V-Flyer

Although my passport was not due to be renewed until August and in view of all the negative reports in the press I thought it wise to get it done now.
It was posted in the evening a week last Friday and I couldn't believe it when a courier knocked on my door the following Thursday with "Mr Hazban I have your Passport ".
I am very impressed!
The depressing news is that because of family commitments I have only managed one overseas trip, plus a couple of Little Red flights, in the past 12 months. Goodbye Gold Card of 4 years and hello Red! (but does it really count for anything these days?).

I renewed mine in January, too; it was returned to me in under 10 days... well, I say "returned" to me... the postman put it through the wrong letterbox but it was then delivered by hand to me from someone down the road O_O That could have gone very badly!

Glad you got yours and can now concern yourself with important things... like booking flights to exciting destinations

hazban wrote:
The depressing news is that because of family commitments I have only managed one overseas trip, plus a couple of Little Red flights, in the past 12 months. Goodbye Gold Card of 4 years and hello Red! (but does it really count for anything these days?).

Welcome to my world! The same thing happened to me and it has been strangely liberating and enabled me to try out other airlines. Quite honestly, since then the only other airlines I have tried that competed with a VS flight in terms of destinations was BA First to and from LAS (albeit to and from LHR) - VS won; EI Business to and from DUB to SFO and I have to declare a draw. EI was excellent (with a few minor quibbles but then VS have had the same) as well as VS. As for the others, EK and SQ, yes, they were good, indeed they were very good but the reality is that the crew on both EI and VS delivered and that's what makes a flight.

Hmm,
This is interesting. I only have 5 months left and fly out again in 3 weeks, those new auto-machines in the US kick me out now I have less than 6 months left and was going to book an appointment and pay the extra.
Did we use the Post Office service??? Would be good to know what we used.....

Yes lovingold I did use the Post Office Check and Send. Don't know if this was the reason for a quick return or it is just a quiet time?
As you will be aware any unexpired time on the old Passport is added onto your new one.

I used Check & Send at the Post Office, too. It was in January and the lady at the counter said that it was about a two week turn around as it was a quiet time of year.

Whilst the post office check & send service includes recorded delivery, I don't really see the point in the 'check' bit of the service as there are only about 4 sections of the form to fill in when renewing a passport anyway.

Tbh if your competent enough to book flights and post on here you really don't need to use the post office check and send service!

I used the online form last time and I was sent back to me to sign a couple of days later. No need to worry about dodgy handwriting on the form and they send a checklist of documents they need from you as well so it's all very clear what's needed.

The news reports from last summer were overblown and actually made the problem worse because people then sent renewals in earlier than necessary thus clogging up the system even more.

Also used the online form no problems there. The only problem was last year that after 2 weeks they sent a letter saying they didn,t like the photo my hubby had submitted, (it was done on one of those booths) which supposedly corrects for everything and tells you its within perimeters.

Went to a non digital booth an older style one, that went through fine although took another 2 weeks in this time we had gone from, Wales to Liverpool passport offices.WE only live a few miles from the Peterborough one, luckily we were in no hurry. the extra months got added on so its 10 years and 5 months in duration from renewal.

Given the fact that you can now renew up to nine months ahead of a passport's expiry date, doesn't it just make sense to do it at the quieter times of the year? Last couple of times I had to renew, I did at this time of year and got my new one in less than two weeks. Didn't use the check and send thingy either...

catsilversword wrote:Given the fact that you can now renew up to nine months ahead of a passport's expiry date, doesn't it just make sense to do it at the quieter times of the year? Last couple of times I had to renew, I did at this time of year and got my new one in less than two weeks. Didn't use the check and send thingy either...

You can renew your passport at any time but the most time they will add on from your previous passport to the new one is 9 months.

So if your existing passport was full of visa stamps after 5 years you could renew it but your new passport would be for 10 years 9 months and not 15 years.

If you intend to do a lot of travelling and fill your passport with lots of visa stamps why not go for the jumbo 48-page passport at £85.50 or £95.25 post office checked.

Hmmm, got to renew mini nh's from NZ, and get the residency visa transferred.. Can see this being a epic hassle..