let the countdown to 3 July begin!

Greetings to the 2007 British Rulers and British Ruled group.

• I will be putting all general email updates (and occasional general information) on this History @ Harlaxton site as well as emailing them, so check there periodically (and if you want to check past information). This class blog is open to anyone, but is not open to be indexed by search engines. Thus, unless you type in that url, you won't get to it. Still, it is on the open web. Thus, I will not put last names on the blog. And you are allowed to post comments on any messages (and, once the assignments are narrowed down, will be required to do so for class in the month before the flight). Please add your name, but not last name: thus, Krystal R., etc.
• Several of you have noted (even my mom noted!) the following (LA Times, March 7, 2007: "The U.S. State Department’s Passport Services division is recommending a 10-week lead time for all passport applications.... The reason for the delay is 'unusually high demand,' the State Department said, which may be attributed at least partly to rules that took effect Jan. 23. They require passports for travel by air between the U.S. and the Caribbean, Canada and Mexico. (Land and sea travel to these areas are not affected.)”
• I am hoping that all of you have applied already. If not, you should probably consider "expediting" the process, which is a "service" they offer at some $250 (I have not checked the price lately; this is what others have told me). According to the NYTimes (October 1, 2006): "There are shortcuts ­ for a price. Someone in urgent need of a passport can pay an extra $60 for expedited service, which typically cuts wait time to two weeks. A traveler leaving in less than two weeks can make an appointment to go in person, with proof of travel plans in hand, to one of 14 passport agencies located in major cities, including New York, Boston and Los Angeles, by calling (877) 487-2778. There are also private rush services that specialize in speeding customers through the bureaucracy. For varying fees, these companies can often get passports approved in as little as 24 hours. (A list of expediting services is at www.napvs.org.) But in recent years, some passport agencies have been reducing the number of daily submissions such rush companies are allowed.
  
• The New York regional passport agency used to allow them to submit applications in unlimited numbers; in February it limited each company to 20 or fewer a day."
  
• I will ask Study Abroad office to follow this and get back with recommendations for those who have already applied.

Update on the passport issue (18 April):

• State Department Answers Nation’s Call for Passports
• The Department of State has committed additional resources and personnel to meet Americans’ unprecedented demand for passports. Passport production has hit record highs as the Department works diligently to honor its mission and ensure that every citizen gets a passport in time for planned travel.
• Record Production of Passports: In the week ending March 29, the Department issued a record 412,000 passports. The weekly tally surpasses the record set the previous week, when the Department issued 379,000 passports.
• Regional Agencies Working through the Weekend: Employees at the 17 Passport Agencies nationwide continue to work overtime daily and throughout the weekend to process applications to meet Americans' spring travel plans.
• Expanded Call Center for Information and Appointments: The National Passport Information Center (1-877-487-2778) remains open for limited weekend hours to make emergency arrangements for travelers departing in seven days or less. NPIC has expanded its business hours and is now staffed Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. until midnight, Eastern Time.
• Volunteers on the Phones: On top of their regular duties, State Department employees are volunteering on task forces to answer questions and help Americans get their passports. The Department has installed high-capacity telephone lines to increase the volume of telephone calls it can receive.
• Volunteers at the Desks: Qualified State Department employees are also volunteering to help process passport applications. These volunteers, who approved 10,000 applications last week, supplement the Department's corps of passport specialists, which has increased by 250 new hires since 2005.
• Establishing the Newest Passport Center: Test runs at the new Arkansas Passport Center in Hot Springs indicate that this center will begin operations in April, as planned. At full capacity, this Center will produce as many as 10 million passports a year.
• Important Points for Travelers
• Travelers can check the status of their pending passport applications online at http://travel.state.gov. Information is normally available online approximately four weeks after the application is submitted.
• Those who have applied and are leaving within two weeks can visit http://travel.state.gov/passport/about/npic/npic_895.html to send an email inquiry to check the status or call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778. We ask that other travelers leave the phone lines open for those with immediate travel needs.
• Travelers who have not applied for passports to date should plan ten weeks for standard passport processing and two weeks for expedited processing. Information on how to apply for a passport, including how to expedite processing, is available at http://travel.state.gov. Applicants requesting expedited service must write "EXPEDITE" on the outside of the envelope containing their application.