ID Check: Middle Initial vs Full Middle Name
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: Continental OnePass
Posts: 855
ID Check: Middle Initial vs Full Middle Name
I'm sure this is a question with an easy answer - thanks in advance
My company just booked me a flight for a trip in September. When I looked at the reservation I noticed that when it list my name it lists it with my full middle name.
However, the drivers license that I use as my government ID to get through the TSA checkpoint only contains my middle initial.
Will this cause a problem, or is it fine as long as the initial matches the first letter of my full middle name (or do they even look at middle names at all)?
Thanks.
My company just booked me a flight for a trip in September. When I looked at the reservation I noticed that when it list my name it lists it with my full middle name.
However, the drivers license that I use as my government ID to get through the TSA checkpoint only contains my middle initial.
Will this cause a problem, or is it fine as long as the initial matches the first letter of my full middle name (or do they even look at middle names at all)?
Thanks.
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: jfk area
Programs: AA platinum; 2MM AA, Delta Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,291
I'm sure this is a question with an easy answer - thanks in advance
My company just booked me a flight for a trip in September. When I looked at the reservation I noticed that when it list my name it lists it with my full middle name.
However, the drivers license that I use as my government ID to get through the TSA checkpoint only contains my middle initial.
Will this cause a problem, or is it fine as long as the initial matches the first letter of my full middle name (or do they even look at middle names at all)?
Thanks.
My company just booked me a flight for a trip in September. When I looked at the reservation I noticed that when it list my name it lists it with my full middle name.
However, the drivers license that I use as my government ID to get through the TSA checkpoint only contains my middle initial.
Will this cause a problem, or is it fine as long as the initial matches the first letter of my full middle name (or do they even look at middle names at all)?
Thanks.
[My DL has (in addition to my last name), ONLY my first initial and middle initial--my bps have my FN, MI and LN, very rarely, have TSA agents noted this, and asked to see some item with my FN, a CC for example.]
#4
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Between EWR & PHL
Programs: UA MileagePlus dirt (former hard-way Silver); AS Mileage Plan MVP; Hilton Honors Silver
Posts: 1,586
My BPs are never a perfect match for my DL - I have a hyphenated first name, and both the airlines and the DMV dr the hyphen, but thanks to NJ's outdated computer systems, our DLs only show the first 9 characters of my first (combined) first name, whereas the airlines are able to print all 11 characters. Has yet to cause an issue at the checkpoint. OP should be fine.
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: An NPR mind living in a Fox News world
Posts: 14,153
I'm sure this is a question with an easy answer - thanks in advance
My company just booked me a flight for a trip in September. When I looked at the reservation I noticed that when it list my name it lists it with my full middle name.
However, the drivers license that I use as my government ID to get through the TSA checkpoint only contains my middle initial.
Will this cause a problem, or is it fine as long as the initial matches the first letter of my full middle name (or do they even look at middle names at all)?
Thanks.
My company just booked me a flight for a trip in September. When I looked at the reservation I noticed that when it list my name it lists it with my full middle name.
However, the drivers license that I use as my government ID to get through the TSA checkpoint only contains my middle initial.
Will this cause a problem, or is it fine as long as the initial matches the first letter of my full middle name (or do they even look at middle names at all)?
Thanks.
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Middle initial vs. full name is not a problem. Same with hyphenated names, inverted first and middle names and the like.
It's a non issue and despite the fact that there are those who don't like the TSA process and thus want you to worry, you need not.
It's a non issue and despite the fact that there are those who don't like the TSA process and thus want you to worry, you need not.
#7
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: CLE
Programs: UA Gold, HH Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,647
My full name never gets printed on my boarding pass. It's usually a truncated version of my first name, my first middle initial and MS appended at the end (all one word), last name. I've never had a problem.
#8
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: SoCal
Posts: 617
Today I had to get UA's web support to ticket an award booking on ET (LAX-ADD-CPT). The agent only keyed in my middle initial, not my full middle name.
I also have GE. My KTN is attached to the PNR.
I am not so much concerned if I don't get pre-check at LAX, but I do want to be comfortable I will not have an issue at my connection at ADD.
Would appreciate any input.
I also have GE. My KTN is attached to the PNR.
I am not so much concerned if I don't get pre-check at LAX, but I do want to be comfortable I will not have an issue at my connection at ADD.
Would appreciate any input.
#9
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Today I had to get UA's web support to ticket an award booking on ET (LAX-ADD-CPT). The agent only keyed in my middle initial, not my full middle name.
I also have GE. My KTN is attached to the PNR.
I am not so much concerned if I don't get pre-check at LAX, but I do want to be comfortable I will not have an issue at my connection at ADD.
Would appreciate any input.
I also have GE. My KTN is attached to the PNR.
I am not so much concerned if I don't get pre-check at LAX, but I do want to be comfortable I will not have an issue at my connection at ADD.
Would appreciate any input.
#10
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: SoCal
Posts: 617
Thanks. My concern is that I will presumably only have my middle initial on the boarding pass, whereas my passport will have my full middle name. I would really not be worried about this anywhere else, but this is my first transit through Africa, and I don't want to have any boarding issues at ADD.
#12
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: California. USA
Posts: 1,404
I have 2 middle name but I have always gone by the third given name.
Have I had run into issues. YES.
Everything from fraud I cant do that.but in the same time told I cant go by my first name cause it is also fraud and I have no ID in that name. So my answer is YES
Last edited by tanja; Apr 16, 2016 at 4:19 pm
#13
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
Whatever problems you've had are unfortunate, but the situation described here is so common that he will not need to worry about it. Some people have one name, some people have five. The only reconciliation between boarding pass and passport is at the gate, where really only last name is referenced.