FLIGHT TICKET VERIFICATION

It's called Secure Flight. Here's a FAQ from the TSA about it:

Secure Flight

Thanks for the heads-up!

It is the long, continuing process of needing the government permission before you can travel.

It is an attempt by the Obama Administration to keep track of the travels and whereabouts of all US citizens. Every international traveler is now required to provide to the TSA their full name, passport number and birth date. Passengers will be assigned a special ID number and all of this information will be put in a database and will be combined with other personal details that will provide the government with all of your travel details. Domestic travel will be subject to the same rules on August 15, 2009. If any of your information does not match you will not be allowed to board the aircraft.

I can understand wanting to have names match between passports and tickets. You would be surprised how many times I have been asked to notarize an important document that is made out with a nickname rather than the legal name as shown on government ID. The other stuff, gender and date of birth, seems superficial to me. As Frank II indicates it's just another way for the TSA to "pwotect" us. As an aside I really threw them in a tizzy when I flew up to Seattle last week, I have an orthotic lift in my shoe and they really had to examine that to make sure it wasn't subversive. Jeez I felt so safe after that -- hehehe.

Here's how silly it's going to be:

Let's say a passengers full name is "John Quincy Adams."

His driver's license says "John Adams"

His passport says "John Quincy Adams"

If he uses his DL for ID...then his ticket must say "John Adams."

If he uses his passport, his ticket must say "John Quincy Adams." John Q. Adams is not good enough.

The problem is that most airlines websites are not set up to collect middle names let alone middle initials.

So, if eventually, if he shows up with a ticket that says "John Adams" but use his passport for ID, he wont' get a boarding pass because his names dont' match exactly.

It's absurd to be that picky with middle names but that's what they're doing.

I'm going to contact the U.S. Passport Agency to see if I can remove my middle name from my passport just to make things easier.

Susan....where did you get your information? Rush Limbaugh?

A few inaccuracies in your posting....Secure Flight is a product of the Bush Administration (hearings began in 2007). You are required to give your full name, birth date and gender. No passport info is required. NO ID number is assigned. It's not about "tracking U.S. citizens or knowing their whereabouts. It's about better matching names to the no-fly list so there are less confusions. (Although with the strict name requirements, there will be more problems with getting boarding passes.)

As far as the dates you mentioned.....here it is directly from the TSA website:

"Secure Flight requires that domestic aircraft operators request and collect full name as of May 15, 2009, and date of birth and gender as of August 15, 2009 for their domestic flights. For international flights, full name, date of birth, and gender must be requested and collected as of October 31, 2009. TSA has built some flexibility into the processes regarding passenger name accuracy. For the near future, small differences between the passenger’s ID and the passenger’s reservation information, such as the use of a middle initial instead of a full middle name or no middle name/initial at all, should not cause a problem for the passenger. Over time, passengers should strive to obtain consistency between the name on their ID and their travel information."

Once again, here is the link to the TSA page for Secure Flight FAQ

I just returned last week from a business trip to China and was not required to fill out anything other than my declaration form upon return which I've had to do for years and years. My boarding pass and passport were all I needed to get through TSA on onto the plane. My passport has my full name. My ticket had only my first and last name. No middle name, middle initial or the "Jr." at the end. Thus, the name on my ticket did not exactly match my passport. The Chinese Visa had the full information, however. Nowhere, except for my return, was I asked for my birthdate or gender. I had no problems. I have not heard of Secure Flight but I'll read up on it.

We have tickets for a trip to London coming up later this year. I booked the tickets online through my United rewards program. I just looked at the ticket and it does have my first and last name plus my middle intital and the Jr. The system must have asked me for this as I went through the booking process.

As far as I have been aware of, airline ticket and passport names have always had to match exactly,, or you don't fly ( internationally)

There have been many posts on this and other forums abuot people accidently purchasing airline tickets in their shortened or nicknames,, ie: Beth for Elizbeth or Bob for Robert, and having to pay change fees to have tickets altered,, or in some cases having to buy new tickets.

Once again....

Americans are GUILTY until proven innocent. (Has the TSA ever read the Bill of Rights?)

Luckily mine match, but the airline does not have my birthdate or really my gender so I have no idea HOW that's going to work, nor do I care!

TSA- Thousands Standing Around doing nothing to make you safer, but lots to "look like we are busy"

Larry...Secure Flight hasn't started yet which is why you haven't had to give the information...

Pat..in the U.S., prior to this, your name didn't have to match exactly. Example...my passport says "Franklin" but I always flew under "Frank." Never a problem. Now I have to make sure my ticket says Franklin.

Carol....in the future, when you make a reservation, you'll have to give your birthdate and gender or you don't get a ticket.

But I agree...this is somewhat silly and will cause lots of problems. But, most Americans will act like sheep and comply. All TSA has to say is..."we're pwotecting you fwom tewowists, huhuuhuhuhuh. (That's my best online Porky Pig imitation.)

The TSA site says they wont worry about the middle name or initial.

Tami....would you please provide a link to where you found that information.

Under the FAQ's of Secure Flight it says:

"For the near future, small differences between the passenger’s ID and the passenger’s reservation information, such as the use of a middle initial instead of a full middle name or no middle name/initial at all, should not cause a problem for the passenger. Over time, passengers should strive to obtain consistency between the name on their ID and their travel information."

Paranoia abounds! Yes the facts are true, your personal details must match on passport and ticket, and it has been in place since soon after 9/11, though it was unofficially in place before that so the airlines could prevent people swapping tickets. To blame one administration or another is unfair, as most countries - in fact all of the ones I have travelled in recently, enforce the same conditions.

Ive never been asked for my Drivers license ID when flying... Just my passport.... and I always made sure the ticket matched it. I am flying abroad in November again so I guess we will see how it goes! My name on my passport and drivers license both match exactly.

Couldnt they just check both? Seems easy enough! Last time I flew, they pre-checked everyons passports and stamped the boarding passes well before boarding time. You would think then at boarding they could then check ID...

Frank II - That sounded more like a online Elmer Fudd impression than Porky Pig.

The new Secure Flight TSA Regulations are a change that will affect all of us, starting soon (I believe starting May 15 in some cases). Most of your questions can be answered if you go to the link provided in Frank II's first reply, here's that link again:Go here to see how the new regulations affect YOU

Sorry, Iain, perhaps in Canada, but I've been able to travel using the name "Frank" instead of my official documents "Franklin" up until now. You see most people with half a brain knew Frank could be short for Franklin --especially since my photo ID looked like me. Now, I guess, we've dumbed down our government workers so they don't know this. Now "Frank" will no longer pass. It must say "Franklin."

What I can't believe is that the American people are allowing the government to make us "jump through hoops" all in the so-called name of protecting us for bad people. I thought things would change under the new administration. I guess I was wrong. But, I guess the president is just too busy going out for burgers than he is trying to find competent, sane people to run the government.

I think perhaps the current President might be a tad busy cleaning up the MOUNTAINS of issues from the previous 8 years of inept administration :-)

I agree Tim...I was hoping that one of his first jobs would be to rid the Department of Homeland Security of their fascist fear mongers and those bent on destroying the rights of American citizens.

Bring in people who really know what they are doing and not appoint politicians as thank yous for a job well done. Didn't he learn anything from Bush and "You're doing a hell of a job Brownie....."

Frank, Its in the Secure Flight FAQ link you posted!

Secure Flight does not require that the names on all of your IDs be identical. Passengers should ensure, however, that the name used when making a reservation matches the ID that will be used when the passenger checks in. To illustrate this point using a hypothetical example, if a passenger’s current driver’s license reads “John C. Doe,” the passenger is not required to apply for a new driver’s license listing the complete middle name. However, if the passenger plans to use his driver’s license for identification purposes when traveling, he should ensure that he makes his flight reservation using the exact name on the driver’s license, “John C. Doe.”

I read that as meaning, when you book a ticket, just make sure it matches your license!! The passport name isnt mentioned as an issue...

Howver, Tami, when you check in for an international flight, you have to show your passport.....that's where the technicality comes in...will they accept the DL as ID for an international flight, or will they insist on the passport? (Remember, it says it has to match exactly.)

So, if your DL says "John C Doe" and your passport says "John Citizen Doe"...for an international flight...which one do you use? Which will they accept?

That question needs to be answered. Domestic flight is not where I had the question.

Your ticket will eventually have to match exactly to what your ID says. And according to TSA..."John Doe" is not the same as "John C. Doe" or "John Citizen Doe." To them, all three are different.

I called the U.S. Passport Agency to find out how to remove my middle name from my passport when I renew. Just so there is no confusion.

Joel...you are correct. I was wrong. I don't understand it. I spent years, decades, milleniums, watching Looney Tunes....must be old age.

Tami...if your name on your DL and Passport are the same, then you have no problem. Mine aren't. One has my middle name, one doesn't. That's why I'm changing my passport and taking off the middle name.

Frank, wouldn't it be cheaper and easier to change your DL? Unless you really hate your middle name...

I just renewed my DL today via internet. My passport will soon need to be renewed so I'll just do that. I never use my middle name.

"TSA has built some flexibility into the processes regarding passenger name accuracy. For the near future, small differences between the passenger’s ID and the passenger’s reservation information, such as the use of a middle initial instead of a full middle name or no middle name/initial at all, should not cause a problem for the passenger. Over time, passengers should strive to obtain consistency between the name on their ID and their travel information."