Travel Visa Pro vs ABriggs

Originally started in 2006 as a small business specializing in Russian business visa applications, Travel Visa Pro has grown to include 9 offices in the US as well as locations in Canada and the UK. Their services include the usual offerings of visas, new/renewal/replacement passports, as well as passports for children, name changes, and second passports, along with document authentication and embassy legalization services.

To begin, you'll need to choose the type of passport you need and to select your state of residence. How fast do you need your passport? Travel Visa Pro offers a dizzying array of processing speeds:

• Budget (15-20 business days): $99
• Standard (10-15 business days): $149
• Rush (6-10 business days); $199
• Urgent (3-5 business days): $299
• Next-Day (1 business day): $429
• Emergency (8 hours): $599

Not all speeds are available for every type of passport, so be sure to check to make sure the processing time you're looking for is included with your required passport expediting service.

Once you've selected the level of service, you'll see a list of documents and procedures to follow in order to process your passport application. These instructions are very clear, so make sure to follow them to the letter.

If you want the least complicated service possible, you can choose from several add-ons. The Form Fill Service costs $39 and means that you'll only need to fill out a simplified document that will then be used by a customer service representative to complete your application. For an additional $29, you can access the Document Double Check to have a Travel Visa Pro representative go over your documents in detail and make sure that every "t" is crossed and every "i" is dotted, so to speak.

Finally, if you prefer, you can pay $179 for the VIP Concierge Service; in addition to the Form Fill and Document Double Check services, you'll get a dedicated representative who will gather all of your information over the phone, fill in your application line by line, and even register your trip with the State Department and US Embassy in your destination country.

Not only is Travel Visa Pro an accredited, A+ business with the Better Business Bureau, but they also have excellent customer reviews. More than one thousand people gave a rating of "excellent" to the business, though most of those reviews were with respect to visa services and not specifically to passport expediting.

Travel Visa Pro can definitely take the stress out of applying for an expedited passport, especially if you want the reassurance of having someone's personalized touch in completing your documents.

As a CIBT company, A Briggs has a long history as a travel visa and passport company. This is further demonstrated by their A+ grade as an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau. Available services include Digital Photo processing, Visa Pre-Check, and Passport Applications.

A Briggs offers expediting services for the following types of passports: First-Time, Renewal, Second Passports, Foreign National, Children, Lost/Stolen. We did not see any reference to Extra Pages, a service that is offered by some of A Briggs' competitors.

Select the type of passport service that you need, and then the speed of delivery. For a First-Time Passport, A Briggs only has two speeds listed there: Same Day and 2-7 Days. But, when we went to the next screen, the Fees section said there were three options: Standard (11 business days or longer), Rush (4-10 business days), Emergency (1-3 business days). We were further confused by the prices shown; Standard was $155, but Rush was less money for faster processing ($135). The Emergency rate was listed as $235.

Also, even though we selected "Same Day" in the drop-down box, there was no option given for that speed for a first-time passport order; we did find it given as an option for passport renewals, for an additional $170.

You will also need to click on the red box that says, "Email Requirements". A Briggs will then send you the documents you'll need to complete in order to get your passport application processed.

Like some of the higher-rated services we reviewed, A Briggs offers a Concierge plan for those who want personalized attention during the paperwork process. You'll pay $299 for these services - in addition to your passport processing fees - which include the following:

• Dedicated customer support specialist
• One-contact initiation: start your application via phone or email
• Document preparation: you only need to sign
• Digital photos
• Priority submission
• Personalized updates via phone, email or text
• Expedited document collection and delivery

A Briggs has a solid reputation among its clients; attention to detail, polite and knowledgeable representatives, and on-time delivery are some of the most common compliments we found among customer reviews.

The biggest reason A Briggs doesn't rank higher in our review is the difficulty in finding the right information on their website - and the discrepancies between processing times listed on different parts of the site. We're hopeful that, in the near future, their site will catch up to their reputation and well-established history as a passport expediting service you can trust.

Best Passport Services

To help you find the Best Passport Services, TopConsumerReviews.com provides you with an in-depth comparison of Travel Visa Pro and ABriggs.

"Where can I get a passport fast?" is a question many people are asking. Gone are the days of traveling abroad with a birth certificate or driver's license. If you plan to leave the United States, you'll need to have a passport. And in many cases, people find themselves needing a passport fast.

What are your options, then, for rushing a passport? You can go directly through the US Passport agency, typically accessed through the US Post Office. However, this process may take from 4 to 6 weeks to complete. That's why many people choose to use a passport expediting service to get their passport much faster - even within 1 business day.

Even with the few exceptions - such as "closed-loop" cruises that leave from and return to the same US port - you may have issues if an emergency requires you to return unexpectedly to the US or if you encounter problems in your ports of call.

And recently, nine states (Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Washington) were put on notice that their state IDs would not be sufficient even for boarding domestic flights. Until those states have changed their IDs to meet federal standards, you could find yourself in need of an emergency passport in order to fly, even within the US, if you call one of those places home.

With a passport expediting company, your fees will vary depend on how fast you need your passport. Incredibly, you could have your passport - new or renewed - within 24 hours. If you've got a last-minute international business trip or vacation and need to have your passport ASAP, a passport expediting service may make all the difference between "bon voyage" and "bummer".

How should you decide which passport service to use? Here are several things to keep in mind as you consider which expediting service meets your needs:

• Processing Time. Can the service get your passport to you in the time you have available?
• Cost. What will you pay to get your passport as quickly as you need it? Are there a variety of pricing packages available, so that you don't pay for faster service than necessary? Keep in mind that you will still need to pay the required government fees for your application, in addition to the costs for expediting your passport.
• Reputation. Does the expediting service have a solid reputation for delivering accurate passports on time? What have other clients said about their experiences with the business?

TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best passport services available today. We hope this information will help you get your passport as quickly as possible, for a stress-free trip!

Choosing a Passport Company

Passport demand has significantly increased over the last several years, creating a back log of requests and many angry travelers. Requesting a passport through the US passport agency can take as long as four to six, or longer, to process. If you've decided to utilize a passport company to help with your passport needs be aware that these companies vary greatly in several aspects and finding a solid company, that you can count on, for a fair price will save you time and money.

There are a variety of qualities you should compare when evaluating passport companies. Some of these include:

• Turnaround Time. Some passport companies are able to expedite your passport and have it in your hands in 48 hours or less. While others need at least 5 to 7 days to deliver a new passport. When looking for a passport company identify what their specific turnaround times are and what each time frame costs. You'll see a significant differences in charges across many companies.
• Website Functionality. When you're searching for expert advice on what is needed for your passport renewal, what you can use in place of your missing birth certificate, how to obtain more passport pages, and more you'll want a company that offers a savvy website that is easy to use and loaded with information. Also, look for websites that provide online passport status information so that you may feel confident in the progress of your passport application.
• Expert Advice. When you are looking for expert advice on what is needed for your passport renewal, or any other challenging questions - you'll want a company that offers plenty of information either on line or via the phone. Some companies provide everything you need to know while others are short on information and big on sales pitch.
• Customer Service. Getting your needs met, reducing your panic and answering all of your complicated passport questions is what you'll want in a company that needs to produce your passport fast. Customer service levels between passport companies can vary greatly and you'll want to choose a company where the customer is always first. Look for companies that offer several methods of communication and have extended hours to assist you - whenever needed.

When choosing a passport company, the internet provides the best resources for investigating and locating a quality passport company that you can feel confident with. Consider using independent product review websites to quickly locate a strong passport company. They do a good job of quickly comparing and contrasting website functionality, prices, customer service and prior performance for you.