Right basically my step son was going to Morzine for 4 1/2 days riding in les gets starting this monday coming, he is also going to Lincoln university and sent his passport off for his student finance months ago for aproval, well all was fine until it came back and nobody was here to sign for it, it then went back to the sorting office where it wasn't collected quick enough and was subsequently sent back again to student finance!!!
To cut a long story short he won't get his passport back in time to go and we rang the passport office in Peterborough and the quickest we could get one even if we drive down is next wednesday.

He's unbelievably gutted and has paid for the following…

Fly out this monday morning and arrive at geneva airport, transfers from the airport to Jollygood holiday Le Sherpa chalet, hopefully a few hours on the mountains on that day, then tuesday all day, wednesday all day, thursday all day, friday all day and fly back to the UK friday night.
Everything is paid for including flights, accomodation, transfers, food, unlimited red wine etc 🙂

Is there anyone going on these dates that would like to invite a friend along and give a genuine offer to my son towards it?

He's well gutted and would like a bit of what he's paid back! I would go myself but I work in a school and there is no chance I can get time off whilst the kids are at school.
If however his passport turns up before monday then he can go but its looking extremely unlikely 🙁

Anybody???

whats a reasonable offer?

if its important to him he will track down his passport and get himself to wherever it needs collecting from . hes got till monday after all…..

its only tuesday today.

Sorry i cant get any leave next week.

Ohhhhhh, I'll ask my boss tomorrow, better hand in some work to put him in a good mood first. Who are the flights with? Are they alterable (is that even a word?) at this point?

2nd the above point though, he'd lose less money buying a train ticket to the student finance place and picking his pasport up from there.

Yeah, I'm thinking this might be a bit of an initiative test for your son. I'd have nicked your car by now if it had been me 🙂

Possible to travel on a Euro photocard driving license in Europe?

Possible to travel on a Euro photocard driving license in Europe?

Urban myth, although ID cars are valid IIRC (but we decided we didn't want those didn't we……)

Sorry guys should of been more specific, his passport was sent back to student finance by royal mail and after contacting student finance 2 weeks ago after missing the collection from the local sorting office they have said that it hasn't turned up or if it has it hasn't been located yet but they are trying everything to find it so at the moment its a bit of a floating Wonka bar! the passport office will not offer a fast track replacement due to the fact that we have recorded it as lost as Royal mail have provided us with proof that it was sent back but student finance say "its not here"

The only chance he has of going is if it turns up before monday but like I said its looking seriously dodgy and unpromising, don't mean to be pessimistic but I honestly don't think he will be going guys.

thisisnotaspoon… the flights as far as i am aware are non changeable, and are with Easyjet, you will be flying from Luton at 7:30 in the morning on the monday and flying home on the friday evening around 10:00pm, thats pretty much 5 whole days riding.

As for a sensible offer it all cost him £415 so £200 would be nice?

Thats a bloomin bargain guys.

I meant are the names on the ticket ok to be changed, how much will that cost?

Just need to grab my bos as early as possible tomorow morning……

Will let you know tomorrow mate, i'll have to ring Easyjet won't I?

Its not too late to get a replacement passport.

Macavity, yes your right mate, however when its a replacement for a LOST passport you CANNOT get a fast track replacement.
Trust me we rang Peterborough passport office and they fully explained everything.
The only way to get it by driving down is if its expired.

Yeah, the passport office are great at fully explaining everything aren't they. I've missed a holiday because they told me the same as they are telling you. It's not true.

The next time I lost mine (I'm rubbish with passports) I drove down anyway to start the replacement process and the woman gave me a fast track replacement within 4 hours despite the person on the phone assuring me it wasn't possible.

You can get a fast track 7 day passport, to late for monday, but last friday i did get a 7 day fast track passport to replace my lost one, i just went down to london. I then subsequently found my lost passport on sat morning. But you can get a passport fast track You can NOT however get the same day service for a lost pastport. Only the 7 day

Is it as cheap to just buy new flight tickets?

ianpinder… youv'e just confirmed what I was told mate.

Given dougs experience it would appear to be discretionary.

IIRC £30 to change name on return easyjet tickets.

5 Name changes
Names of passengers may be changed on payment of a "name change" fee (see tables below) per passenger, per journey up to one hour before the scheduled time of departure of that flight. In addition, if there is a difference between the original fare paid and the current fare available at the time the change is made, the customer will be required to pay any increase in fare since the original booking. No refund will be given if the new fare is lower. Bookings containing more than one Journey must have the same passenger name for each Journey and name changes are not possible where any Journey in a booking has already been made. If a customer wishes to change a traveller’s name on a flight that is full, then any price difference to be paid will be based on the highest fare applicable for the route booked.
Names of passengers that form part of an online booking made by a registered member can be changed through the easyJet web site. The changes must be made at least two hours prior to the flight's scheduled departure time. The fees for name changes made online are:
Currency Name Change Fee
GBP 25.00
Euro 30.00
CHF 47.00
DKK 220.00
CZK 840.00
HUF 9,500.00
PLN 150.00
SKK 1100.00
MAD 330.00

Names of passengers can also be changed by telephoning the easyJet call centre on 0905 821 0905 at least two hours prior to the flight's scheduled departure time, or by going to the airport sales desk at least one hour prior to the scheduled departure time. (calls cost 65p per minute; calls from mobiles and other networks may cost more. For other telephone numbers visit the contact us section.) The fees for name changes made through the call centre are:
Currency Name Change Fee
GBP 37.50
Euro 45.00
CHF 72.00
DKK 325.00
CZK 1250.00
HUF 14,000.00
PLN 220.00
SKK 1,650.00
MAD 510.00

Quote from the Easyjet website, hope it helps.

ian, that's exactly what I was told but it's just not right! When I went to the passport office I got a same day one. I had lost it. They said it was because I had a fairly recent passport which was on the computer system or something. That was 1.5 years ago in the Glasgow passport office.

EDIT: Cynic-Al maybe it's discretionary. I was in a lot of trouble for loosing it and was practically crying in the passport office so maybe they took pity on me!

has he got his own room in the chalet? I'd be interested if so

it cost him £415 fully catered with flights?!! How the hell did he manage to do that?! Easyjet flights alone seem to be £200+ with a bike and luggage!

We have been a few times and if you keep going back they send you offers which he took advantage of 🙂

GO TO THE PASSPORT OFFICE. Ask face to face. You might have to return the next day but I'm almost certain you'll get a passport.

If you sell this on for £200 you'll be £200 out of pocket.

Financially, surely you're better claiming on insurance?

*Taps fingers impaitiently waiting for bos to comeout of his meeting………*

Just to add my experience to Doug's, I lost a passport last year. I was told that it could not be done same day. In practice I turned up, handed over my forms and was told to come back in 4 hours time to collect my passport.

They won't offer to deal same-day, and certainly won't guarantee it, but my experience (as a smiling white guy in a suit anyway) was that they genuinely believed it was lost and had no problem simply issuing a new one straight away.