Extra passport pages nixed

In late March, the US Department of State announced that, as of Dec. 31, 2015, it no longer will add additional pages to existing passports. Instead, travelers who need more blank pages will have to renew their passports. (No other country allows visa pages to be added to passports.)
Currently, the standard passport has 28 pages, 18 of them blank, though travelers may opt for a passport with 52 pages, 43 of them blank. Reportedly, starting next year, the standard passport book will contain 52 pages, but travelers may opt for the smaller, 28-page passport at the same cost.
Travelers who wish to add pages have until Dec. 18 to send in their applications; adding 48 pages costs $85 and takes four to six weeks. Renewing a passport costs $110 and also takes four to six weeks. Each process can be expedited for a delivery time of three weeks for $60, or passports can be taken directly to a passport agency and processed in eight business days for $60. A first-time passport costs $135.