Hey guys, I recently read somewhere that the TSA will be checking for exact matches of ID's with tickets...well this was AFTER I booked my ticket. My passport has my middle name, however my ticket does not.

I will be flying from Minneapolis (MSP) to Guangzhou (CAN), China with a connection at Seoul. The airlines are United and Asiana.

Does anyone have experience with the new rule and if there will be any issues with my ticket?

Thanks for your help!

I booked a trip on AA.com and it asked for my information such as middle name birthdate and gender. When I saw my ticketed ticket it only showed my first and last name. On the AA Website it says that it does not matter whetehr my middle name was present or not to get FF miles. My thinking is that the TSA system is internal and they get the name on the list. When you checkin online possibly the Secure Info goes to the TSA or when the plane takes off. Just my intuition.

I have three first names and my tickets will only ever be issued using my first firstname. Never had a question or problem with it.

If the airline's res/ticketing system can't support the middle name for the PNR/record/BP, you'll not be required to have it and they won't be able to enforce it. You'll not have any problems.

Ultimately, this 'requirement' will be phased in.

Welcome to FT, btw.

There is no need to have your middle name printed on the ticket/boarding pass.

It is only used for the purpose of checking to see if you are on the terrorist watchlist/no-fly list and is done behind the scenes. This is only to ensure that you won't be a "match" if somebody else has a similar name to you.

Note: If you are a "match", then the printing of your boarding pass will be inhibited anyway.

There is a new TSA rule that requires the middle name to be printed on the ticket as well, however it is not so strictly enforced yet. For your piece of mind you can call your travel agent and ask to put a note in your reservation listing your full name. You can also have your passport number entered in the reservation, that helps speed up the check-in in case someone decides to give you a hard time because of the middle name.

TSA FAQ's about full name.

thanks for the replies everyone! That makes me feel so much better...

That did get me thinking: When I booked my ticket (I purchased online), I don't recall them asking for any government ID# or anything to identify me, just a name and credit card. How do airlines know it's me that booked the ticket? I do remember when I was younger all they did was swipe my passport and they found my ticket (even though I didn't give them the passport # before). Also I remember in e-checkin swiping the credit card I used and then located my booking, but that makes more sense...

Thanks again for the quick replies!!

There's been a lot of confusion about the Secure Flight Initiative on all levels. The bottom line for the OP is that if you purchased your ticket before compliance became mandatory that it doesn't matter.

Nor does it technically still with the name on the reservation/boarding pass. You need first/last names to match the I.D. presented but only in a secondary internal name field that is transmitted to the TSA (Homeland Security) along with your date of birth and gender does the full name have to match exactly. That is not justified (at this point) with the primary name field that is picked up for boarding pass issuance.

Of course it's going to be up to whomever you run into at security to interpret the confusing mish-mash of information that's been put out there. I've been told by my road warriors that the worst they've encountered to date is being pulled aside at the security check point and having a name discrepancy logged by the agent.

We're just urging frequent travelers to begin the process of getting their full legal name in place on reservation profiles and modifying any mileage/loyalty program profiles to match. Easier now than later when (if?) it becomes mandatory. My opinion is that the fewer excuses one gives security and the TSA to take notice of you, the better.

OT separate question: should I use my full middle name, as it appears on my passport, or my MI as it appears on my driver's license?

I suppose it should be my full middle name, if the PNR allows, correct?

It depends on which I.D. you are using to check in. Obviously it would be passport for international travel, DL for domestic usually.

However, your full legal name has to still be transmitted to the airline which in turns sends it over to the TSA. It's two separate fields in the PNR. We've been using full legal passport names in both fields just so there's no funky snafus with discrepancies or misunderstandings between the various entities involved.

And which government ID will be followed?

I have 3 first names (like used to be common in Belgium). On my drivers license all 3 names are written in full. My national ID card just mentiones my first & second name in full and my 3th name is an initial. While my current international passport states only my first name in full and my 2nd and 3th name as an initial...

Last I've seen is that new international passports will have all first names again written in full...

But in the end there is still no constistency in the different official document

All my tickets are still only with my first name only, not my 2nd nor my 3th and as long as it works like this I don't add my other names to avaid troubles

Don't worry about it. Enjoy your trip. The TSA doesn't want a bunch of complaints to reach Congress about this in a compressed time frame.

Out of interest - What is Osama Binladen"s middle name? Or is it Bin?

and if a terrorist presented his documents with a middle name - does that mean we are safer?

I dont get it.

TSA is still on the quest to stop Al-ladin and the magic lamp at airports across America?

"Bin Laden" would be the closest thing to a surname equivalent if going with how he and his family usually booked their tickets if flying commercially. It would show up as "Binladen" quite often.

His middle name equivalent -- and there are at least 2-4 of those -- almost never got used in the 1970s-1990s when it came to his travel.