Thinks have changed a lot in the travel industry in the last 10 years with the growing popularity of the Internet. When was the last time you called your "travel agent"? You don't have a travel agent? Yeah, me neither. Now you just jump on a handful of travel websites like Orbitz, Hotwire, Expedia, or Travelocity to name a few, and book all your travel needs. You get your airline tickets, your hotel accommodations, and your rental car in one convenient location.

What about if you are leaving the country though and need a passport? Well things have changed in getting passports as well. Yes you can still go through the old-school government channels and get your passport in 1-3 months for your upcoming trip. But what if you need your passport expedited the same day? You need your passport rushed to you right away. Even if your trip isn't for a few weeks or even a month out, do you really want to leave it up to chance and in the hands of our government to get you your passport on time?

Just like booking all your other travel needs, there is a better way to get an emergency passport. There are a number of very helpful websites that expedite your passport and even get you a same day passport in case of real emergency.

Here's how it works. You still pay the regular government fees for your passport, but on top of that you pay these companies who specialize in expediting passports and visa a fee to make it happen fast for you. This fee varies depending of how soon you need your passport. Obviously you pay a higher price for an expedited passport that is the same day or over-nighted to you than you would for one that is rushed in 1 week or 2 weeks.

The fees are very reasonable and affordable. If you are in a jam, there is not much else you can do. I for one am glad to pay the extra fees with the assurance that I will have my passport in time for my trip. Especially if you've already paid for airfare and hotel up front, you can't miss your trip because of a passport problem.

The Internet once again has given us a great new benefit in the travel industry. We can get our air, hotel, car rental, and now passports all taken care of just with a few clicks of the mouse.