Airlines store your birth dates, can now better tell tourists from terrorists
The Transportation Security Administration is now allowing airlines to store the birth dates of their passengers, a change meant to bring some relief to those who are routinely confused for being terrorists.If you have a name that is always getting flagged because it matches one on a terrorist watchlist -- a common, sad but true occurrence these days -- the TSA says storing birth dates will allow airlines to more quickly verify that you are not the same person who is on the list.
The TSA itself keeps two lists: one a strict "no fly," and another in which passengers are tagged for special attention at airport check-in and security.
Right now, those unlucky enough to have names matching names on terrorist watchlists are barred from checking in for their flights online and must instead present themselves to an agent at the airport.
Anybody's name out there ever raise a flag at the airport?
Filed under: Airlines, Consumer Activism
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
May 1st 2008 @ 4:50PM
Robert said...
I am unable to print boarding passed or use the automated kiosk. A United Airlines CSR told me that I was on some sort of list, and advised me to use the TSA's complaint process to get removed. (I have a hispanic name, which makes me wonder how I got on the list in the first place.)
I went through the process of filling out an online form and mailing in a photocopy of my passport's main page. After about two months I got a letter that acknowledged the case number and basically stated that if anything needed to be done, it was. There was no indication that any action was taken at all, let alone what that action may have been.
I emailed back asking if they took any action, and if so, what it was. I have never received a reply. The last time I flew (last month) I was still unable to use the automated kiosk. I sincerely doubt that the TSA is competently processing requests to be removed from the list.
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May 1st 2008 @ 10:40PM
nzm said...
Never had trouble entering the country, but I cannot leave the USA without the counter person running off with my passport to phone "someone" in order to clear me for processing.
Once when picking up Lufthansa boarding cards while in transit at Dulles, the woman behind the counter told me that I was on a special attention list because my name was "remotely similar" to another person's name and that person could not fly.
Yeah, sure - and this person was also born in Fiji, travelling on a NZ passport, had the same birthdate as me and lived in the UAE? There were at least 4-5 strong points of difference if they bothered to keep decent records. ;-)
Ah well - hopefully this move will ensure that I can get out of the US without hassle from now on, but somehow I doubt it!
I can't believe that with all the information that we're now required to give upfront before we even get onboard any plane to the USA that, at the very least, birthdates have not been stored in the past. Makes me wonder why we have to endure the fingerprinting procedure each time.
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