American Airlines fliers now need to provide gender, date of birth before traveling

by PegNews wire

FORT WORTH — American Airlines is rolling out the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) new Secure Flight program to customers who purchase tickets on or after Sept. 15, 2009. Secure Flight is a behind-the-scenes program that streamlines the TSA's watch-list matching process to enhance the security of domestic and international commercial air travel.

In accordance with this new TSA policy, American Airlines customers will now be asked to provide additional information as part of the Secure Flight Passenger Data (SFPD) requirements. SFPD is being requested for all customers traveling on American Airlines, American Eagle, and AmericanConnection flights whose reservations are purchased on or after Sept. 15, 2009, but not for tickets issued prior to this date.

When customers make a reservation and purchase their tickets on AA.com, American Airlines reservations, or through a ticket agent, they will be asked or prompted to provide the following information:

* Full Name (first name, middle name and last name, as it appears on the non-expired government-issued photo ID they are traveling with)

* Date of Birth

* Gender

* Redress Number, if applicable. This is a TSA-assigned number to customers who believe they have been mistakenly matched to a name on the watch list to help prevent misidentification. (For more information, go here.

AAdvantage members are strongly encouraged to update their accounts with their SFPD. To update an AAdvantage profile on AA.com, log in and go to "My Account," then click the "Contact Information and Password" tab at the top of the screen.

Customers who do not have an AAdvantage account can simplify their travel experience with American by enrolling in the AAdvantage program, the company says. As an AAdvantage member, customers can store their SFPD so it can be automatically retrieved every time you make a reservation and purchase a ticket on AA.com or with an AA Representative. To join the free program, go here.

If you purchase your tickets through a travel agency or an online booking agent, you may be asked to provide the above information to them as well.

Source: American Airlines