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Secure Flight

June 2010 OnePass Statement Message
The message in your June OnePass Statement regarding Secure Flight requires clarification. While it is necessary for the name you provide for Secure Flight while making your reservation match the name on your government-issued ID, it is not mandatory that the name on your ticket or OnePass account match your ID. For more information, go to tsa.gov.

Secure Flight is a program developed to provide uniform watch list matching by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The mission of the Secure Flight program is to enhance the security of domestic and international commercial air travel through the use of improved watch list matching to identify known and suspected terrorists.

How will Secure Flight affect passengers?

To comply with the Transportation Security Administration's Secure Flight policy, the following information must be provided and must match the government-issued photo identification that will be used for travel:

  • Full name (as it appears on passenger's government-issued ID)
  • Date of birth
  • Gender
  • Redress Number (if available)

Continental Airlines will send the information you provide to TSA and TSA will match it against the No Fly and Selectee watch lists. By providing this information in advance, most passengers will not experience any differences from the way they traveled before as a result of Secure Flight.

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What are the benefits of Secure Flight?

Secure Flight provides numerous benefits to the traveling public. First, Secure Flight protects sensitive watch list data. The program also enables officials to address security threats sooner, keeping air travel safer. By implementing one watch list matching system, the program provides a fair and consistent matching process across all airlines and reduces the chance of being misidentified. Secure Flight offers an improved redress process, so that those who are mistakenly matched to the watch list can avoid further problems in the future.

Protecting passenger privacy

The privacy of individuals' information is a cornerstone of Secure Flight. TSA collects the minimum amount of personal information necessary to conduct effective watch list matching. Furthermore, personal data is collected, used, distributed, stored, and disposed of in accordance with stringent guidelines and all applicable privacy laws and regulations.

Redress — for passengers who feel they have been misidentified

Those who believe they have been mistakenly matched to a name on the watch list are invited to apply for Redress through the Department of Homeland Security Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP). Secure Flight uses the results of the redress process in its watch list matching process, thus preventing future misidentifications for passengers who may have a name that's similar to an individual on the watch list. For more information on the redress process, visit www.dhs.gov/trip.

To learn more about Secure Flight visit www.tsa.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to a number of frequently asked questions regarding the Secure Flight Program.

Does the name on my ticket need to match the name on my ID?

The name you provide when booking your travel is used to perform the watch list matching before a boarding pass is ever issued, so small differences should not impact your travel. You should ensure that the name provided for Secure Flight when booking your travel matches the government ID that you will use when traveling. Some younger travelers are not required to travel with an ID when traveling domestically - learn more about these exceptions.

When is Secure Flight information sent to the TSA?

Secure Flight data is sent to the TSA 72 hours prior to scheduled flight departure. For Secure Flight information that is added or changed within 72 hours, data is updated and sent immediately. This includes data that is collected for reservations made less than 72 hours prior to departure.

Do travel agencies need to collect Secure Flight information?

Yes. All agencies that book travel on Continental Airlines will be required to request and collect the data. The travel industry is upgrading and standardizing system programming that will provide the ability to transmit newly required Secure Flight Passenger data between travel agency system and the airlines.

Privacy Notice:

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires you to provide your full name, date of birth, and gender for the purpose of watch list screening, under the authority of 49 U.S.C. section 114, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 and 49 C.F.R parts 1540 and 1560. You may also provide your Redress Number, if available. Failure to provide your full name, date of birth, and gender may result in denial of transport or denial of authority to enter the boarding area. TSA may share information you provide with law enforcement or intelligence agencies or others under its published system of records notice. For more on TSA privacy policies, or to review the system of records notice and the privacy impact assessment, please see the TSA Web site at www.tsa.gov

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