robmarrone

Had to call today to get some account info. I then remembered while on the line that I have 4 future itin's with my fiance in her existing name that are after our wedding in July. I asked if it would matter and if the can just change it. I was told first that "It depends what TSA agent you get. They don't have to accept the marriage cert as proof even if she carries the original" Alrighty then. Then for the big one "You should tell your fiance not to change her name till you have finished all the itins." I said "But the last itin is in december,"....reply from rep "So."

ContinentalFan

When does your fiancée plan to change her ID? I think that's what really matters. I imagine that there won't be time to do it right after the wedding. I think that the easiest thing to do is for her to travel under her original name. It is a hassle to get things changed, and as the CSR pointed out, you might get into difficulties at the airport.

Xyzzy

If you use a passport as your ID and have the name in it changed without renewing the passport I believe it will have the name change noted in the amendments section. That might help. If you use a DL as your ID you could always "lose" it, get a replacement, and then get the name changed. That way you'd have one with each name.

themicah

That's a very stupid answer, considering that in the vast majority of airports TSA does NOT check IDs. It's the airline contractors who check ID in most places, and only the airlines can require ID, not the government. Remember, checking ID does NOTHING to promote security! They only check ID so you don't share frequent flyer accounts or try to skirt non-transferability rules on airline tickets.

But I digress...

Chances are that your fiancee has more than one form of ID, no? She should change her DL to reflect her new name, and keep her passport in her old name and use that to travel on the maiden name tickets. Just remember to book any international tickets in her maiden name until after December.

Otherwise, unless she meets some overzealous CO reps, the worst that can happen is that she'll be subjected to SSSS. It's perfectly legal to fly without ID altogether.

robmarrone

Oh you all make valid points. And I agree. Her license will probably be changed before my dec itin, I meen it is 5 months later then the wedding. She'll use her passport which won't be changed yet. What I found disturbing was not the rep saying not to change her id but she literally said tell her not to change her name. And yes, most airports the tsa doesn't check id, but in TPA where the 4 itins are to and from they do...

MBM3

We ran in to similar issues when we got married and elected to keep everything "as is" to avoid passport, banking and transportation issues. In fact, Mrs. MBM3 still retains her maiden name. Why? Most of it is for professional reasons, some of which is because it is a royal pain in the arse to change your name....

Hartmann

Sorry to bump the thread but I didn't want to start a new one when there is plenty of information here.


My fiancee and I are traveling internationally immediately following our wedding (July), her passport and her ticket are in her maiden name, so that's fine. However, I am needing to book us two tickets in November by which time her name will be changed in most places (including on her passport).

I can't change her OnePass information until we complete the trip in July but I need to book the tickets for November as seats are very limited and will go quickly.

Should she just keep her old DL around and use that to fly in November? Once a ticket is booked, how difficult is it to change the name on that ticket and OnePass account?

photog72

As a friend of mine who just got married, changed her passport to her new name, and kept her DL with her old name, until she finished her itins that were booked in her old name. Just make sure the DL is hasn't expired, or else TSA will make stink about it.

And, of course, now themicah's answer has changed - TSA is doing the majority of the ID checks at airports.

sbm12

The new SOP going into effect on 6/21 also allows for DLs < 1 year expired to be valid, so that should help out. At least that's what is being shared on the TS/S forum.

HobokenFlyer

I had a friend who got married and his wife changed her name. She just opened a new OP account with the new name (based on advice from OPSC) and then later they could merge the accounts with the proper documentation. However, she was not Elite, so this would not effect status on day of flight, etc.

I know this doesn't help the "ID" issues, but it would be a solution for the OP issue.

- HF

texd

Definitely book in her maiden name. Don't book anything in her married name until after the change is complete. Name changes can be a pain in the butt (especially if your fiancee holds any professional licenses -- or even just if she works during courthouse hours) and she may encounter a good reason to delay making the change for a few months. If that happens, she'll be without any ID (old or new) to match the name on her ticket.

I don't know how the passport bureau handles name changes (my wife's name change coincided with the expiration of her passport, so it was pretty much like renewing for her), but they generally send old passports back to you with holes punched in them once they process a new passport, so she should at least have two passports to reflect her old and new names... and of course having the old DL would be good.

As far as OP account name changes, I seem to recall the described process being a bit of a pain (it happened that her address & email on the account were old and she didn't have her PIN so that complicated matters), but then once we started booking tickets with her married name (which is hyphenated, so it does resemble her maiden name) at our new address and using her OP#, her name magically changed on her account and mail started showing up at our house. Of course that may have been because she had a grand total of 8000 miles in her account, so it's not like anyone was trying to poach her account.

AngelMcD

I recently (2006) got married and changed my name. Shockingly, Continental required me to mail in a copy of my marriage license in order to change my name on my OnePass account (I say "shockingly" because I was... well...shocked...at the number of places that changed my name without any proof of my new or old name). I think it took maybe a week to change the name on my OnePass acccount.

PHLflying

They aren't alone for airlines, Southwest wanted a faxed copy of my wife's marriage cert to change her name on rapid rewards...

chasbondy

I'm surprised they didnt ask for 25 notarized copies so it could be reviewed at the Board Meeting

chasbondy

I'm surprised they didnt ask for 25 notarized copies so it could be reviewed at the Board Meeting. But, then again, I had a hell of a time when a travel agent put my ticket in with my first name Chuck, instead of Charles and I had to explain to at least 4 people that Chuck is to Charles as Jim is to James and that if they used just a tiny bit of brainpower they would realize Chuck is not an alias.