A couple of weeks ago, I made seat reservations for our flight on Air
France in March. The woman I spoke to told me that I should call the
airline again a couple of days before the flight and give them our
passport numbers, to speed us through customs (not sure what this would
have to do with customs, but that's what she said - maybe she meant
passport control). She said there would be articles about this in the
travel sections of the newspapers that weekend. I never saw anything at
all about it. Anyone here familiar with this?

Thanks,

Ellie

--
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^ ~^~^~^~^~^~^~

http://www.ellieclemens.com

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president
or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong
is not only unpatriotic and servile,
but is morally treasonable to the American public."

Theodore Roosevelt

ellie clemens wrote:
    > A couple of weeks ago, I made seat reservations for our flight on Air
    > France in March. The woman I spoke to told me that I should call the
    > airline again a couple of days before the flight and give them our
    > passport numbers, to speed us through customs (not sure what this would
    > have to do with customs, but that's what she said - maybe she meant
    > passport control). She said there would be articles about this in the
    > travel sections of the newspapers that weekend. I never saw anything at
    > all about it. Anyone here familiar with this?

Hello Ellie,

I travel fairly often (3 international trips last year, the last in
December to Europe), and I've never heard of such a thing. You will give
them your passport when you check in for your flight; they need to scan it
into a computer, and just giving them the number ahead of time won't help
because someone has to verify that you are the person connected to that
passport. The passport control people will also require you to show your
passport. I fail to see how having just a number and a name without the
photo and the ability to verify that it's YOU on the passport will save any
time at all. The only thing it might allow them to do is to supply the
information to the government ahead of time so they can check the passenger
list for suspected terrorists and such, but they've been doing that for
awhile now without the passport numbers. Not that I think they do a good
job at it, mind you, and maybe they think having the passport numbers might
improve the process. But I didn't see anything in the newspapers either,
and I read the travel section regularly.

Mary

ML wrote:
    > ellie clemens wrote:
    >
    >> A couple of weeks ago, I made seat reservations for our flight on Air
    >> France in March. The woman I spoke to told me that I should call the
    >> airline again a couple of days before the flight and give them our
    >> passport numbers, to speed us through customs (not sure what this
    >> would have to do with customs, but that's what she said - maybe she
    >> meant passport control). She said there would be articles about this
    >> in the travel sections of the newspapers that weekend. I never saw
    >> anything at all about it. Anyone here familiar with this?

    > Hello Ellie,

    > I travel fairly often (3 international trips last year, the last in
    > December to Europe), and I've never heard of such a thing. You will
    > give them your passport when you check in for your flight; they need to
    > scan it into a computer, and just giving them the number ahead of time
    > won't help because someone has to verify that you are the person
    > connected to that passport. The passport control people will also
    > require you to show your passport. I fail to see how having just a
    > number and a name without the photo and the ability to verify that it's
    > YOU on the passport will save any time at all. The only thing it might
    > allow them to do is to supply the information to the government ahead of
    > time so they can check the passenger list for suspected terrorists and
    > such, but they've been doing that for awhile now without the passport
    > numbers. Not that I think they do a good job at it, mind you, and maybe
    > they think having the passport numbers might improve the process. But I
    > didn't see anything in the newspapers either, and I read the travel
    > section regularly.
    >
    > Mary

It's probably another new security thing. However, the Continental web
site asked for the passport numbers for both my wife & myself when I
purchased tickets to Iberia. Hopefully this will remove the silly form
they kept asking you to fill out when leaving.

Probably not though forms just multiply.

Frank Matthews

"ML" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > ellie clemens wrote:
    > > A couple of weeks ago, I made seat reservations for our flight on Air
    > > France in March. The woman I spoke to told me that I should call the
    > > airline again a couple of days before the flight and give them our
    > > passport numbers, to speed us through customs (not sure what this would
    > > have to do with customs, but that's what she said - maybe she meant
    > > passport control). She said there would be articles about this in the
    > > travel sections of the newspapers that weekend. I never saw anything at
    > > all about it. Anyone here familiar with this?
    > Hello Ellie,
    > I travel fairly often (3 international trips last year, the last in
    > December to Europe), and I've never heard of such a thing. You will give
    > them your passport when you check in for your flight; they need to scan it
    > into a computer, and just giving them the number ahead of time won't help
    > because someone has to verify that you are the person connected to that
    > passport. The passport control people will also require you to show your
    > passport. I fail to see how having just a number and a name without the
    > photo and the ability to verify that it's YOU on the passport will save
any
    > time at all. The only thing it might allow them to do is to supply the
    > information to the government ahead of time so they can check the
passenger
    > list for suspected terrorists and such, but they've been doing that for
    > awhile now without the passport numbers. Not that I think they do a good
    > job at it, mind you, and maybe they think having the passport numbers
might
    > improve the process. But I didn't see anything in the newspapers either,
    > and I read the travel section regularly.

I also travel internationally quite frequently, most recently to Hong Kong
and India in December and January. I also have no idea what the ticket
rep's reference to the travel papers was supposed to mean.

However . . .

I am ALWAYS asked for my passport number when I book an international
flight, and must always show my passport (with, if necessary, visa) when I
check in. I suspect the reason the airlines do this is because they are
responsible for transporting back at their expense passengers who are trying
to enter a country illegally.



    > Mary

"Frank Matthews" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > ML wrote:
    > > ellie clemens wrote:
    > >
    > >> A couple of weeks ago, I made seat reservations for our flight on Air
    > >> France in March. The woman I spoke to told me that I should call the
    > >> airline again a couple of days before the flight and give them our
    > >> passport numbers, to speed us through customs (not sure what this
    > >> would have to do with customs, but that's what she said - maybe she
    > >> meant passport control). She said there would be articles about this
    > >> in the travel sections of the newspapers that weekend. I never saw
    > >> anything at all about it. Anyone here familiar with this?
    > > Hello Ellie,
    > > I travel fairly often (3 international trips last year, the last in
    > > December to Europe), and I've never heard of such a thing. You will
    > > give them your passport when you check in for your flight; they need to
    > > scan it into a computer, and just giving them the number ahead of time
    > > won't help because someone has to verify that you are the person
    > > connected to that passport. The passport control people will also
    > > require you to show your passport. I fail to see how having just a
    > > number and a name without the photo and the ability to verify that it's
    > > YOU on the passport will save any time at all. The only thing it might
    > > allow them to do is to supply the information to the government ahead of
    > > time so they can check the passenger list for suspected terrorists and
    > > such, but they've been doing that for awhile now without the passport
    > > numbers. Not that I think they do a good job at it, mind you, and maybe
    > > they think having the passport numbers might improve the process. But I
    > > didn't see anything in the newspapers either, and I read the travel
    > > section regularly.
    > >
    > > Mary
    > It's probably another new security thing. However, the Continental web
    > site asked for the passport numbers for both my wife & myself when I
    > purchased tickets to Iberia. Hopefully this will remove the silly form
    > they kept asking you to fill out when leaving.
    > Probably not though forms just multiply.

That form identifies who to contact in case of "emergency," e.g. if the
plane crashes.


    > Frank Matthews

    >> It's probably another new security thing. However, the Continental
    >> web site asked for the passport numbers for both my wife & myself
    >> when I purchased tickets to Iberia. Hopefully this will remove the
    >> silly form they kept asking you to fill out when leaving.
    >> Probably not though forms just multiply.
    >
    > That form identifies who to contact in case of "emergency," e.g. if
    > the plane crashes.

Haven't they already gotten rid of this? When I traveled to and from the US
last July I didn't have to fill out this form.

If you have a frequent flyer account with BA and AA, then you can put your
passport number in once and that is it. Both airlines have our contact
information also associated with the FF number.


"ellie clemens" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > A couple of weeks ago, I made seat reservations for our flight on Air
    > France in March. The woman I spoke to told me that I should call the
    > airline again a couple of days before the flight and give them our
    > passport numbers, to speed us through customs (not sure what this would
    > have to do with customs, but that's what she said - maybe she meant
    > passport control). She said there would be articles about this in the
    > travel sections of the newspapers that weekend. I never saw anything at
    > all about it. Anyone here familiar with this?
    > Thanks,
    > Ellie
    > --
    > ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^ ~^~^~^~^~^~^~
    > http://www.ellieclemens.com
    > "To announce that there must be no criticism of the president
    > or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong
    > is not only unpatriotic and servile,
    > but is morally treasonable to the American public."
    > Theodore Roosevelt

Paul Tauger wrote:
    >
    > However . . .
    >
    > I am ALWAYS asked for my passport number when I book an international
    > flight, and must always show my passport (with, if necessary, visa) when I
    > check in. I suspect the reason the airlines do this is because they are
    > responsible for transporting back at their expense passengers who are trying
    > to enter a country illegally.

I assume that "always" began fairly recently? My last trip abroad was
last June, and like some of the other posters here, I have never (yet)
been asked for a passport number. (Credit card number, yes - but that's
because they won't actually issue a ticket without payment in some
manner.) Of course I was required to show my documents before I
boarded, but I think it was assumed anyone booking an overseas flight
knew that a passport was required to actually travel there, thus would
possess one.

Emilia wrote:
    >
    > > That form identifies who to contact in case of "emergency," e.g. if
    > > the plane crashes.
    >
    > Haven't they already gotten rid of this? When I traveled to and from the US
    > last July I didn't have to fill out this form.

I don't recall EVER being asked to fill out such a form! My first trip
to Europe was with a tour, and we had to supply all that information to
the tour company (I assumed for their insurance). However, I've gone
several times since, and the only "form" I remember was the customs
declaration on the return flight to the U.S.

It is likely to save time for the check-in clerk. Airlines to the US
have to provide this information to US Homeland Security
electronically.

Emilia wrote:

    > > That form identifies who to contact in case of "emergency," e.g. if
    > > the plane crashes.
    >
    > Haven't they already gotten rid of this? When I traveled to and from the US
    > last July I didn't have to fill out this form.

But the airlines took the second part of your visa waiver form? I don't
think foreigners without visa need to fill out a form, as the scrap of
green stapled in your passport on arrival contains all the info they'd
need.

joan
--
Joan McGalliard, UK http://www.mcgalliard.org

    > > Haven't they already gotten rid of this? When I traveled to and from the
US
    > > last July I didn't have to fill out this form.
    > I don't recall EVER being asked to fill out such a form! My first trip
    > to Europe was with a tour, and we had to supply all that information to
    > the tour company (I assumed for their insurance). However, I've gone
    > several times since, and the only "form" I remember was the customs
    > declaration on the return flight to the U.S.

The emergency contact information is only required
of US citizens, although they encourage all passengers
to provide the information.

Not all airlines use a form. Some airlines take that information
from you when you check-in, and keep it in electronic format.

Stephen Gallagher

Michael Thomas wrote:
    >
    > It is likely to save time for the check-in clerk. Airlines to the US
    > have to provide this information to US Homeland Security
    > electronically.

And if our home-grown Gestapo doesn't want to let us leave will they
rescind our passports? (It worries me that so many Americans seem
willing to accept such things without objection - the time to protest is
BEFORE protest becomes an indictable offense.)

"Stephen C. Gallagher" wrote:
    >

    > The emergency contact information is only required
    > of US citizens, although they encourage all passengers
    > to provide the information.

But I AM a US citizen, and I don't recall ever even seeing such a form,
or being asked for the information at any point during embarkation.

    >
    > Not all airlines use a form. Some airlines take that information
    > from you when you check-in, and keep it in electronic format.
    >
    > Stephen Gallagher

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote in message news:...
    > Paul Tauger wrote:
    > >
    > > However . . .
    > >
    > > I am ALWAYS asked for my passport number when I book an international
    > > flight, and must always show my passport (with, if necessary, visa) when I
    > > check in. I suspect the reason the airlines do this is because they are
    > > responsible for transporting back at their expense passengers who are trying
    > > to enter a country illegally.
    >
    > I assume that "always" began fairly recently?

Actually, no. As long as I can remember, I've been asked to provide a
passport number when I made the reservation. Most of the time, I
didn't have my passport handy, which I told the reservations agent.
He/She would just say, "okay, if you can, give us a call, otherwise
they'll get it at the airport."


    > My last trip abroad was
    > last June, and like some of the other posters here, I have never (yet)
    > been asked for a passport number. (Credit card number, yes - but that's
    > because they won't actually issue a ticket without payment in some
    > manner.) Of course I was required to show my documents before I
    > boarded, but I think it was assumed anyone booking an overseas flight
    > knew that a passport was required to actually travel there, thus would
    > possess one.