You lost your passport?

[notentirelynormal]

For all those that claim they carry a copy of their passport in case it gets lost.... here is an interesting article.

 

http://globalnews.ca/news/2089263/lost-passport-air-canada-customer-denied-boarding/?utm_source=Article&utm_medium=Outbrain&utm_campaign=2015

 

Total misinformation to this woman and having a copy of her birth certificate and passport on her phone did no good at all for boarding a plane home. It appears it did help driving across the border though.

[cruisemom42]

To the best of my knowledge, no one has claimed that a copy of a passport will be able to get them on a plane or through a passport check/border control.

 

What a copy WILL do is expedite the issuance of a new passport should the old one be stolen or lost (or in the case of the person in this article, mislaid...)

[sail7seas]

To the best of my knowledge, no one has claimed that a copy of a passport will be able to get them on a plane or through a passport check/border control.

 

What a copy WILL do is expedite the issuance of a new passport should the old one be stolen or lost (or in the case of the person in this article, mislaid...)

 

This is also my understanding.

Having the passport number, info and photo are helpful for the fastest replacement being provided.

 

[Wayfairers]

My understanding too. When we "lost" (stolen no doubt) our passports in Hawaii (didn't realize they were gone until we got home and unpacked) having the number available was very helpful

[John Bull]

Not your finest posting, notentirely. ;)

 

You have exceeded what you've called the "total misinformation" given by the airline to the passenger, by inferring that it concerned a copy of ........the subject's passport.

In fact it mainly concerns a copy of ....... the police report regarding the loss of her passport.

And the lady's ire was with misinformation from the airline that copies of the police report and passport will do the job, yet it was that same airline's airport staff who'd correctly denied her boarding.

 

Like others who've responded to your post, I've never heard anyone suggest that a photo-copy of a passport will get you across a border, only that it will expedite the issue of a replacement - as you well know from other threads on the same subject !!!!

 

And if you read the article, the copy did in fact get her across the border by car.:p

 

JB :)

[Keith1010]

Thanks for posting this.

 

Keith

[Krazy Kruizers]

Back in the early 70's while touring in Europe, a couple with us had their passports stolen while we were in Italy. They had copies of their passports and went to the American Embassy right away. Those copies helped them get new passports quickly and they rejoined our tour in a couple of days.

From that time on, I have always carried copies of our passports.

That is all the copies are good for -- speeding up the process of getting a new one.

[sparks1093]

The State Department suggests that travelers have a photo-copy of their passport handy, but I'm not sure exactly why since they can find you in their system without the passport number.

[John Bull]

The State Department suggests that travelers have a photo-copy of their passport handy, but I'm not sure exactly why since they can find you in their system without the passport number.

 

Hi, Sparks.

Perhaps because although they can doubtless find the name & details in the system, the claimant's possession of a copy would make it easier to verify that it's one & the same person rather than some miscreant?

 

Just my own conclusion.

And probably wrong :rolleyes::D

 

JB :)

Edited July 6, 2015 by John Bull

[sparks1093]

Hi, Sparks.

Perhaps because although they can doubtless find the name & details in the system, the claimant's possession of a copy would make it easier to verify that it's one & the same person rather than some miscreant?

 

Just my own conclusion.

And probably wrong :rolleyes::D

 

JB :)

 

The passport record in the database has the same picture that appears on the passport as I understand it so even though our passport pictures don't really look like us they should be able to figure it out.:) (Of course their advice to have a photo-copy of your passport may come from the days when the database didn't have the photo in it.)

[John Bull]

The passport record in the database has the same picture that appears on the passport as I understand it so even though our passport pictures don't really look like us they should be able to figure it out.:) (Of course their advice to have a photo-copy of your passport may come from the days when the database didn't have the photo in it.)

 

Was thinking more that the simple fact that the claimant possesses a photocopy might be a clue to the authenticity of the claim. Just that of course - a clue, & hardly conclusive proof. ;)

 

But whatever, I've used a copy for photographic ID as required in some ports and probably once or twice over the years for the same reason when using a credit card.

Does no harm to carry one, and a darned sight safer than carrying the real thing, which can get lost or stolen or damaged.

 

JB :)

[zqvol]

The passport record in the database has the same picture that appears on the passport as I understand it so even though our passport pictures don't really look like us they should be able to figure it out.:) (Of course their advice to have a photo-copy of your passport may come from the days when the database didn't have the photo in it.)

 

 

IT is likely that the embassy does not have access to everything that is in the database, such as the photos. Just because there is information stored in a database does not mean that everyone who can access the database can access all of the data that is there.

[sparks1093]

IT is likely that the embassy does not have access to everything that is in the database, such as the photos. Just because there is information stored in a database does not mean that everyone who can access the database can access all of the data that is there.

 

I would be very surprised if the embassy or consulate didn't have access to all of the data since it's critical for their jobs. Still and all it takes nothing to bring a photocopy.

[cherylandtk]

I would add that the subject of the original post is a Canadian citizen returning to Canada from the U.S. Rules for US citizens should not be implied from how things did, or did not, work in this case.

[NMLady]

To the best of my knowledge, no one has claimed that a copy of a passport will be able to get them on a plane or through a passport check/border control.

 

What a copy WILL do is expedite the issuance of a new passport should the old one be stolen or lost (or in the case of the person in this article, mislaid...)

 

Both of these have also been my understanding as well.

[spacetraveler]

I was surprised that she could drive a rental car from US to Canada. I few years ago when I rented a car in New York, the agent specifically told me that the rental car could be confiscated by the Canada Custom. I had to acknowledge the warning clause on the rental agreement.

[notentirelynormal]

For all those that claim they carry a copy of their passport in case it gets lost.... here is an interesting article.

 

http://globalnews.ca/news/2089263/lost-passport-air-canada-customer-denied-boarding/?utm_source=Article&utm_medium=Outbrain&utm_campaign=2015

 

Total misinformation to this woman and having a copy of her birth certificate and passport on her phone did no good at all for boarding a plane home. It appears it did help driving across the border though.

 

I'm not sure where I was wrong.

 

I said it was an interesting article. It was about a woman who lost her passport and tried to use a copy on her phone to board a plane.

 

She was unable to board the plane. The airlines gave her wrong information. Sure it helped her get help but she still could not get on a plane and fly home. She was lucky she could drive and the Canadian guy took the picture. I've sure met some that were pissed that as a dual citizen "where is your Canadian passport?" when I handed him my valid US one. I didn't think he was going to allow me in.

[Donray]

Why do people depend on low pay telephone representative of airline or cruise lines to get immigration, customs, and passport information?

 

There are there to sell tickets and not as exports in government travel regulations.

 

All the woman had to do was go to a homeland security official at the airport when she lost her passport. But no, they decided the best person to ask is an airline ticket sales person.

[zqvol]

Just remember that the person mentioned int he article is a Canadian citizen dealing with a Canadian passport, so US experiences may be different.

[CPT Trips]

The real trick for US citizens when traveling abroad without a passport is to get yourself in front of the CBP agent. Those agents do have the authority to admit citizens even when the citizen lacks a passport.

 

Airline clerks in other countries generally lack the authority to clear someone without a passport for boarding a plane. So unless you are at a land crossing or one of the few airports with CBP pre clearance, you'll be SOL.

[Putterdude]

I was surprised that she could drive a rental car from US to Canada. I few years ago when I rented a car in New York, the agent specifically told me that the rental car could be confiscated by the Canada Custom. I had to acknowledge the warning clause on the rental agreement.

 

The law preventing a Canadian from bringing a U.S. rental car into Canada was repealed several years ago. However, even prior to that Canadian customs did have the discretionary authority to permit this in cases of hardship. What I am finding amazing about this whole story is that a US citizen does not require a passport to enter Canada but needs one to return to the U.S., so why would a Canadian require a passport to return to Canada?

[sparks1093]

The real trick for US citizens when traveling abroad without a passport is to get yourself in front of the CBP agent. Those agents do have the authority to admit citizens even when the citizen lacks a passport.

 

Airline clerks in other countries generally lack the authority to clear someone without a passport for boarding a plane. So unless you are at a land crossing or one of the few airports with CBP pre clearance, you'll be SOL.

 

Consulates also have the authority to issue documents to US citizens to allow them to board a plane from a foreign country, so one is not quite SOL. It will take a while and depends on the circumstances (where the Consulate is, why you don't have a passport, etc.) but there are mechanisms in place to get US citizens home from abroad.

[dread_pirate]

About the databases - yes, it is likely that the consulate can find you with only your name and not a copy of your passport. However, the processing time required to go through the entire database (even indexed) to find one particular "Nancy Louise Smith" is a lot greater than it is to find Passport Number 12309752. And that's assuming that the consulate has the infrastructure, including bandwidth, to run the name search during business hours. The number search - probably.