Travelers Are Stuck in Passport Application Bottleneck

U.S. passport applications are facing significant delays due to staffing shortages and a pause in online processing.
Applicants describe a frustrating and costly process facing long wait times, uncertainty, and misinformation.
Some are resorting to buying additional plane tickets to pick up their passports in other cities just to make their flights.
The U.S. government acknowledges the problem but provides no timeline for improvement.
The delays are attributed to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and a surge in demand as travel rebounds.