confirmed! Aug 15,09 post#20 Air travel ticket name must match photo ID name exactly?

[miss missy]

I have my maiden name as my middle name on my driver's license. I think my passport is the same way. On the airline websites, I think you can only put in your middle initial. I wonder if the airlines will have to spend money to update their websites to take more information -- a waste of time and money no matter what the cost.

I checked the TSA's website's FAQ and found this:

When does the full name requirement go into effect? When MUST my airline ticket match the name on my ID exactly?
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.

Does the name on all of my Identity Documents have to match? What if my driver’s license has only my middle initial, but my passport has my full name? Should I change my driver’s license to match my passport?
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'm not going to stress about this, but I'm just baffled that there is no common sense worked into this bureaucracy.

thanks!

 

[dioxide45]

My mother is in flight.

Her passport says "First Name, Middle Inital, Last Name"

Her Driver's Licensese looks the same

Her ticket says "First Name, Last Name" (I know because I bought it and have the receipt right here)

She's going to Madrid.

Don't panic!

But it is not May 15th yet. While it may not be an issue now, it may be after the 15th.

 

[dacky041208]

But it is not May 15th yet. While it may not be an issue now, it may be after the 15th.

And even after the 15th, I doubt they will be super strict with this (at least for quite a while). I hope not anyway, but If I need to, I'll have SW add my middle name for my June trip.

 

[dioxide45]

And even after the 15th, I doubt they will be super strict with this (at least for quite a while). I hope not anyway, but If I need to, I'll have SW add my middle name for my June trip.

I doubt they will be also. AirTran doesn't even have a field for this information when booking a ticket. You can enter it with passport information but not when actually booking a ticket. I guess you could put John D as the first name so when the pass prints it would look like John D Doe.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I don't know how nit-picky they plan to be nor am I defending the TSA but some people use multiple names interchangeably and can't understand why it frustrates others.

I work in a hospital doing mammography. A patient, let's call her Ann Smith, comes in and appears new to us. While we discuss her health history, she casually mentions her last mammogram at our facility and I tell her we have no record of her being there in the past. She says, "Oh wait, try Ann Jones, my married name." Still nothing. "Sorry, now try Smith-Jones. That's what my health insurance is under." and so on.

WTH!!!! I feel like saying, Lady pick a name and stay with it!!

 

[goofy4tink]

My drivers license had my first name, middle initial and last name. My passport has my first, middle and last names..no initials at all.
So....this morning I booked my return flight, Orlando to Boston, with Jetblue, in Dec. I have been reading this thread, so knew that things are going to change. BUT....there was no place on the Jetblue reservation area, to include anything other than a first name and a last name..no middle anything. So...tell me..how is that going to work? I'm obviously traveling after May 15. And the 15th is next week..you would think that the airlines would have updated their reservation systems to include spaces for middle somethings.
Am I concerned? Nope, not at all. A tempest in a teapot.

 

[DebbieB]

My driver's license has my middle initial and my passport has my middle name. I just checked 3 upcoming flight reservations I have on American Airlines, and they have only my first and last name - even though my FF # is in the reservation and that account uses my middle initial. Hopefully when I get my first boarding passes on May 20th, American will automatically add my middle initial, since they DO have that info.

I just went to American's web site to go through the booking process, and there is NO option to add a middle initial or name. In fact it says, Important: To expedite airport check-in, enter first and last names as they appear on government issued photo IDs.

Now that you mention it, I have the same issue. My license has my initial A, my passport has my middle name Ann. I could understand them being picky about the first name - Debra instead of Debbie but the middle initial thing is nit-picky.

 

[Mary T in PA]

I just called SW to make sure all my bases were covered and they are not adding middle names or initials to existing reservations. But, they did say to add them from now on. They also said it is noted when you made the ressie. So, if you made the ressie before the change you would be fine.

Chad

You answered my question.. I checked my existing SW ressie, which was made in late Jan/early Feb and SW only used first and middle name.

We have passports too, if things get really complicated, I will just take them along too, not a big deal to me.

Mary

 

[kevgraub]

I have my maiden name as my middle name on my driver's license. I think my passport is the same way. On the airline websites, I think you can only put in your middle initial. I wonder if the airlines will have to spend money to update their websites to take more information -- a waste of time and money no matter what the cost.

I checked the TSA's website's FAQ and found this:

When does the full name requirement go into effect? When MUST my airline ticket match the name on my ID exactly?
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.
Does the name on all of my Identity Documents have to match? What if my driver’s license has only my middle initial, but my passport has my full name? Should I change my driver’s license to match my passport?
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.”

Just reposting this information posted earlier that was taken directly from the TSA website. It appears quite a few people either missed this post, or did not read it very closely.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Why didn't I find this thread yesterday?

This afternoon I booked tix for our family. We'll be flying SW. DW uses a derivative of her legal name, which she and I always use when booking air travel for her. Forget the fact that SW did not have a box in which to enter middle names. Hmmm... looks like she'll be starting vacation off with a pat down and personal search.

 

[TDC Nala]

It's been mentioned in this thread that the airlines aren't supposed to start complying until the 15th so if you booked today it shouldn't be a big deal. But after this time, if your ID has a different name than you usually book flights with, it might be a good idea to start changing that - even if they don't ask for a middle name, make sure the first and last names match up with your ID exactly. That would mean if I used "Cathy" for most bookings (which I don't), I'd need to get it into my head to stop that and start using "Catherine" because my ID says "Catherine"

 

[Tozzie]

I really wouldn't panic, as it stands now you can get on a flight without any ID, sure it takes a lot longer and you are subject to extra scrutiny at security but you can still fly, so you should be able to fly just might be subject to extra screening.

 

[MScott1851]

Good lord. I have my FULL name on my drivers' license... First, Middle, Maiden, and Married. That's going to be a major PITA when I try to book flights from now on.


Just hope the airlines' websites get updated in a timely fashion.

 

[Anal Annie]

Air Tran still doesn't comply with then new TSA rule and as I mentioned in a previous post, I called the TSA and they told me anybody who doesn't have a matching ID for their boarding pass will be subject to an additional pat down search. My DH does not match so he will have to use his passport to fly to Florida if he doesn't want to be pulled out by security. How stoooopid.

I emailed Air Tran's customer service dept. about their lack of compliance and their reply was basically "sorry to inconvenience you but we don't make the rules, we don't conduct the searches and we're still only taking first and last names". Way to go for gunking up the security lines even further!!

 

[BrerMama]

When I book tickets, the travel agent is always sure to correct me when I tell them my husband's name is Danny. They insist that I can't use a nickname, I must use his legal name on his picture ID.

I then correct them. Danny is my husband's legal name. Everyone I know calls him Dan. However, his ID says Danny, so that's how we book the tickets. I'm thinking this rule is meant to catch those who would just book the tickets under Dan, rather than Danny. I'm not going to stress. We're flying June 5 and we don't have any middle names on our tickets, but I'm fairly sure they are on our IDs. I did use our full legal first and last name, so we should be good.

 

[Buzz's Buddy]

When the airlines start providing a space for a middle initial (which is what is on my drivers license), I'll use it. Until then, I'll just keep entering my first and last name.

If it means I'll need to be patted down, it's really not that big a deal.

 

[OzFan]

After reading this post, I called Airtran and asked if my reservation needed changing. I was told "YES". She then asked me how my name was on my form of ID I would be using. I told my 1st, middle initial and last name. Same for my husband. I also had to give the FULL name of each one of my children including their birthdates, even though they are under eighteen and do not need an ID.
So, just to on the safe side I would call and have everything changed. I DO NOT want to be pulled out of line and have "Helga with the big rubber gloves" give me the once over.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Looks like the Artlines and TSA are playing "left hand/right hand" for the moment. Obviously too much to expect any degree of co-ordination.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Looks like the Aitlines and TSA are playing "left hand/right hand" for the moment. Obviously too much to expect any degree of co-ordination.

Well, when you're talking about an agency of the federal government...

 

[dioxide45]

After reading this post, I called Airtran and asked if my reservation needed changing. I was told "YES". She then asked me how my name was on my form of ID I would be using. I told my 1st, middle initial and last name. Same for my husband. I also had to give the FULL name of each one of my children including their birthdates, even though they are under eighteen and do not need an ID.
So, just to on the safe side I would call and have everything changed. I DO NOT want to be pulled out of line and have "Helga with the big rubber gloves" give me the once over.

When you look up your reservation online, does it now show the new information that you provided?