What about on previously issued tickets? My DL has my middle initial (as does my US Passport), but with CO, when purchasing tickets (as well as with my OP account), it's just first & last name. I have tickets that I purchased earlier this year, for flights going into Aug & Sept that do not show my middle initial. I've tried to add it to my 'OP Profile', but no luck. If and when I can make that change, will I have to have all my tickets reissued as well ???:confused:

Well this should be fun. My middle name is an initial....

What's in a name?!
 

You have no issue! One does not require a middle name to fly. One will only need to have the name on his/her identification (Drivers License or Passport) precisely match the name on the computer record transmitted from the carrier to the TSA.

When the rule actually goes into effect, the carrier must transmit each flight's pre-boarding manifest to the TSA via a computer record showing each passenger's name (and other info such as birthdate and sex). The transmitted name must match the name as it appears on whatever document will be presented at the security screening gate ... Drivers License or Passport.

Various forums and threads throughout the Web had earlier been abuzz with questions and concerns ... but the hubub has really died down of late, given that Homeland Security cannot possibly expect the scores of carriers to be ready to meet any deadlines in 2009.

Incidentally, this requirement does not have anything to do with the name shown on one's OnePass account. That is another issue ... because a name match of ticket and OP ID is necessary to receive mileage credit.

Considerations include:
(All names are fictitious)

(1) Using DL for some trips and PP for others, where the name on these documents do not match, may be a problem. My DL has John X Doe while my PP shows John Xavier Doe. The new rule will require me to use only my Passport because, thus far, CO can only register one iteration of my name ... and I must use the PP for international travel.

(2) Using a first initial and middle name ... e.g., I James Doe may present a dilemma. My son's birth certificate shows Ichabod James Doe but he has never used his first name, opting to be called James Doe. In some states he would be permitted to show just his middle and last name on the DL ... but a New Jersey DL only allows first name, middle initial and last name ... so his DL shows Ichabod J Doe, while his PP lists Ichabod James Doe (and he only answers to James ... when and if he does deign to answer).

(3) Having only initials for a first and middle name (e.g., B J Doe) will not be a problem at all since all documents and FF memberships will match up. Similarly, having no middle name will make mismatch issues moot.

I see little need for anxiety over future reservations, at this time. Even though our governmental agencies tend to make poorly thought out, knee-jerk decisions ... the actual systems in place (or lack thereof) usually act as a buffer against premature implementation. Example: Where have all the puffers gone? They are being abandoned ... another example of regulation by committee where the committee members all work for the government.

Extensions will be given by Home Security until the carriers are able to revise their computer formats to allow middle names ... a relatively simple programming change ... unless the changes are made by a government committee.

I would love to see the confusion engendered by some Secure Alert listings where they show thousands of "same names" such as Patrick Sean Murphy (Irish travelers), Chen Wen (Chinese travelers), Muhammad Ali (Arab travelers), John Paul Jones (Nautical sojourners). :rolleyes:

I know this is not TS/S but I hope an airline or group of airlines sues the govt to stop this stupidity.

looks like their systems have issues
 

Apparently they tried to cram my middle name into the first name field. It didn't fit, so they stuck the last letter of the middle name as the middle initial! (i.e. if my name was Johnson James-McCormick Doe, they did Johnson James-McCormic k. Doe). This is going to be one ugly One-Pass Gold card that I'll get. And they didn't change the name on an existing reservation I had; I hope that won't be an issue...

I'm sure once the TSA has their system in place it will be people like you with no or two middle names who will have the most trouble.

So I got them to change it back to the middle initial after that debacle. One reason I did that was I found this info on the website:

http://www.continental.com/web/en-US...id/secure.aspx
So I'm not going to worry about it for now.

Just one note for those who use corporate travel agents... they MAY require that you book using the full name as reflected in your passport for international travel. In my case, that caused a mis-match and my OP # didn't take - so I changed my OP account to match my passport.

I had the problem a couple of years ago. I sent a letter to Continental asking them to change my member name to my full name, and it solves the problems with overseas auto checkin/print boarding pass. Before I did this, I had to get someone from Continental to check my ID every time I left the US.

When you use both of your first and middle names to book a flight, why do they always combine them into one single name with all the spaces removed?

For example, MR John Robert Doe will appear as DOE/JOHNROBERTMR on the ticket. Is this normal?

Our FFP profile only uses first and last name (i.e. John Doe), will the miles still be credit properly if I use my FULL name?

Thanks.

Tell the agency to go screw itself. Not only do they have no right to dictate how you name your tickets, they have no way of checking this unless they demand a copy of your ID before you leave for the airport. Must be those nitwits at Amex.

In addition, there is no way the TSA can verify the ID data since they don't have a master print out at the checkpoint which they can reference. Your 'inSecureFlight' info is not (currently) printed elsewhere on your boarding pass, so they can't verify it there either.

It's easy to cancel out of inSecureFlight registration during the online booking process - I haven't registered and have no plans to do so. When I'm forced to do so, I will just modify all the information by one or two digits to pollute their database and I can claim 'oops, typo' if it becomes an issue.

I don't blame CO for any of this, but my middle finger will remain fully extended in the TSA's direction until they come up with a way to stop me from flying unless I comply.

You don't have to change your name in OnePass. This info is directly from my wife's travel agency's Continental rep. I've traveled several times in the past month, all with my full name in the reservation (first, middle and last names) since my corporate travel agency also drank that Kool Aid. My OP account has my first name, middle initial and last name. I've had no problems flying or getting miles posted to my OP account. From what I've experienced, this is much ado about nothing.