No full name, date of birth or gender on your airline reservation? Then no boarding pass, according to a security rule taking effect soon.
The final phase of the Transportation Security Administration’s Secure Flight program requires airlines to collect complete information from passengers when they book flights. Passengers who do not enter it all at least 72 hours before departure will not be able to print boarding passes. They will need to provide the information at the airline counter to get a pass.
The rule applies to travel commencing Nov. 1 on all flights, including international travel, on domestic airlines; international carriers are expected to be on board by year-end.
The regulation is designed to aid the TSA in vetting travelers against government watch lists, and to smooth the process for passengers who have names similar to those flagged as risks.
“It makes it more efficient and it provides that extra passenger convenience,” said Sari Koshetz, a TSA spokeswoman.
What you’ll need at booking:
*First, middle and last name as it appears on the government photo identification used for traveling.
*Date of birth.
*Gender.
*Passengers incorrectly identified as a risk must enter their redress number.
Airlines have been phasing in the additional information request for months. Spokesman Tim Smith said American Airlines, for one, has required full information since this month.
“It’s much more likely to keep them off the extra screening list or even the no-fly list that TSA maintains,” he said.
American urges customers to include all the information in their frequent-flier account so they don’t have to enter it every time they book a flight.
Passengers who previously booked flights for after Nov. 1 and didn’t include the full information will have to fill in the information 72 hours before departure.
Delta Air Lines, for example, warns on its Web site that flight reservations could be canceled if the information isn’t provided 72 hours before takeoff.
