A Rose by any other Name! TSA identification requirement

In a recent article, Consumer Travel Columnist Ed Perkins, advised travelers to check their photo ID, like driver’s license or passport, to make sure that the name shown is the name under which you make airline reservations. If your name is Christopher Leon Smith and is shown that way on your drivers license, but you only go by C. Lee Smith, because your photo ID and boarding pass need to match exactly, your flight reservation need to be made under the name Christopher Leon Smith.

This latest requirement imposed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), is suppose to make ID confusion less of a hassle. According to Perkins, master watch lists for suspicious travelers are in full-name format and therefore TSA wants to make sure that travel documents conform to the list. “If you have significant differences between ID and usual travel names,” says Perkins, “maybe some married or separated women or anyone who has legally changed his name – you may face some hassles.” Perkins also points out that: “if your frequent-flier registrations don’t include your full name, presumably you’ll have to re-register each so that your program name matches the name on your tickets and boarding passes.” However, Perkins goes on to say that airlines representatives did not see this as a problem because they are more concerned with frequent-flier numbers rather than the name on the account.

Another possibility is that of having to change the way your credit card was issued. Perkins says, “these days, you often have to show the card you used to buy your e-ticket to an agent when you check in for a flight, and you could encounter a problem if the names don’t agree.”

Based on Mr. Perkins contacts with both TSA and some airlines, there doesn’t seem to be any uniform procedures at this point: airline reservation requirements may or may not jive with what TSA may require when you try to go through security at the airport. Perkins says, “Clearly, given the uncertainties, you should view this report as a “heads-up” rather than the last word. Meanwhile, be prepared for some confusion.”

To read Ed Perkins complete article you can go to:

http://dev.www.tmsfeatures.com/columns/travel/ed-perkins-on-travel/25617294.html?articleURL=http://rss.tmsfeatures.com/websvc-bin/rss_story_read.cgi?resid=200905181558TMS_____TRAVELPK_ctnxf-b_20090519