by Dan McDowell
The holidays and winter travel season are in full swing, and once again there are changes to procedures at the airline ticket counter and security clearing points at the airport. But there are also changes in what airline passengers are now required to do well before their planned flight.
According to the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) website, the following information is effective as of November 01, 2010:
Secure Flight, the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) behind-the-scenes watch list matching program, fulfills a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission by assuming responsibility of watch list matching from individual airlines. By establishing a consistent watch list matching system, Secure Flight enhances aviation security and more effectively facilitates air travel for passengers.
Secure Flight requires airlines to collect a passenger’s full name (as it appears on government-issued ID), date of birth, gender and Redress Number (if applicable)*.
By providing complete information, passengers can significantly decrease the likelihood of watch list misidentification. Secure Flight watch list matching takes a matter of seconds to complete, and providing this data enables passengers to print their boarding passes at home or at an airline kiosk.
For airlines, November 1, 2010, marks the end of the year-long grace period to clear out their systems of older reservations made before Secure Flight requirements took effect in October 2009. After November 1, 2010, Secure Flight will not conduct watch list matching or approve the issuance of a boarding pass by an airline if complete passenger data is not submitted.
The above raises the question; can anyone make reservations within a 72-hour window? The answer is “Yes” according to the TSA:
TSA’s Secure Flight program can conduct watch list matching for passengers up until the time of the flight. Passengers will be prompted to provide Secure Flight information when booking travel. For reservations booked on short notice, or within 72 hours of the scheduled flight departure time, airlines must submit the required passenger information as soon as the reservation is made.
One more very important point to pay close attention to is that your name and all information given must match the name on your ticket, boarding pass, reservation, and government ID that you will use while traveling via the airlines. In TSA’s own words:
Due to a difference in boarding pass systems, boarding passes may not always display the exact name you provided when booking your travel. The name you provide when booking your travel is used to perform the watch list matching before a boarding pass is ever issued, so small differences should not impact your travel. You should ensure that the name provided when booking your travel matches the government ID that you will use when traveling. Small differences between the passenger’s ID, the passenger’s reservation information, and the boarding pass (such as the use of a middle initial instead of a full middle name or no middle name/initial at all, hyphens or apostrophes) should not cause a problem for the passenger.
It is important to avoid using nicknames. For instance, if your name is Catherine, don’t use Cath or Cat, or Kitty for the name submitted to the airlines. If your name does not match the name on your government ID (like a drivers license, or passport), it could cause you to be delayed as extra time may then be required to verify your identity.
And by the way, if you were recently married or changed your name for instance, you should be sure to make your reservations under the same name that is listed on your passport or driver’s license that you plan to use for travel ID. Also verify that your name is spelled correctly on your ticket. If it isn’t, you should contact the airline and get it corrected.
Checkout the TSA information on their website and verify what items can and cannot be taken onboard an airliner. Also verify what amounts can be carried aboard as well. If you prepare and plan well before you leave your home, your trip through security will very likely be smooth and reasonably fast.
This article is not meant to cover everything the TSA might want you to know, so you are urged to go to the TSA website and thoroughly review the information they provide for everyone at: http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/layers/secureflight/
Information in this article was taken directly from the TSA website. The bold items are bold ONLY for emphasis to readers, and were made bold by this author’s choice.
