If you’re planning on traveling in the near future, it would be a good idea to check and make sure that all of your travel documents, including your US passport, are up-to-date. According to the Chicago Tribune, TSA has started to crack down on people whose travel documents don’t match their tickets.
If you are traveling on a US passport, you definitely need to make sure that the name on your passport is the name on your ticket. Period. It doesn’t matter how many supporting documents you bring with you-the names must match exactly-including the middle name or middle initial. According to the story in the Tribune, the requirement that your middle name/middle initial match is effective now for domestic flights and will be effective in December for international flights.
If your name has changed since you were last issued a US passport, you should get it changed as soon as possible. For details on how to accomplish this task, see Changing Your Name on Your US Passport Renewal.
Remember to apply to have your name changed on your US passport at least 6 weeks in advance if you use regular processing. The government’s expedited processing service takes at least 3 weeks. If you need the name on your passport changed sooner than that, a private passport expediting company is your best bet. An expediting company will hand-deliver your passport name change application to the US Department of State, resulting in processing times as short as 24 hours.
Don’t wait until the last minute-change your name on your US passport today!