I fly about 20+ times a year, for both business and pleasure. We just got back from spending the holiday in Myrtle Beach. My wife asked me an interesting question that, believe it or not, I’ve never thought about.
What happens if, while on vacation, you lose your I.D./DL? How screwed are you?
I mean, you really can’t get identification cards or drivers license in a state you don’t reside in. You couldn’t get on the plane could you? Hell, you couldn’t even rent a car and drive home because you need I.D. to do that. I’m sure that someone has been out of state and had their wallet lost or stolen. What the hell does a person do?
A police report would be a start. Depending on the state you might get differnt levels of help getting back on the plane. Losing your ID is serious business . . .
Basically you need to get to the airport early and put up with extra screening.
See this thread on flyertalk.com.
I “lost” (found it a month later) my passport in London once. Fortunately, I found out two days before my flight, so I went to the U.S. Embassy and they made me a new one on the spot. That was before 9/11, though, so I am not sure if it would be as easy now.
Happened to me. Got searched and screened more intensely. You are a ‘no go’ if you don’t have the i.d. on the originating flight, but you’ll get home on domestic flights if you lose i.d. on the trip (providing you aren’t loaded with illegal stuff, of course).
If you flew one way…then tried to come back on another one way, there is no gaurantee!