Does the Name on Your Passport Need to Match Your Ticket?
by Alison Kroulek | August 13th, 2009
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It seems like every time you turn around, there’s a new security rule you have to remember at the airport. Now, TSA has begun a new program called “Secure Flight,” which attempts to reduce the number of people who are misidentified as being on the government’s no-fly list for suspected terrorists. As a result, your airline will now ask you to provide your name exactly as it appears on your driver’s license or passport-whichever ID you plan to present at the gate.
The New York Times’ Practical Traveler blog has a great article about the Secure Flight initiative and what it means for you. Basically, you need to start making sure that your name is the same on all of the documents you use for travel (passport, driver’s license, frequent-flier accounts, etc). Right now, Secure Flight is still being phased in, and small differences such as having your full middle name on your passport and your middle initial only on the ticket should not keep you from flying.
However, more significant differences between the name on your passport and the name on your ticket can lead airline security to pull you aside for the dreaded “secondary screening.” For example, going by your middle name on your ticket when your passport has your full name can cause problems when you try to board the plane, even if you go by your middle name in everyday life. Whether or not you will be allowed to eventually board the plane is a toss-up, and depends on the judgment of the agent screening you. (more…)
