The Transportation Security Administration is rolling out another phase of its Secure Flight program by implementing its "Secure Flight Final Rule" this summer. Secure Flight prevents misidentification of passengers from those appearing on TSA watch lists. By August, airlines (and therefore, agencies) must request Secure Flight Passenger details when booking reservations. These details include:
- passenger's full name
- date of birth
- gender
- redress phone number (if a passenger is being mis-identified)
What does this program mean to you as a traveler?
It means that eventually the name on whatever ID you show airport security should match the name on your airline ticket. For example, if the name shown on your airline ticket is "Joe Smith" and the name on your government issued ID is "Joseph Paul Smith", the new rules may cause more scrutiny and longer wait times at security.
And be sure that the name you are using on your ticket matches the name on your frequent flyer account with your airline too. You don't want to risk not getting mileage credit for your trips. You can also obtain another form of ID, issued by your state, which is different from your driver's license and has the exact name you want to use for airline travel. United States Immigration Support is a private website (http://tinyurl.com/orl2yl) that contains information about how to obtain such a state ID.
Please contact AmTrav with questions and name changes to avoid any travel delays.
Secure Flight currently applies only to domestic travel, but TSA plans to implement a similar program for international flights later in 2009. We will continue to keep you updated through our newsletter or Travel Alerts.
