Will our passports be valid to visit the Sunshine State?

Simon Calder answers your questions on Florida getaways, natural disasters and compensation

Visiting Florida in September means reduced crowds and costs (iStock)

Q My wife is hyper-anxious over the Passport Office strike. We travel to Florida with Virgin Atlantic from 2 to 17 September this year. Our passports were issued in February 2014 and expire in May 2024. Are these good to use, or do we “panic buy” new ones? We have a list of sites and sources that say six months are needed and that the issue date is what counts – not the expiry date.

Charlie B

A I am glad to say your wife and you can look forward to enjoying the Sunshine State in September – a fine time to be there in terms of reduced crowds and costs, though with the prospect of the occasional storms. But I am alarmed at the unnecessary anxiety that has been created by sources that make nonsense claims about passport validity.