AIBU not knowing what to do about holiday debacle (child passport renewal)...

[Flockameanie]

I've been posting about our debacle of trying to renew DS's passport on the Holidays board.

In short, we're due to go on holiday in 8 days. DS's passport renewal may, or may not, arrive on time. We have no way of knowing. Flights are on EasyJet, accommodation is indepenently booked. Up to the end of today, I can change the date on the flights for no fee. From tomorrow onwards it will cost £350 to change them. I can change them up to 2hrs before the flight. We've paid a deposit on the accommodation (Abourt £300) that we'll lose if we change or cancel.

My AIBU is that I don't know what to do and I'm so bloody stressed. Mostly about potentially having to tell the DC, who are so excited about this holiday, that it's cancelled.

Options:

1. Sit tight and hope passport arrives. Do nothing. If by the night before it hasn't arrived, change flights (for £350) for some random date in future. Lose deposit on villa
2. Cut our losses now. Change flights to some random date in the future. Cancel villa. Only loss is villa deposit.

What do I do?? I'm so stressed about it all I can't think straight...

That’s so frustrating!

I’m keeping everything crossed for you. I’ve heard loads of people got them back quickly so hopefully it’s on the way. Frustrating the total lack of info. My friend got hers back the day they were due to fly.

We will be in a similar boat. I booked a last minute trip for Easter holidays whilst I was ill in bed with a covid fever but then realised we need to renew our passports before we go away at the end of may due to brexit and the 10 year rule. We will only have 5 weeks between trips so have to shell out for the double priced 1 week passports. Normally you’d expect to get them back in 3 weeks but they are saying 5-10 now.

I revieved my passport today. It took 11 days between them texting to say they had received my documents to me receiving my new passport in the post.

I would cancel and use the money you get back to take DC on a little break in this country if you could afford to do so

Have you contacted your mp? This worked for me

Aw OP I was hoping for good news for you

How's it going OP? We are in almost identical situation and travel on 15th. We also withdrew our daughter's application at PO advice and have a FT appt in the London tomorrow. I'm now assuming we'll be turned away. How did you withdraw yours? I sent a letter by recorded delivery which they signed for on 31st March so I assumed they would be able to note this as withdrawn by 6th April. Apparently it's still showing as live though. I assume now that her original application will also be eventually cancelled as we've officially withdrawn it :( What a nightmare

Nothing yet. Waiting to last minute to cancel holiday, but I am 99.99999% sure that’s what we’ll end up doing.

We were not advised about the withdrawal letter, the person on phone told DH that he could turn up and sort out the withdrawal and FT at the same apt. So you might be ok. Take the letter with you!

DS's first adult passport took 7 weeks and that was with me submitting evidence of our travel plans eg copies of flight confirmation. It took 5 days from getting email saying it was being printed to receiving it.
I only checked it as I had a text saying passports were taking up to 10 weeks. I'm glad I did as we've only just got it and we travel on Thursday.

DH’s adult renewal arrived today (16 days after submitting application). Mine was done the same day but no sign of it yet, though I have had the “your passport has been printed” message.

No update on the kid’s first passports. Birth certs were sent recorded delivery and received by the Passport Office 10 days ago but online portal is still showing as “we’re waiting for your documents”.

What does the latest message say? If it's a renewal I think it will get back in time.

Latest message is ‘we have received your documents’. That was 2 weeks ago (3 weeks after they actually received them). Passport needs to arrive tomorrow, which I highly doubt will happen…

I still haven't received mine printed 24th March and was supposedly going to courier in the next day or so.
I got a bit excited as I got a text saying my parcel from HM Passport office would be delivered yday, but it was just the return of the birth certificate in the thinnest, flimsiest envelope ever. Almost tore getting posted through. I'd sent in a plastic wallet with a cardboard insert to stop crumpling but they'd gone AWOL.

Mine went from documents received on Friday evening to approved this morning.
You’ve been really unlucky.

Any news @Flockameanie ?

@123walrus No, still nothing. Sob.

Oh I'm so sorry OP, I've been silently following this hoping for good news from you .

@Flockameanie ah I'm gutted for you. I'd be quietly lurking as we're also waiting for our youngest's first passport back and had been so hoping you'd get it in time.

Thanks guys. Still one more day for it to arrive! You never know...

This is nuts OP . I’m in a similar boat but I booked today for a holiday in 6 weeks time non refundable 2k before realising my child doesn’t have a passport .

Sorry to hijak but does anyone know if I can change the application to fast track if I’m yet to send the documents ?

@Binbagladymay I think that you can withdraw at that early stage. Someone posted on this or another thread about sending a letter indicating that you want to do that via registered post. Then take that letter with you to the fast track appointment. Make that fast track appointment soon though, as I dont' think there's much availability.

You might be able to find more info from people who've done this successfully on the passport waiting times forum www.passportwaitingtime.co.uk/. As I mentioned, we weren't allowed to do this at the appointment, but have subsequently been advised by the passport office (on several of many phone calls) that that wasn't correct and we should have been allowed to withdraw and do the fast track. The whole thing is a farce!

@Flockameanie gosh it really is a farce . So sorry about your holiday . Thanks for that I’ll just book it and try to work it out over the next few days . Nearest appointment was 25th already !

I'm not giving up hope yet @Binbagladymay! Still one day to go and you never know...

Good luck with getting yours in time.

@Flockameanie When I was tearing my hair out waiting I looked at the booking site for fast track and it very clearly said not to book an appointment if an application had already been made and old passport sent in. Surely staff shouldn't be advising people book an appointment unless they also send some sort of documentation confirming that's the right thing to do.

Any news?