Denied Boarding Incident with Legal Name Change Document Involved

[trancedrhythmear]

Hello everyone!

I have a few questions regarding an incident I was in last July 2009 that occurred in USA. I was scheduled to fly from minneapolis to montreal, an international flight. I checked in and proceeded thru security checkpoint okay. When I got to boarding area, about one hour before departure, I took a seat and waited to board. I boarded with the other passengers and showed the gate agent my US passport (which has my former name on it) and my boarding pass (which has my current name on it) and also my signed stamped and certified order from the court granting name change. I also showed him my MN drivers license which had my current name and my 2nd passport which had my current name. He denied me boarding.

Is there anyone else out there who went thru a similar situation in the USA but ended up being allowed on? Ive done this many times before on internat'l flights and never had any problems. Best regards and thank you for any help with my research for my school.

 

[Mwenenzi]

A thread on FT on this very subject by the same person.
Denied Boarding Incident with Legal Name Change Document Involved FlyerTalk Forums
The general opinion is not all is being disclosed

 

[trancedrhythmear]

Yes, this is correct. It is posted on that forum as well. Im glad you found it. Feel free to join that discussion on there or here.

A thread on FT on this very subject by the same person.
Denied Boarding Incident with Legal Name Change Document Involved FlyerTalk Forums
The general opinion is not all is being disclosed

 

[Mwenenzi]

Nothing to discuss IMHO: Just read the posts on FT

 

[harvyk]

Passport name must equal ticket name or you don't fly...

It's as simple as that, and I have seen quite a few people denied boarding because they had their passport in one name and the ticket in another...

Last year my wife used her maiden name for the first time in 6 years as her passport was still in her maiden name, and she never bothered getting it changed...

Same deal... If you want to travel under your new name, pay the fee to have the passport changed... Otherwise have it as the one part of your life which you still use the old name...

Quite simple really...

 

[trancedrhythmear]

Thank you for your feedback. However, respectfully, your spouse's situation is irrelevant to mine unless it involved a name change document, non-us passport, and US drivers license.

Passport name must equal ticket name or you don't fly...

It's as simple as that, and I have seen quite a few people denied boarding because they had their passport in one name and the ticket in another...

Last year my wife used her maiden name for the first time in 6 years as her passport was still in her maiden name, and she never bothered getting it changed...

Same deal... If you want to travel under your new name, pay the fee to have the passport changed... Otherwise have it as the one part of your life which you still use the old name...

Quite simple really...

 

[moa999]

Can I firmly suggest a mod Close this thread. The thread has gone over 5 pages on FT, and it is clear that the OP has not provided all 'relevant' infomation in the opening post.
Based on the 5-pages on FT relevance is somewhat subjective.

For the OP, my humble opinion.

1. If travelling ensure departing ticket matches departing passport
2. Try and get all your ID lined up the same
3. If you haven't succeeded in 2. don't at any point volunteer that you have conflicting ID, particularly in LOTFAP

 

[medhead]

Thank you for your feedback. However, respectfully, your spouse's situation is irrelevant to mine unless it involved a name change document, non-us passport, and US drivers license.

how do you figure that? it sounds exactly the same. the issue as I see it is you tried to do something complicated. Why didn't you just book the flight in the name on the 1st passport? Or you could have just shown your 2nd passport which you say had the correct name. Instead you drag out 3 forms of ID and some legal document during boarding of the aircraft. With respect that is just plan dumb, I can't imagine what you thought you'd achieve. I can only give one piece of advice for the future. KISS - Keep it simple, ------

 

[harvyk]

Thank you for your feedback. However, respectfully, your spouse's situation is irrelevant to mine unless it involved a name change document, non-us passport, and US drivers license.

Not really... Infact it's the exact same thing, she has a new name as the result of getting married to me, and yet never bothered updating her passport. The result was for hassle free travel, she would travel under the same name as her passport...

And the fact that I have seen many people denied boarding as their tickets where in their new name and yet their passports where in their old name remains the same. It doesn't matter what other documentation you are carrying, your passport is the one and only trusted piece of identification which you carry when travelling.

Sure you know what a US court ordered name change document looks like. But I don't, and I doubt border control outside the US would know what an authentic one looks like.

All that said, I know this is not the answer your looking for (I've read through the post on FT), and to that I say, if you want to prove a point, expect to miss many flights. If you want hassle free travel, update your passport.

 

[medhead]

3. If you haven't succeeded in 2. don't at any point volunteer that you have conflicting ID, particularly in LOTFAP

The OP is clearly a citizen of the LOTFAP. They should know better.

 

[trancedrhythmear]

Id like to kindly request this thread remain open as my purpose and intention is to investigate laws and policies that are pertinent to a school project. Some details are not disclosed for personal privacy reasons. This is a separate forum from FT and Im trying to expand my research. All relevant information that is needed to achieve my objective of investigation and research is present in my opening post. In addition, LOTFAP stands for Land of the Free and Paranoid, and is an insult and should constitute a violation of forum rules. I ask this poster to be appropriately handled. Thank you.

Can I firmly suggest a mod Close this thread. The thread has gone over 5 pages on FT, and it is clear that the OP has not provided all 'relevant' infomation in the opening post.
Based on the 5-pages on FT relevance is somewhat subjective.

For the OP, my humble opinion.

1. If travelling ensure departing ticket matches departing passport
2. Try and get all your ID lined up the same
3. If you haven't succeeded in 2. don't at any point volunteer that you have conflicting ID, particularly in LOTFAP

 

[trancedrhythmear]

Your emotional responses are unnecessary. However, you did provide some relevant info so thank you.

 

[medhead]

Your emotional responses are unnecessary. However, you did provide some relevant info so thank you.

I didn't read any emotional posts. Only statements of fact. Sorry, if you've got the wrong impression.

In addition, LOTFAP stands for Land of the Free and Paranoid, and is an insult and should constitute a violation of forum rules. I ask this poster to be appropriately handled. Thank you.

Actually LOTFAP is again a statement of fact. So there is nothing to handle appropriate. On the other hand if someone was hypothetically to use a term like Septic Tank, now that could be an insult. But it might also be a term of endearment IMO.

So to let me help you with you research undertaking so as to assist you obtain a good grade with your further studies appropriately and without any emotional responses between us:

Is there anyone else out there who went thru a similar situation in the USA but ended up being allowed on?

No

 

[trancedrhythmear]

Okay. Thank you for your input.

 

[Dave Noble]

It is clearly informed by airlines that the name on the passport must match the name on the booking. If there is a mismatch then the airline is perfectly correct in denying travel as explained above

Due to the existence of the other thread , the reports on this thread and that the question has been answered, closing the thread before degeneration occurs