Jaunted

You’ll soon have to provide both your date of birth and sex when making your reservation. Apparently this is something that the 9/11 Commission recommended, and it’s great to know that this “necessity” is finally becoming a reality in 2009.

The new program is called Secure Flight, and will put the responsibility of checking the names of passengers against the watch lists onto the TSA. Previously this was something the airlines had to do, but they’re so busy with delaying our flight—we don’t have to give them extra assignments. This new improvement will be implemented early this year here at home, and later in '09 on international flights.

The airlines are saying that all this extra reservation information will cost them $630 million because they need to reprogram their stuff. The extra screening is supposed to ensure that only the good-guys are allowed in the air, and will help all those toddlers who've been denied boarding because their names were on the do not fly list.

Of course experts say this violates our right to travel freely, and doesn't prevent bad stuff as well as good intelligence does. We're just going to give in, because picketing the TSA at the airport definitely won't get us on the plane.

Don’t expect to get a birthday card from your favorite local TSA cutey—do those even exist? The agency says they’ll only retain your personal information for a week.

Related Stories:
·New Airport Security Rules To Require More Personal Information [LA Times]
·Five Ways To Speed Through Security [Jaunted]
·TSA coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Stephen Witherden]