In my semi-limited experience airport lounges are all over the place. Some are fantastic. Most are kinda meh (but still better than hanging with the riff-raff on the main concourse…I count myself as one of those people most times). Some are embarrassingly bad.
I’ve been in the MCO Priority Pass Club (in 2024, courtesy of American Express) and it is nothing like the NYT describes. Comfortable chairs, a nice snack buffet, and you can order food delivered to your seat. I had the tacos, and they were good enough that I ordered the same thing again. I needed to spend an hour in an online meeting and made use of the private, closed cubicle available. It compares favorably to the nearby Delta Sky Club. The buffet:
If I were the OP, I’d seriously consider using the State Dept’s expedited service and/or asking your U.S. Representative’s office to help. Yes, you have a couple of months and they’re saying processing time is 4-6 weeks, but with this proviso:
Consider the total time it will take to get a passport when you are booking travel. Processing times only include the time your application is at a passport agency or center.
- It may take up to 2 weeks for applications to arrive at a passport agency or center. It may take up to 2 weeks for you to receive a completed passport after we print it.
- Processing times + mailing times = total time to get a passport
That’s cutting the margins quite a bit closer. For $60, they cut the processing time in half, to 2-3 weeks. I’d find that worth it for the peace of mind.
Don’t forget that all government agencies have been affected by the administration’s cuts, so the stated processing times may not be accurate, or may change. And there could be another government shutdown at the end of September.
Whether you use the expedited service or not, remember that your US Rep can help out if you have any unexpected problems or delays. My wife contacted them for help with her renewal recently, and the office responded to her within 24 hours, and State responded to them within a day or two. We were really impressed.
Have a good trip.
I agree that there is significant variation, though they all offer more comfortable seats and free food. If you get stuck waiting for more than an hour for your flight, they a definite step up from waiting at the gate (and they all have displays of departure status).
Of course, the Europeans do it right. I have status in the United Star Alliance, and here is where I waited in the Brussels Airport on a layover flying from from Marseilles to Bologna on Brussels Airlines.
I’m a bit shocked that the thread has wandered off into an airport lounge discussion (not really 
).
But I would not delay in getting your passport renewed given that the administration could on a whim decide that the process needs reviewed and delayed for some off the wall reason. I think you may need one at some point to get your international ticket confirmed prior to departure.
I wholeheartedly agree. EVERYONE should have a passport that is current. You only need to renew it every ten years so not so bad.
Remember, your passport effectively expires six months before its expiration date printed on the passport. One of those weird things (there is a reason but I think it is lame) so be sure to sort it out well before those final six months.
I was very surprised at how fast the expedited passport service was this June. The State Department website says that the processing time (not including mailing times) is 2-3 weeks.
But my husband got his renewed passport by mail in 12 days.
However, who knows what could happen, so I agree with everyone saying to get the renewal done ASAP
I agree. I renewed my passport earlier this year (I had travel in June that would have been inside the 6 month window), and because I was renewing a current passport I could do it entirely online. The application took less than 15 minutes and only required upload of a current (acceptable format) photo. Cost was only the bare minimum $130 and I had the new one within four weeks.
Somewhere from 3-6 weeks.
I was born there, but raised in the US. Mom is 85 and she was born and raised there. We have distant family and friends, and some close family. So we’re in pretty good shape in terms of that.
This if a trip mainly for my mom, her grand finale so to speak. But also to introduce my wife, a white American girl, and our adult kids born and raised here to the Philippines.
Nice! Hopefully they get to try some legit lumpia and pancit
So just a short vacation, cool. In that case I would recommend just taking money from ATM’s like BDO bank at the mall or an actual bank. The fee they charge is minimal compared to the security you get. I’d avoid using an actual credit card at a business as I’ve actaully had my number taken and used in Manhattan at a pizza place.
I’d check with my cell phone provider to see if they have a deal for international calling. Verizon gave me free day each of international calling for the previous 10 months per a deal that had going. I bought an eSimm card for days I didn’t need access to my US number, as I only felt I needed access on days I used my bank card. You can also use WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger to connect with people for free that have those apps.
Will you be going to a major city, or meeting up with family in smaller towns? That may determine how much you need a car. Again, don’t rent one unless you absolutely must, ask your local contacts for recommendations.
In my experience with the Verizon travel pass, the charge has been $12 per 24 hours, regardless of border crossing. Verizon is pretty good with incoming you about the status of your travel pass with text messages.
In addition, some cell phone plans provide a limited number of travel passes. Probably more common on more expensive unlimited plans. But worth checking to see if you have this feature.
I’ve not traveled to the Philippines so can’t help you much with that. I would suggest that you make sure that you make sure your phone or tablet is registered so you can log in. I got hit in Greece because I started getting emails about fraud on my credit card. I tried logging in and because I was unable to get texts from the US I couldn’t do the 2FA.
I know 5-6 people in the last couple of years that have gotten passport renewals and they took 2-3 weeks even though they were told it might take 3-4+ months. It might be because I live in the DC area.
Regarding phone calls overseas, Whatsapp might be enough though your number might be different.
Regarding Global Entry, it might be worth it if you travel internationally often. But in my experience, it seems to suffer from the same affliction the airport lounge suffers - too many people have access. About half of the time the line at the Global Entry kiosks as long as the regular Customs line. In addition, free features such as Mobile Passport Control and Enhanced Passenger Processing (which is being used at more and more airports) seem to make the regular Customs line faster than they have been in the past. I have Global Entry but knowing what I know now, I don’t think it’s worth it. The TSA Precheck probably is though, but you can get that for a lower cost than Global Entry. That being said, I have Global Entry because a credit card perk paid for it, and I am reasonably close to a location for the interview. If it was coming out of my pocket, I would reconsider.
As for in flight entertainment the airlines probably have enough content for the duration of the flight. IF it works. The usual issue I have is the 3.5mm headphone jack. This is a crappy standard for commercial application. It’s just too fragile to handle the heavy duty cycles seen in air travel. If it works great, but don’t be surprised if it doesn’t. In which case you need a fallback, probably entertainment on your phone or other device.
Speaking of your phone, can you guess what is slightly more reliable than the 3.5mm headphone jack? That’s right, the USB charging port next to it. These don’t fail at the same rate as the headphone jack, but I’ve had issues. So I carry a power pack so I can charge my phone anywhere I need to.
Finally, I use this charging station when I travel. This way I only need to carry one plug adapter to be able to charge multiple devices. Note that if you plug this into 240 volts, the plugs on top that look like 120 volt plugs are actually at 240 volts too. But since most wall wart type chargers can operate at 240 volts, these can be used if you need to charge more devices. Four charging ports are enough for me, especially since two of them are 67 watt USB-C. Actually, I use this charging station every day at home. It’s so useful I take it traveling as well.
I believe Global Entry costs only slightly more than TSA PreCheck ($100 for Global Entry including PreCheck vs $85 for PreCheck alone, both for five years) so why not get both? That’s what I did. (On the other hand, CLEAR is roughly $200 each year, so I never got that.)
A couple of posters upthread sung the praises of Google Fi. I have used it for 6-7 years and have averaged 10 or so international trips annually from my U.S. base.
Good prices for data, absolutely seamless service and your phone will nearly instantly connect to a local carrier upon your airplane landing or when you’re on the ground and cross a border by bus, car, motorcycle, on foot, or whatever.
It will make WiFi calls when that’s available, so most of the time I’ve come back from a 4-5 day international trip with only, like, $0.67 in international calling charges.
Two other hints: A poster said to download Philippine maps on your phone before you go. Do it. It’s critical when you need directions and you are not online.
Second, related to the first: be sure to download any Google Translate language dictionaries you think you’ll need before you go. Then you can use all the impressive features of Google Translate even when offline.
I get CLEAR as a free annual perk due to my Diamond Medallion status with Delta, and it has been a real lifesaver on a few occasions. With it, I have access to all airport security lanes (with the exception of the “Crew” lane!).
That means I can suss out which lane is quicker at the moment I arrive: It could be CLEAR, Delta’s Sky Priority or First Class lane, TSA Pre-Check, or even on rare occasions, the regular lane. The 1 or 2 or more staffers at the entrance to the lines can give you good advice on what lane will be faster.
BTW, I love Global Entry (+Pre-Check), and that is also free for me via a credit card perk. Yeah, the card has a hefty annual fee, but I can use one of my Delta Diamond choice perks for a $700 statement credit, which pays the fee and then some!
can suss our=t which li
Was this when your cat walked on the keyboard?
D’oh!