Important to read- TSA rules on names, etc

I have brought this up before but it is important enough to revisit.

If you are planning a trip that includes air line tickets, some changes have recently taken place that you need to be aware of. You will now need to provide your legal name- EXACTLY as it reads on your photo ID or passport as well as your DATE OF BIRTH. I am not being a nosey travel agent. This is now required by the TSA. You can be denied boarding if this information is not provided.

If you are flying within the US, you only need your driver’s license. Don’t know the last time you checked yours but I had no clue if my middle name or initial was on mine until I checked in order to purchase airline tickets. Well, now I know- driver’s license has my middle initial. Passport has my middle name spelled out.

Until a couple of weeks ago, there was no place to even enter a middle name or initial on your airline tickets. Most airlines and all of the tour operators that I use for my clients now have included spaces for that information.

So far, the only travel suppliers that have not adopted these rules are the cruise lines. Carnival Cruise Line, for instance, will not allow you to put a middle name, initial or even a Jr. on the cruise documents even if it is on your passport. So if you are George Smith traveling with George Smith Jr, your son, both of you will be listed as just George Smith. How can they tell the difference, you might ask? I was told that the 2 will be differentiated by dates of birth.

Just another FYI, when it comes filling out online registration forms for Carnival, if you add a middle name to the registration form and since that middle name can’t be added to your cruise ticket, your past guest status may not be applied correctly. So for now, at least with Carnival Cruise Lines, leave off your middle names.