U.S. Department of Homeland Security Will Require Minimum Delay of 72 Hours Before Flying As of November 1?

September 19th, 2010

Update: It Is Possible to Fly the Same Day That a Ticket is Purchased

Via: American Airlines:

Q: Can I fly the same day I buy a ticket since I’m required to have SFPD information in my reservation 72 hours prior to departure?

A: Yes, we will collect and transmit the SFPD to the Department of Homeland Security when we ticket your reservation.

—End Update—

I worked for a company in California that had a branch office on the East Coast. One morning, a server blew up at the branch office. Long story short: The company sent an employee, carrying a replacement server packed in a suitcase, on a flight that afternoon.

Am I missing something, or does that kind of thing become impossible after November 1?

Via: American Airlines:

As a result of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) mandate, beginning November 1, all passengers will be required to have Secure Flight Passenger Data (SFPD) in their reservation at least 72 hours prior to departure. This is the next phase in a program that was initiated by the TSA in 2009.

In compliance with this mandate you will be required to provide Secure Flight Passenger Data:

* To purchase any ticket on or after September 15, 2010
* To travel November 1, 2010, or later regardless of purchase date

You will be unable to travel without providing the following information.

* Full Name (first, middle and last name, as it appears on the non-expired government-issued photo ID that you will use when traveling)
* Date of Birth
* Gender
* Redress Number (if applicable)

You will need to provide Secure Flight Passenger Data:

* If it was not provided when you made your reservation
* For reservations made prior to adding SFPD to your AAdvantage account profile
* For all future reservations

By adding Secure Flight Passenger Data to your AAdvantage account profile, we’ll add the SFPD automatically when you make reservations through American Airlines† in the future. You can follow the steps below to add SFPD to existing reservations.

Adding Secure Flight Passenger Data To An Existing Reservation
If you have reservations for travel on or after November 1, 2010, you need to provide your SFPD at least 72 hours prior to departure. You will not be able to travel without the TSA mandated Secure Flight Passenger Data in your reservation.

One Response to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security Will Require Minimum Delay of 72 Hours Before Flying As of November 1?”

  1. dt says:

    My understanding, based on the the existing non-nationals scheme, is that this is a one-time registration, good for several years at least. So the server replacement scenario would require a pre-registered employee.

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