cmh flyer

I fly quite a bit, enough to be platinum elite. Since June I've used a passport card for ID. I don't like to use either my DL or my passport (book) for domestic flights because if I lose them, it's much more problematic, than losing a passport card.

I haven't had any problems with the passport card being accepted as ID by TSA - until yesteday - at The Peoria International Airport.

They refused to accept it. I told them why I choose to use it rather than a DL. If I lose my DL, I won't be able to rent a car for my business. I explained that I've used it in MANY other airports in the US for domestic air travel and that I understand it to be an acceptable form of a government photo ID. They insisted it could not be used for air travel anywhere. It could only be used for land & sea travel between the US, Canada, Caribbean & Bermuda, and pointed to the wording on the back of the card. They insisted that all other airports were in error in accepting it in the past and they were the correct ones.

I was forced to use my DL.

Since then I've come back & read several of these threads on the subject. I've found & printed pages from the TSA website that state it is an acceptable form of ID.

I'm curious, for those of you who use the passport card at airports, do you also carry a copy of the page from the TSA website to prove it is an acceptable form of ID??

Part of me wants to write TSA at PIA and send them a copy of this page so they learn what's correct. The other part of me doesn't want to take the time to do so, and hope I don't have to go to Peoria again.

It seems it's always the TSA in small airports where their power goes to their heads! The passport card is not that new any more. I thought by now, I wouldn't have this problem.

IslandBased

I believe it is also accepted in the Bermuda Triangle.

N1120A

Should have escalated to their FSD. The Passport Card is a federally issued for of identification and the TSA has made clear that they take it. The TDC should have been fired for this, and you should not have allowed their grubby paws on your DL.

mikeef

Let the part of you that wants to write to the TSA at PIA win. Get in touch with them and insist on feedback, particularly if you have the name of the screener. Too bad you didn't have more time or you could have insisted that they follow TSA regulations and accept the passport card.

Mike

cordelli

Apparently nothing new

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...ladelphia.html

You can't expect the TSA to actually read their own website can you?

N1120A

While newness doesn't support bad training, that was a year and a half ago. There has been plenty of time for local FSDs to have brought their TDCs up to speed.

I'm traveling through LAX with my NEXUS card as the only ID I will show to TSA next week. Given that it is one of the busiest airports in the world, I don't assume there will be problems. If there are, I will let everyone here know how my meeting with the FSD went.

ElPasoPilot

Once again, I had issues with my NEXUS/SENTRI card. This time at CVG, which has been reasonably good in the past. Ended up with 4 different TSOs and supervisors peering at it under the magic blacklight. No one had a clue what it was, they attempted to both call it in and look it up their big 3 ring binder (??? - I thought this was now all electronic) to no avail.

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to spare with this trip (poor planning on my part) as I was running late to a flight that I couldn't miss. After 10-15 minutes of watching this game unfold, I had to relent and pull another ID. Complaint submitted.

IslandBased

If they lower their hiring standards further, reading comprehension might be optional.

LessO2

Seriously?

N1120A

Yes, seriously. The TSA shouldn't be asking their comrades for papers anyway, but given that they are, they should be following their own rules. If they can't follow their own rules, they need to be told what they are. The uneven application of the law is nearly as bad as the attempted abrogation of every American's constitutional rights.

fly-yul

Sure why not?

Out of FLL last week I would only show my NEXUS card. I kept repeating that if the card was good enough to let me into the country it was good enough to fly. I was at the airport with plenty of extra time. I waited for a supervisor and finally the FSD had to come and approve my ID.

How else are these clowns going to learn if we don't hold our ground?

N1120A

No knock on Cincy, but I'm hoping a major world airport like LAX will have seen some of these. If not, escalate.

Exactly. Indeed, if you look at the TSA page showing the acceptable forms of ID, the VERY FIRST thing you see is a NEXUS card.

n4zhg

Also talk to whatever tourist and Chamber of Commerce contacts exist in Peoria and point out that being treated like this at the airport does not encourage the local economy.

mkt

So far I've only had one refusal, at SJU, my home airport. And funnily enough, a CBP officer was right behind the TDC and was shaking his head the whole time at the refusal, and even nodded in approval as I explained that this is the ID I use to travel, it is an accepted ID, and it says so right on their website.

To no avail.

Rambuster

Reminds me of my travel in the USSR in late 80's !