Comments on: TSA Needs Your Exact Name When You Fly Now

By: Renee

Renee — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 20:22:44 +0000

Don V…what other websites did you find this info on. I have middle name on passport but not my travel documents…planes,cruise,etc.

By: Don V

Don V — Mon, 31 May 2010 21:49:02 +0000

I read about this in the May 30 LATimes. My wife and I are going to Denmark in June. I made reservations last year. I checked our tickets and passports. Mine is OK – my wife’s is not. Her passport has her middle name in the middle, her ticket has her maiden name in the middle. Her CDL has her maiden name in the middle. Called United to have her middle name changed on the ticket to match her passport. After checking with someone, the idiot woman says “she will not be able to take the flight” WTF??? The ticket must agree with her passport, not her CDL. Can’t change the name, have to cancel and reissue if available. We’re on a FF ticket – not likely!!

After a moment of panic, I went online and found this and other sites assuring me that 1) it appears to be for tickets issued AFTER May 15 and 2) the TSA will be “flexible” for a short time until people get the message. Obviously, the United agent hadn’t gotten the TSA message (nor had whoever she talked to).

But don’t count on the public getting the word – the TSA is still confiscating large knives and other prohibited objects from travelers who have had almost 9 years to hear about what you can’t bring on board.

By: CF

CF — Tue, 18 May 2010 00:54:47 +0000

I would suggest contacting your individual DMV.

By: Christine

Christine — Mon, 17 May 2010 21:19:48 +0000

I thought I was the only one with this problem of first and middle name initials on my driver’s license. It looks horrible and fake, not to mention the many issues I encounter when going out, showing identification for picking up things like packages, or simply using it in a hotel. My name is not C legally and anyone could be me with just initials. Is there any way to change this?

By: Jim B

Jim B — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:13:01 +0000

If we weren’t so picky about it, there would be a unique identifying NUMBER for each individual to use on documents. (Think SSN). But somehow people started thinking of these as secret PIN numbers rather than a database key (unique record locator).

By: John Q. Public

John Q. Public — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:27:19 +0000

Stupid is as stupid does, typical goverment morons.
Your first and last name should be all you need.
Your gender and age is B.S., but I can live with that.
I have a long first and middle name, and on top of that I have a second middle name. It depands on the D.M.V.s system at the time, on how my name shows up on my license. I do not use my middle names any more for any thing unles I have to.
I guess the only way around this STUPID rule is to go to court and drop my middle names so that my first and last name is my legal name
Of course then I would be questioned why I do not have a middle name.
Gee I thought Bush was out of office.
P.S. watch out for those women who carry breast milk on board,
and Al Gore.

By: Bev

Bev — Sat, 30 May 2009 12:41:07 +0000

Everyone here seems to be assuming that “we the people” control how our names appear on “official” documents like drivers licenses. In New York if your first or middle name is too many characters they automatically shorten it to the initial(s). So now I have a license with my first and middle initial and last name and a passport with my full name… Moral of the story… 50 state motor vehicles depts cannot be coordinated.

By: Travel Thoughts and ID | Flight Wisdom

Travel Thoughts and ID | Flight Wisdom — Wed, 27 May 2009 01:19:29 +0000

[...] the traveler unsure of what to expect? For example, the Transportation Security Administration has begun implementing their new security measures. The first stage of which is that the name on your ticket [...]

By: CF

CF — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:26:30 +0000

Peter – I really hope that something as simple as having two words smushed into one wouldn’t cause problems. Of course, there’s no better way to find out than to test it.

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:42:35 +0000

My last name is legally two words.
It is spelled that way on my passport.
I buy my tickets with my name spelled correctly.

BUT the airlines then concatenate the name into a single word. Now my name doesn’t match my passport. I’ve only been questioned on this when leaving The Netherlands. I wonder if this will have an effect? I can always show my military I.D. when traveling stateside, since they couldn’t figure out two words either…