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TSA wants better picture of travelers

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By TED JACKOVICS

tjackovics@tampatrib.com

Published: May 25, 2009

TAMPA - Airline passengers face new requirements to provide detailed information while making flight reservations as the federal Transportation Security Administration steps up efforts to prevent misidentification of passengers with similar names.

The TSA has begun asking airline passengers to enter their names exactly as they appear on the government-issued identification they use when they travel.

On Aug. 15, the TSA will require passengers to enter their date of birth and gender when booking airline reservations.

With gender and birth information, the system, known as Secure Flight, will be better able to prevent misidentification of passengers who have names similar to individuals on the watch lists and better identify those who appear to pose a threat, the TSA said.

The Secure Flight program is based on a 9/11 Commission recommendation and subsequent congressional requirements.

Once Secure Flight's technology is fully implemented in early 2010, enhanced watch-list matching will be done by the government rather than the airlines.

Until then, airlines will gather a passenger's name, date of birth and gender when making an airline reservation to determine if the passenger is a match to the No Fly or Selectee lists.

TSA's goal is to vet 100 percent of passengers on all domestic commercial flights by early 2010 and 100 percent of passengers on all international commercial flights by the end of 2010.

In an unrelated travel requirement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will start requiring people entering or returning to the United States from Canada by car or boat to carry a U.S. passport or other federally approved document as of June 1. Airline passengers between Canada and the United States already are required to carry a passport.

More information is available at tsa.gov and cbp.gov.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817.

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