The New Air Travel Rules
by John Hawks

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A bigger battle is brewing this year, however, over another set of security rules that will be phased in through 2010: new air travel rules governing the way you book tickets for clients.

Under the new “Secure Flight” security regimen being introduced by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, your clients must begin booking future airline tickets using their full names as shown on the government-approved forms of identification they plan to present at airport security checkpoints. For example, if your client’s name is “John A. Doe” on his driver’s license, then his airline ticket for an October 2009 trip should be booked as “John A. Doe” if he plans to show his license at the airport. However, if his passport says “John Andrew Doe,” and he presents the passport instead of his license, he may face questions about why the airline ticket name does not match his passport name.

On the surface, this new rule sounds trivial. But, if you’ve ever been questioned by airport security personnel about whether your cologne bottle is indeed under 3 ounces, or whether you should put your shoes in a plastic bin or on the X-ray machine belt directly, you know firsthand why it’s important to prepare your clients for even the slightest delays over IDs!

What’s confusing about the new Secure Flight rules is that they’ll be phased in this year and next year, with the effective dates varying depending on the itineraries and airlines involved. See the TSA Secure Flight site for the most current information available on effective dates. You’ll also find links on this TSA Web page to communication tools you can use with clients to keep them updated on the rules.

This summer, take the time to review these new air travel rules carefully, and reach out to your clients now with the details they need to make sure they’re thinking ahead about the forms of ID they plan to use for future flights. Ask them to think not only about their own IDs but also the IDs used by spouses, children, and other relatives and friends who may be traveling with them. (For example, parents should be careful to use the full names on their children’s passports before they use the wrong forms of their kids’ names on international tickets down the road!) Not only will you avoid problems with clients who are upset about extra airport screenings because their names don’t match – but, your clients will really appreciate the fact that you’re watching out for them in advance!

(Credits: U.S. Transportation Security Administration; Adrian Pingstone; U.S. State Department)