Airline Tix compared to your ID, new regs

[Doc]

Here is a memo to travel industry professionals (thus the phraseology):

Beginning May 15, the name you input in the Passenger Name Record (PNR) Name Field should match the name on the ID the traveler plans to use at the airport. Initially, TSA has built some flexibility in to the system. TSA has stated that 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, or prefixes and suffixes, should not cause a problem for the passenger in the near term. Nonetheless, you should begin prompting your customers to provide you with the name as it appears on the document they plan to present to airport security.

Beginning Aug. 15, the name included in the PNR Name Field and DOCS field should match the government-issued identification the passenger intends to present at the airport prior to boarding. As a result, agents should be trained and/or the automated booking tool should be designed to prompt the traveler for the ÅÏame as it appears on the ID they plan to present at the airport? The reason the Name Field and DOCS name should match is because TSA will visually compare the name listed on the boarding pass (which comes from the Name Field) against the traveler's ID as presented at the airport (which is the name that must be found in the DOCS field). As a result, to reduce the possibility of airport security/check-in delays, the Name Field, DOCS Field and Traveler's ID should all match.

If you have repeat travelers with stored profiles, you should ask the traveler to compare his/her state ID with his/her passport. For most travelers, the names on these two documents will match. In such cases, you can store the DOCS field with the name as an always move field. This will allow the Secure Flight name to automatically move into the PNR when a reservation is created.

If the traveler's name on his/her state ID does not match the name found on his/her passport, you should encourage the traveler to align the two names so that they do match. This would require the traveler to obtain a new passport or state ID. Since this is not practical for all travelers, and the Secure Flight rule does not require that names on state IDs and passports match, you will need to develop procedures for managing two different names. With repeat customers with stored profiles, you should create two different DOCS fields and store them as Optional move fields. This would require that the traveler be prompted with every reservation to identify the ID he/she plans to use so that the correct DOCS field is moved into the PNR.

 

[DandyDon]

Thanks. While it may well be true, it does not seem to be in TSA regulations on their site? TSA: ID Requirements for Airport Checkpoints

 

[John_B]

Thanks for the heads up, Doc.

As I said elsewhere, there is something wrong with their system if they can't handle subtle differences such as a middle name on a reservation vs. a matching middle initial on a passport/drivers license (or vice versa).

Sounds like a classic case of someone building a system exactly to spec, but nobody bothered to question the requirements before they started.

Now that passports are required, why they don't rely more on passport numbers to uniquely identity travelers on international flights? Does anyone know?

 

[Doc]

Thanks. While it may well be true, it does not seem to be in TSA regulations on their site?

So you really believe, in you heart of hearts, that the TSA isn't under the same parent ownership as the USPO?

Don, you're killin' me.

I'll bet that 88.9% of it is "married name" issues. F.I.I.K., can't explain it, just repeated it, thassall.

 

[DandyDon]

So you really believe, in you heart of hearts, that the TSA isn't under the same parent ownership as the USPO?

Don, you're killin' me.

I'll bet that 88.9% of it is "married name" issues. F.I.I.K., can't explain it, just repeated it, thassall.

Huh?

Sounds like something lame TSA would pull, but if they want to enforce it in August, they need to make it official. Appreciate the advance notice.

 

[Scared Silly]

My wife's passport in her maiden name. Airline tickets are typically in her married name as it her driver's license. As result she carries our marriage license in her passport. Next year when her passport expires she will update it. This is a typical problem.

As for the minor name differences. How does one differentiate between John Doe and

J Doe

Johnson Doe

John William Doe

John W. Doe

William John Doe

W. John Doe


John Doe would be a match for all variations. Then add in all other John Does. I would hope that with matching at least there would be less of a chance of getting snagged on the no fly list.

 

[DandyDon]

My wife's passport in her maiden name. Airline tickets are typically in her married name as it her driver's license. As result she carries our marriage license in her passport. Next year when her passport expires she will update it. This is a typical problem.

Still waiting to see if it works out?

Get her a new PP now. :cool2:

 

[John_B]

Because each of these guys has a passport with a unique passport number issued by the Dept. of State. Since you can't fly internationally without a passport in your possession anymore, its a pretty good solution to this problem.

I know for a fact that Continental optionally includes the passport number on reservations for international flights. I know the tinfoil hat crowd probably has problems with that, but it seems more accurate than trying to get everyone's name on plane tickets, drivers licenses and passports to match exactly. At least they'll know which John William Doe is traveling where there is more than one.

My wife's passport in her maiden name. Airline tickets are typically in her married name as it her driver's license. As result she carries our marriage license in her passport. Next year when her passport expires she will update it. This is a typical problem.

As for the minor name differences. How does one differentiate between John Doe and

J Doe

Johnson Doe

John William Doe

John W. Doe

William John Doe

W. John Doe


John Doe would be a match for all variations. Then add in all other John Does. I would hope that with matching at least there would be less of a chance of getting snagged on the no fly list.