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Your Passport to Passports

How to get a passport in less than, say, 10 weeks has been a hot topic ever since new passport rules went into effect in January. The New York Times takes a look at what's happening at passport agencies, now that the rush for new blue books has come:

"We are currently seeing a 44 percent increase in passport applications over this time last year," said Ann Barrett, deputy assistant secretary of state for passport services. "The demand is a little higher than we anticipated," she said.

That doesn't seem to be stopping some folks from getting their documents in good time, though. Conde Nast Traveler's Wendy Perrin got passports for her kids in about a week. Wendy ordered expedited service--she also could've hired a private company to get on the fast track. But be warned:

"You might think that the increase in demand for passports would mean expeditors would receive more slots, but that is simply not the case," said Jeffrey Fine, chief executive of CIBT, which also offers expediting services. Mr. Fine said that CIBT was now selling out nearly all its slots daily.

Related Stories:
· A Heightened Summer Rush for Passports [NYT]
· Reminder: New Passport Rules Start Tomorrow [Jaunted]
· Fast New Passport, Part 3 [Perrin Post]
· HOWTO: Get A Passport Fast [Jaunted]