Booked on SW Before New TSA Rules - ????

[LittleStinkerbelle]

I saw this as well. Here's my concern with it:
I'm only taking a carry-on bag, so I don't really want to have to stand in the huge line to see an agent. If I could print at a kiosk, it wouldn't be a big deal, but I don't see how that is different than printing at home.
Sounds to me like they have not really thought this through.

I hear 'ya--and it seems like the only way they can guarantee you'll have to see an agent is to not let you print your boarding pass at home, right. Now if they'd adress the issue of whether or not you still get an assigned boarding position even if you can't print the boarding pass when we check in at T24 .

 

[Bambi222]

Per the TSA website:
http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/layers/secureflight/

I am posting a couple of the Q&A below. I was concered about the middle initial, but I think we are ok per this info....



Q. What happens if my airline didn’t ask for any of that information?

A. Secure Flight will be phased-in and each airline will be incorporating the necessary changes into their systems over the coming months. Passengers shouldn't be concerned if particular airlines don't ask them to provide the additional information right away; it should not impact their travel. Each airline will request this information as their capability to capture it is integrated into their individual systems.

Q. If the name printed on my boarding pass is different than what appears on my government ID, will I still be able to fly?

A. Boarding passes may not always display the exact name you provided when booking your travel. The name you provide when booking your travel is used to perform the watch list matching before a boarding pass is ever issued, so small differences should not impact your travel. Secure Flight is a behind-the-scenes process that TSA and airlines collaborate on to compare the information you provide against government watch lists. The additional data elements that you may be asked to provide, such as date of birth and gender, serve to better differentiate you from individuals on the government watch list.

You should ensure that the name provided when booking your travel matches the government ID that you will use when traveling. However, 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.

 

[disneyfan2]

What airline are you flying?
This is specifically SW, which does not assign seats.

sorry, meant to say assign your boarding pass #, and letter, i realize not the seats

 

[Plannin'Shannon]

I'm going to call SWA in a couple of weeks to see if they can collect the information from us now and add it to our reservation. I'm hoping that if I give it a little time they will have ironed out their process and have definitive answers for us.

This is exactly what I did for my flight three weeks from now. Called Southwest, spoke to an extremely helpful man. He added my middle name and emailed me my new confirmation. All in all, a 3 minute phone call, including hold time.

 

[krissyh]

This is exactly what I did for my flight three weeks from now. Called Southwest, spoke to an extremely helpful man. He added my middle name and emailed me my new confirmation. All in all, a 3 minute phone call, including hold time.

Good for you.
The woman I spoke to, said that this is not why some people can't print (even though they've been told that is the reason by SW) and had no interest in attempting to add the information.
Maybe I'll try again. I am a total control freak (can't you tell) and do not like things like this hanging out there. I want to print my boarding passes at home/hotel and not have to deal with the airport desk, especially at MCO!

I did also send them an email containing all of the same information. I though that seeing it in writing might get me a better answer.
I'll post the response if they don't send me a canned one that doesn't address the question.

 

[sersee05]

I also called SW today. We booked before the new rules and because I am an idiot, I didn't put my husband's full name which is on his license when I made the res. I don't call him by his full name and wasn't even thinking. I spoke with a lady at SW who told me I wouldn't have any problems. They ar just beginning to phase in the new rules. She also told me that I would have no problem checking in online.. So who knows..I think I will call again too..just to make sure!

 

[Plannin'Shannon]

Maybe I'll try again. I am a total control freak (can't you tell) and do not like things like this hanging out there. QUOTE]

I am too. I stress enough about planning; I don't need another worry hanging over my head.

Try calling again. I've found that it's just like calling Disney - what one CM doesn't know, another CM surely will. Good luck!

 

[bellemeeko1]

I was told this afternoon that it isnt going to affect anyone until the first of the yr so those flying before then dont have to worry about anything. I called cuz our one son isnt going with us now due to military duties so I had to cancel his ticket so I figured I would ask how to add middle initials to the other tickets and she said we didnt have to worry about that because we are flying before the first of the yr! that we were all set.

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

I was told this afternoon that it isnt going to affect anyone until the first of the yr so those flying before then dont have to worry about anything.

Interesting. They were selling tickets for travel through the beginning of March before they started collecting this info so I hope they come up with a game plan for us. Or at least some consistent info because it seems like different agents are saying different things

 

[krissyh]

Typical canned response that did not even attempt to address (well they got 1 out of 3) my questions which were:
1. Can I update my reservation to include the additional information?
2. People are reporting not being able to print their boarding passes at home and being told the missing information is the reason and would have to print at the airport. Will I have this problem and if so, will I have to wait in the line for an agent or use a kiosk?
3. If I have my information verified at BUF, will I be able to then print remotely/or at a kiosk at MCO? (Which, really is all I'm stressed about.)

Their response:
When you are booking a reservation after October 1 on our web site, you will be asked to provide the additional information on the Purchase screen under question one. Please enter this information as listed on the government-issued ID you plan to travel with (please visit the TSA's web site to review all of the acceptable forms of identification). If you booked your trip prior to October 1, you will not need to update your reservation.

Please also know that you can update this information in your Rapid Rewards account, by logging into your "MySouthwest" account and adding this information through the "Update your Account Settings Now!" link inside the "Update Secure Flight Information" box. You can also provide this information through the "TSA Information Request" under the "What's New" box located on the right side of the middle of our home page.

OH WELL> I GIVE UP!
Hopefully, someone will have an answer to the question of "if we can't print for our flight out, will we be able to for the flight home?"

 

[TCups4Me]

I've been following this thread and just decided to create accounts on Southwest.com for my DH and DS (I already had one). That way, I could enter their middle name info.

I understand that the TSA will be phasing this in, but I suspect that Southwest is holding boarding passes and having people check in at the airport to get them to update their account information. If the new rules don't take effect until 2010, then perhaps they are trying to clear as many folks as possible before then.

Hopefully we won't have any issues getting boarding passes now that we all have accounts created in their system! It only took a minute.

 

[disneyfan2]

I've been following this thread and just decided to create accounts on Southwest.com for my DH and DS (I already had one). That way, I could enter their middle name info.

.

I've done that too, but i cannot add my flight info to the account, do i assume it is automatic. It doesn't list our flight, and says i cannot add it until the flight is complete?

 

[TCups4Me]

I've done that too, but i cannot add my flight info to the account, do i assume it is automatic. It doesn't list our flight, and says i cannot add it until the flight is complete?

My accounts are the same way and I have had a Rapid Rewards account for myself for a long time. I always forget to log in to the site when I book my flights, although I do enter my rewards number where it asks for it when making the reservation. I think you have to be logged into your account at the time you book in order for it to show on your account. All of my completed flights show up eventually.

I was also confused about this at first but took comfort in the fact that Southwest has sent me several emails reminding me of my upcoming flight.

I'll be checking in for our flight in a few hours so I'll report back on whether or not we were able to get boarding passes. And it's a full flight so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for A's!

 

[Tara]

The funny thing is that when I booked my flights in August (? I think?) there was no middle name/initial field. I was worried a bit about this, so in the first name field, I typed TaraL for my first name and middle initial. When the update profile email came out, I didn't update mine because the last thing I wanted was to have the L repeated and have something so ridiculous give me hassles at the airport.

I double-checked my itinerary, however, and my name appears Lastname/Tara L with the space correctly placed on my confirmation email and Tara L Lastname on the itinerary on my SWA account page. Go figure.

 

[keishashadow]

Im all for security on flights, and certainly hope that new system just might allow them to focus on TSA being able to perform their job effeciently.

i set up rapid rewards accounts for my family years ago and attempted to have the names match exactly to passport information.

problem was my DH & DS have the same 1st & last name & for some reason the site wouldn't let me book their seats. SW adjusted my son's name to reflect more of a derivitative of his legal name (think jim for james type of thing) & told me to keep booking via that format.

DS is on the special list, subject to the extra screening (many times into the private room w/dad he went). A couple of times i wasn't able to print out his boarding pass; but this didn't necessarily coincide with the level of extra screening received once we arrive @ airport.

I've filled out the redress form, yet it didn't seem to work when DS last flew in July. We just make sure to show up minimum of 2 hours prior to allow for extra time processing. SW insists that new system will expedite our 'flow'. I hope so as im the one who gets stuck with all the junk on the belt.

despite providing SW with DSs passport info several times (most recently a few weeks ago), I was told to make sure that once more; i request that DS is 'age identified' when we next fly by gate personnel when dropping off our luggage. They insist this is the only way to make sure he doesn't get flagged.

They did allow us a one-time name adjustment to his rapid rewards account, something they have refused to accommodate in the past.

 

[disneyfan2]

My accounts are the same way and I have had a Rapid Rewards account for myself for a long time. I always forget to log in to the site when I book my flights, although I do enter my rewards number where it asks for it when making the reservation. I think you have to be logged into your account at the time you book in order for it to show on your account. All of my completed flights show up eventually.

I was also confused about this at first but took comfort in the fact that Southwest has sent me several emails reminding me of my upcoming flight.

I'll be checking in for our flight in a few hours so I'll report back on whether or not we were able to get boarding passes. And it's a full flight so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for A's!

So i signed my kids up for Rapid but the flights were already booked, so i guess there is no way to link it to the reservation.

Good luck on your Boarding pass

 

[keishashadow]

So i signed my kids up for Rapid but the flights were already booked, so i guess there is no way to link it to the reservation.

Good luck on your Boarding pass

u can request the flight be linked to your account once completed on website under tools section

 

[TCups4Me]

Checked in right at T-24 and got A29, 30 and 31 from MCI to MCO. Woohoo!

I'll have to check out the tip on linking the flights to the accounts. Thanks!

 

[Bobo912]

I'm back from my Orlando trip and wanted to update you on my situation from page 1 where my son's boarding pass couldn't be printed from home. It actually had nothing to do with security, even though I called SWA and was told specifically that it was because his middle name was missing from the reservation. Our flight down was a RR ticket. There was no problem with my ticket, but there was something blocking his that had to do with the $2.50 fee/tax that you have to pay when booking you free trip. It was paid and the agent at the airport could see that it was, but she said there is some glitch in the system and this happens occasionally, and she couldn't print his boarding pass either. She had to call their help-desk and get it straightened out. When I called SWA from home when I first encountered the problem they said there was no need to arrive early that the boarding pass would print once we arrived at the airport. But they were wrong about the cause of the problem and they were wrong about being able to print it at the airport and they were wrong about needing to arrive early. We allowed some extra time and I'm glad we did because it took 45 minutes to get it straightened out and print the bp. So if you're boarding pass won't print at home, be sure to arrive extra early. We had no problems at all with our bps for the return flight and his middle name wasn't on that reservation either.

 

[disneyfan2]

We had no problems at all with our bps for the return flight and his middle name wasn't on that reservation either.

glad it worked out. BTW-what boarding pass did your son get for the flight down? I am worried that if something like this happens, one of my kids would get a high C , and i would be the only adult so i would have to wait in line for the C with them? Did you get assigned a boarding letter, but couldn't print it til the airport?