Happily, Alaska grants 1 free change within 24 hours of booking the tickets so I wasn’t quite in full-scale panic mode. Even more happily, the very nice reservation agent on the phone corrected the Secure Flight info for dad and assured me that the tickets would print correctly even though their reservation system didn’t show middle names. We got back from our trip on Saturday and had no problems whatsoever.

Unfortunately, until the airlines’ systems are capable of addressing name quirks, these issues are going to continue. While Mary H’s post was tongue-in-cheek, I wonder if such a number wouldn’t be a bad idea for flying purposes (not used for anything else). After all, we already have social security numbers to identify us for other purposes.

As for Kyle’s dilemma, I too sympathize with you. I believe eventually we will adapt our language to include gender-neutral words, but it will probably be a long time in coming. Perhaps it would be easiest to think of the reservation question as referring to sex (physical) instead of gender (identity).

So, if Secure Flight is designed to prevent someone from getting on an airplane who should be be on an airplane – when is it sent to TSA? 24 hours? Well, then all you need to do is buy a ticket 6 hours before the flight and accept the SSSS search from TSA. They would not have caught the pants explosives using the inspections then in use – and the terrorists will now adapt to the new system.

What if they send it in 2 hours before the flight? Then many people have checked in already – and have printed boarding passes – and since TSA only checks names against names – the ONLY defense at that point is to stop them at the gate = again assuming that TSA has sent a ‘bad name’ stop to the airline.

So – you can see why secure flight has so many holes you can see through it . . . thus – name matching is irrelevant since unless they can stop Osama B. Laden at the gate, after he has checked in . . .

I’d like to buy a ticket in the name Usam AB. Laden and see if it gets flagged or if I can walk right to the TSA screener. . .

lawsuits should be launched against these outrageious software companies.

Um, for what exactly? I realize that seems like a good idea, but…you need a demonstrable or enforceable cause to do so.

Among the airlines I’ve dealt with with his issue, it seems it depends if their software can indeed process name changes or corrections. American Airlines recently told us they allow the former with a fee, and it’s a little bit time-consuming when doing the latter.

International flights with “incorrect” names are a nightmare, moreso those with multiple carriers. Those are practically impossible to fix.

As a few mentioned, character limit is another issue. If your name is like Sivasubramunian, there’s a risk the airline’s or travel agency’s computer system’s character limit might not include everything.

Coupled with any maybe government agency’s requirement for airlines for this and that, and you’ve got a cesspool. With no immediate resolution in sight.

The TSA is high if they think this name nonsense is going to be helpful… as usual we are addressing NONE problems, creating more problems and resolving nothing…

But it’s NOT always fine. This has caused me problems several times at airports – extra screening, screaming and yelling at the counter, almost denying me boarding.

I’ve written so many letters I can’t even count them. I was especially pissed at Delta once – they were the ones who insisted that I pay the change fee or I wouldn’t be allowed to fly, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THEIR MISTAKE! I consider this a criminal fraud, taking my money for something they wouldn’t allow me to use. I threatened to take them to court for defrauding me out of my money, and they went ahead and made a “notation” in my file. Yeah right – they STILL held me up at the airport for an extra 30 minutes of extra screening.

I’ve now taken to entering my name either all in caps (when possible) or as “Leeanne” to avoid this. But this doesn’t help when I’m making reservations over the phone. Even when I tell them repeatedly that my name is ALL ONE WORD, it still often comes out as Lee Anne once I receive the documents/tickets.

I guess I need to change my name so I won’t get harrassed and defrauded.

You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve gotten postal mail from advertisers with the name as Stephanie and they use Mrs. as the salutation. If I see that, it automatically gets tossed.

The problem is most apparent when your id has a full middle name and the airline middle initial space is just that, only good for an initial.

This whole thing is insane. My frequent flier account at Delta was merely Joseph Farrell — when I used my miles for an upgraded cross country ticket, I tried and tried and tried to have them issue the ticket in the correct name. I needed to speak to the Delta Skymiles people to have my ticket issued. I asked them to update the name for secure flight – and their internal corporate policies required that they issue in the name on the account. I told them politely that I needed to update my information for secure flight. You could hear the ‘what? huh?’ going on in their voice. I asked for and received a supe – who told me not to worry, since frequent fliers are screened once and clearance is put in the account. I told her that was not my point – I wanted my name on my id to be the same as it is on my reservations – there is only room for an initial. So NO ONE gets a full name through secure flight from Delta apparently.

Why, Osama Bin Laden could become Osama B. Laden and no one at TSA would know the difference – and instead of immediately arresting his rear they’d tell him he needs to go to the ticket counter to have his full name put on the boarding pass. Of course, if he is flying for Fox News then he becomes Usama which will really screw up the TSA.

I would argue that change fees would not be assessable since the fee is so that DELTA can comply with the law, not the passenger. Delta is liable to collect the correct information and submit it in advance of the flight – not the passenger. Thus, its not a change, it is merely compliance with Delta’s federal law obligation . . .

Will I be allowed to fly if my ticket reads Christophe instead of Christopher?

The US Government continues to discriminate by not offering a selection for “prefer not to answer” or “not applicable” If I check “female” on the airline reservation, I am lying to myself even though the TSA will recognize me as female.