Recently, the TSA passed a new rule that may have slipped under your radar. It’s called Secure Flight and here’s what you need to know about it…

When buying an airline ticket, travelers now must provide their name exactly as it appears on their government-issued ID.

Phase two now requires passengers to provide their date of birth and gender.

What’s the point of collecting all this information?

According to the TSA it’s to help match names to potential terrorists on the secondary screening list and the “No Fly” list.

The TSA also claims that 99.9 percent of travelers will have no problems, and the personal information is destroyed after seven days.

So how does this affect travelers?

If you’re innocent guy who always gets stopped at security because your name matches a potential terrorist, this is a helpful move.

But it’s also a hassle. Say your government ID has your full middle name, but the airline Web site only allows you to input your middle initial.

Or if the name on your frequent-flier account doesn’t match your government ID, you may not be able to collect the benefits until it’s fixed.

Bottom line: there’s a convincing argument that this move is just another layer of smoke and mirrors that’s not going to do much to reduce terrorist threats.

For more info, check out our Travel Safety & Security section.

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