It’s called “Secure Flight.” And if you haven’t heard of it yet, you will.
The only question is just how much havoc this rule change wreaks while they fine tune it.
Secure Flight is TSA’s new vetting program. The idea is to eliminate passengers’ being mistakenly delayed due to similar names with people on TSA’s watch list.
Only time will tell if the cure is worse than the disease. The new program starts May 15. Yes, today.
Travelers will be asked to enter their full name as it appears on the government identification they will be using to fly. If the drivers license and passport have different names, the name on the ticket should match exactly to the identification they will use on the specific trip.
This means middle name or initial, and anything else noted on the identification, including things like “Jr.”
The press release says.
By enhancing and streamlining the watch list matching process, the Secure Flight program makes travel safer and easier for millions of Americans.
In 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, will not be an issue for passengers. Over time, passengers should strive to obtain consistency between the name on their government issued ID and the travel information they use for booking flights.
Note “in the near future.” But eventually – by early 2010 – the goal is to require an exact match
As of August 15, 2009, passengers will need to enter their date of birth and gender when booking reservations.
Leaving aside the issue of time involved, especially for third-party reservations, the complication possibilities are endless. Airlines already do not do name changes easily if at all, and most of those who do, charge for the change.
Frequent flier programs are also going to be inundated with name changes. And travelers who don’t update their names, a sometimes time-consuming process, are going to have problems getting miles. While some carriers are somewhat forgiving with small variations in first and/or middle names, others, Delta especially, require exact matches.
This means if a passenger is signed up as John Doe, and he books a reservation as John Henry Doe, he will not get credit, nor any status perks such as better seats or waived baggage charges.
As frequent travelers know, many government rule changes – the passport rule to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean for example – are often delayed. So no one knows for certain when these requirements will be absolute.
But for those who want to be ahead of the curve, and the potential hassles, it would not be a bad idea to start updating frequent flier programs now. And even if you really would prefer that no one ever know your middle name, it is probably time to start using it. At least for airline tickets.
Janice Hough is a California-based travel agent a travel blogger and a part-time comedy writer. A frequent flier herself, she’s been doing battle with airlines, hotels, and other travel companies for over three decades. Besides writing for Travelers United, Janice has a humor blog at Leftcoastsportsbabe.com (Warning, the political and sports humor therein does not represent the views of anyone but herself.)
