Tour Operator Contiki Will Pay for Your First U.S. Passport
Between the ages of 18 and 35? Never been out of the country and itching for an adventure? Well, you're probably in the majority of U.S. millennials, since more than 50 percent of young Americans have never had a passport, according to Contiki, a tour operator that plans trips specifically for that age range. And, it seems, you're in luck, because the travel specialists are offering to pay for your first little blue book. For an added bonus, you'll get 15 percent off one of their 300 trips.
Contiki is only giving away 100 passports to the first 100 travelers who secure spots on trips to Europe, Asia, South America, and more. You'll need to book any of Contiki's seven-days-or-more trips, like the eight-day northern Thailand tour with stops in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, or the Greek island-hopping trip that visits Athens, Mykonos, and more, and then order your first passport through the U.S. State Department. Once you've got a receipt, send it over to Contiki to get a refund.
The millennial travel agency isn't the first to offer to cover the passport's cost ($135 including fees). Late last year, Qantas, Australia's national carrier, offered to pay for your passport if you booked a flight to Australia. That's because only 41 percent of all Americans have the important border-hopping document that opens up travel to just about everywhere in the world (there are exceptions, of course, and a few places outside of the U.S. that don't require a passport or passport card).
Even if you're not planning to travel internationally soon, it may be in your best interest to invest in a passport. In some states, your driver's license may no longer work at the airport, even if you're traveling domestically, starting October 11. (It's thanks to the Real ID act—time to read up.)
