Passport backlog ruins spring break for some

ATLANTA - The U.S. State Department says if you don't have a U.S. passport yet, you could end up waiting for months before you're able to travel out of the country.

The passport backlog is already ruining trips for spring break, and agency says travelers may see that trend continue this summer.

Nashara Reid-Plummer says she was supposed to take a spring break trip to Jamaica she and her daughters would never forget.

"I was looking forward to this trip to be like, 'Oh, I can't wait for you guys to taste the food that I ate. I can't wait for you to see where I grew up'," Reid-Plummer said.

Those plans were ruined when one of the five passports did not arrive in time for Sunday's flight. She sent three of her daughters on the trip anyway.

"It really pisses me off because I paid almost $1,100 to have all of this stuff done in time," she said.

Deryck Robinson's wife and daughter flew to Mexico Monday, but their trip was a close call as well. His wife applied for her passport in January and paid for expedited service. She should have gotten it in three to five weeks, but that did not happen.

Robinson called the passport appointment line for help, but he would only ever get a busy signal. Instead, his wife went to Atlanta’s passport agency and pleaded for help.

"The cards were in our favor, fortunately, because of my wife's determination," he said. "So, we're hoping and praying that they have a good time."

The State Department says they are getting 500,000 applications a week. A routine request will take 10 to 13 weeks and an expedited one will take 7 to 9, according to the agency.

"I think the biggest problem right now is just the lack of understanding of how long the process is taking because it's taking longer than normal," said Michael Fenton who co-owns VisaSupply, a metro-Atlanta-based private visa and passport agency. 

People who have experienced problems say something needs to be done.

"They have their rules and regulations that we have to abide by, and I just feel like they're not abiding by their rules and regulation, and that's not fair," Reid-Plummer said.

The State Department says they expect to issue a record number of passports this year. The agency recommends you apply well ahead of any trip planning to save yourself the headache.