Earlier this week, I blogged about “Secure Flight”, the new program from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and its requirement that names on reservations must match fliers’ government ID (and see the TSA website for examples of proper “government ID”).
You had more questions about this, so we contacted Greg Soule in the TSA’s Public Affairs department, and put them to him.
He filled us in – and what follows are some of the most common questions we’ve been getting – and the answers. So keep reading…
Q. I will be traveling with an infant and a three year old – do they need to have government ID?
A. No. Passengers under the age of 18 are not required to have an ID to fly.
Q. My middle name is written out on my ID (driver’s license), but when I make plane reservations, the airline will only accept a middle initial. Will I be able to fly?
A. The TSA is working with airlines to enable the carriers to accept a passenger’s full name as it appears on their government ID. At this point, passengers should not worry about small differences as it should not affect their travel.
Q. My last name is hyphenated, but the airline reservation system does not add the hyphen – is this going to be trouble?
A. Again, this is another of those small difference that should not affect anyone’s travel at this point.
There you have it. This new TSA program is still being integrated with airline reservation system capabilities, and I’m sure they’ll get them in sync soon. The airlines are responsible for getting your name down – while YOU are responsible for putting down your name as it appears on your government ID – or making sure anyone who performs this chore for you, does it right.
To review: If your passport or driver’s license is in the name of Robert Smith-Thorne, make your reservation in that name – don’t use “Rob” and do put in the hyphen. If the airline reservation system won’t accept the hyphen, it’s not your problem – at least, that’s what the TSA tells us.
My drivers license and my passport have the suffix “Jr.”, but American Airlines doesn’t have a place to associate a suffix with the name. I called yesterday to asked about it, and the agent said not to worry, that they send only first, middle, and last name, along with birthdate and gender.
Still, considering the quality and consistency of screening I encounter in my travels, I find myself worried that sometime in the next few months, some TSA grunt is going to deny me boarding because my boarding pass doesn’t have “Jr.” on it…
I am also a Jr. same issue
Here are three question for TSA’s Greg Soule: How exactly does adding several million American citizens’ sensitive identifying information to a database benefit our national security? Those of us who have no “watchlisting error” problems are uncomfortable with the idea of having to provide, over open internet connections and while standing at a public counter, our unique biographic information.
How many times since 2002 have DHS and TSA employees lost sensitive laptops and have their networks been subjected hacks? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18497134/
When did TSA put this bill before Congress to make the program an official law with consequences for non-compliance?
LV,
Check out the TSA blog at http://www.tsa.gov/blog/
Thanks for writing,
Rick