This is the FAQ about the policy from AA that I understand will now be strictly enforced. It was updated less than one month ago, so there may indeed be something up.
Q: When I make a reservation do I include the middle name/middle initial for the passenger’s itinerary and ticket?
A: Name field in the PNR - only requires the FULL NAME – meaning the Full “Last name and the Full First name”. The middle name or initial is not required in the Name Field of the PNR. The name that has to match exactly to the Gov’t ID they are presenting is the Last name and the First Name only.
- First and Last name only as it appears on the government issued ID that the passenger will use while traveling. Do not add a prefix, middle name or suffix.
- Do not change the PNR name field to add a middle name. The PNR name should contain the last name and first name as it appears on the customer's government issued ID. In many cases the PNR name and SFPD field will be different since many passengers have a middle name.
- The personal data that is in your reservation meets the TSA requirements for your travel dates. There is no need to make any changes to your name as it appears on your reservation. Your middle name will be collected, along with your gender and date of birth, to add your Secure Flight Passenger Data at time of purchase
- The name field requirements are separate from the SFPD or APIS requirement. The middle name/middle initial is required for SFPD or APIS to match the valid Gov’t ID the passenger is presenting to the TSA at security check point.
- Please do not use a suffix in the name field of the PNR or for the SFPD/APIS information.
[Format change for clarity]