For those planning air travel

[DCBluesman]

Recently, the Transportation Security Administration announced changes to their watch list matching process called Secure Flight. The mission of Secure Flight is to enhance the security of domestic and international air travel through the use of improved watch list matching. Another benefit will be greatly reduced incidents of passengers being misidentified with names on the TSA's watch lists.

Starting today, when purchasing a ticket you will be required to provide your full first, middle and last name, exactly matching the valid government-issued ID you will present at the airport (e.g. driver's license, passport, etc.).

Beginning August 15, 2009, you will also be required to provide your gender and date of birth when booking flights.

You will benefit from the Secure Flight program through improved security on all flights and reduced rates in misidentification of passengers who have similar names on the TSA watch list.

 

[ed4copies]

Get REAL!!!

There can't be an Ed Brown on the list, Can there???

 

[rjwolfe3]

Ed, there are three of them flagged. (I made sure of it!)

 

[Jim Smith]

I not only have the most common name in the United States; Jim Smith, I also have the distinct pleasure of being on the no-fly list. That means I can't check in online or use the kiosks. I also can not use the internet to change my reservations on the same day as travel so I have to call the airlines reservations office (usually in India) to change my flights. Either some knucklehead with the name Jim Smith did or said something stupid or the TSA picked the most common name in the US to put on the no-fly list so they could report to congress that they have 10 million potential bad guys that their monitoring.

As an aviation safety consultant, I travel quite a bit. The real irony to this is that I worked for the largest airline in the world for 28 years and only retired about four years ago

Jim Smith

 

[jack barnes]

Things are get a little out of hand. what next? with that I'll shut up be I get on the no fly list.

Jack

 

[ed4copies]

You SOUND dangerous!!

I not only have the most common name in the United States; Jim Smith, I also have the distinct pleasure of being on the no-fly list. That means I can't check in online or use the kiosks. I also can not use the internet to change my reservations on the same day as travel so I have to call the airlines reservations office (usually in India) to change my flights. Either some knucklehead with the name Jim Smith did or said something stupid or the TSA picked the most common name in the US to put on the no-fly list so they could report to congress that they have 10 million potential bad guys that their monitoring.

As an aviation safety consultant, I travel quite a bit. The real irony to this is that I worked for the largest airline in the world for 28 years and only retired about four years ago

Jim Smith

Change your name ---try Akmed Obama --- tell them you have relatives in high places!!!

 

[leehljp]

Thanks Lou for that information.

exactly matching the valid government-issued ID

This will be a pain for me as I am a "Jr." as some online check-ins and kiosks do not recognize the "Jr" as part of the last name or part of the "given name", and therefore leave it off. With NWA, I have had problems with the frequent flyer registration because of the "Jr" name. Don't know how Delta manages it in the change over.

Even before 9/11, I had an immigrations officer in the US chide me for putting "Jr" after my "Given" name instead of the "family" name.

I can see some "Gate/Check-in" people causing a problem with this.

 

[fiferb]

Get REAL!!!

There can't be an Ed Brown on the list, Can there???

Ed Brown is the name I use when I fly.:biggrin:

 

[NewLondon88]

Recently, the Transportation Security Administration announced changes to their watch list matching process called Secure Flight. The mission of Secure Flight is to enhance the security of domestic and international air travel through the use of improved watch list matching.

The mission of Secure Flight was to spend billions of other people's dollars
on making up a mission statement, making up the name "Secure Flight"
and getting team hats and tee shirts. They didn't even order any pens.