in the news, saying, ‘It says here I may need a passport. I think I should go ahead and get one,'” Payeur said.

AAA officials in Bangor said their office took 195 passport-sized photos in November and 251 in December, while the office normally averages 100 to 110 photos a month.

The change will not affect travelers using Bangor International Airport, since the airport does not have air service to Canada, or nonstop service to any of the southern destinations, according to BIA director Rebecca Hupp.

Business travelers in the area probably would not be affected by the change, even those who frequently travel to Canada, said Candy Guerette, Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce president. Most business travelers already have passports and other necessary documentation, she said.

Bangor Hydro-Electric Co., which is owned by the Nova Scotia-based Emera, sent a charter flight to Canada twice a month directly after the company merger, said spokeswoman Kathy Billings.

As 2006 progressed, only about 10 Hydro managers continued to travel between the two locations occasionally, but they usually drove or boarded a commercial Canadian flight once over the border.

Jonathan Daniels, president of Eastern Maine Development Corp., said he had worked with the congressional delegation on the matter, but forecast the 2008 passport change will be more important for Mainers, since he believes it could limit business opportunities with Canada.

“Our communities on the border are completely reliant on each other,” Daniels said.

Tuesday’s change will catch the occasional leisure traveler, but will not have a huge effect on the state’s economy as will the 2008 land and sea passport requirement, Daniels said.

“It’s an added burden in the short term, but people also need to look at why it’s been done,” Daniels said.

“We’re in a changed world.”