what is API???

[welshlamb]

Is it me ju8st being stupid, but can someone tell me what is API? I saw a thread on here a few days ago regarding API details with MyTravel.
We are also going with My Travel but when i booked they never mentinoned any thing about API details.
We flew to and from disney (Dec07 - Jan08) would i've given these deatils then? I can't remember!
Is it only certain airlines that require them? At Xmas we flew with Delta. I vaughly remember someone walking around with a machine and scanning our passports while we were queing to go through check in. Would this be someone taking our API details? Or is this API thing something new. What deatils exactly do they take off you.
It's a good job Disney is worth all this mither what with API, green waiver forms, immigration and homeland security.

 

[Goofyish]

API = Advanced Passenger Information:

From the Virgin Website:

If you are travelling to the US, you will notice that we are now collecting additional Advance Passenger Information (API). This is a US Government regulation that requires all airlines to transmit additional information about passengers prior to the departure of flights to the United States.

Specifically, there is a requirement for all passengers to provide their country of residence and (for non-US residents) details of their full address (street name and number, city, zip code and state) for their first night’s accommodation in the US. Passengers travelling to the US continue to require a machine-readable passport or valid visa.

 

[karentan]

strangely enough, spain has started to require API too, even though its part of the EU, they want to know all my details before i fly out next week

 

[Claire L]

strangely enough, spain has started to require API too, even though its part of the EU, they want to know all my details before i fly out next week

Eventually alot of EU countries will require this information if part of 'Schengen free travel area', as the UK is not part of this then they will require our information when travelling to their countries, and Spain are the first to start it.

Claire