It is possible TSA will escalate or delay the start date of this new mandatory process. Please be advised, the information here is valid as of April 1, 2009, but as with any government rule or airline regulation, changes may occur.
Beginning May 1st, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will require you, when making a reservation, to provide:
- your full name EXACTLY as it reads on the government issued I.D. with which you travel,
- your date of birth and
- your gender.
This information will not be optional. The purpose of collecting these details is to allow TSA to perform terrorist watch list matching that is currently being done by each airline. Failure to provide the required elements could: (1) inhibit your ability to get a boarding pass (2) require you to undergo additional airport security screening (3) result in denied boarding of your flight.
For frequent flyers, there is an important note:
if your I.D./profile name does not EXACTLY match the name of your frequent flyer accounts, you will not receive frequent flyer miles and elite status will not be recognized.
- Please compare your government I.D. name with the name on each of your frequent flyer programs and in cases where they do not match, we highly recommend that you begin the process of changing your frequent flyer name today.
- The process is not automated in most cases and often requires several attempts before you can successfully do a frequent flyer name change.
- Information can be found below for making these name changes. Please note that airlines require the frequent flyer to make these changes.
Secure Flight Rules Regarding Name
Your name must match LETTER FOR LETTER what your government issued I.D. shows. If the name on your I.D. is "William Quincy Jones" then the name on your ticket cannot read "William Q Jones".
Prefixes such as Ms., Mr., Dr. or Rev. are not allowed under Secure Flight, regardless of what is on your I.D.
Suffixes such as Jr. and III are not allowed under Secure Flight, regardless of what is on your I.D.
Passport Name vs. Driver’s License Name
In many cases, the name listed on each of these documents differs slightly. Please compare your driver’s license name with your passport name. If the names do not match EXACTLY, you have two choices:
- either change the name on your driver’s license to match your passport, or
- always carry your passport as your government issued I.D. for both domestic and international travel.
- Remember: you cannot change the name on your passport as it must EXACTLY match your birth certificate.
Profile/Frequent Flyer Name Verification Process
Step One: Decide what government issued photo I.D. you intend to travel with and look at your name on that I.D. Do not do this from memory – you may be surprised. Remember your name must EXACTLY match LETTER FOR LETTER – no exceptions
Step Two: Email your agent with your name, DOB and gender information. Please remember to have your I.D. in hand. Updates to your TravelStore profile will begin April 15th and be finalized by April 30.
Step Three: Compare your chosen I.D. name with the names on each of your frequent flyer accounts to determine which, if any need to be changed (process for name change below)
Step Four: Contact the appropriate airline(s) to begin the name change process, in the event of a name mismatch. Depending on the change, you may be able to send an email, but most airlines require a fax or a letter.
After you have completed the name change process, it will be necessary for you to follow-up with the airline to make sure the change has taken place. It is not unusual to have to go through this process multiple times.
