Secure Flight

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.

  • How will Secure Flight affect passengers?

    To comply with the TSA's Secure Flight program, 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 applicable)
    • Known Traveler Number (if available)

    United Airlines will transmit this information to the TSA, who will then perform watch list matching to prevent individuals on the No Fly List from boarding an aircraft, and to identify individuals on the Selectee List for enhanced screening.

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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. The 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. United may use Secure Flight information as described in the United privacy policy. As a customer, you consent to the use of your Secure Flight information for these purposes.

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 the DHS TRIP page.

Known Traveler Number - Membership number of Trusted Traveler programs

Members of one of the Department of Homeland Security Trusted Traveler programs, including Global Entry, SENTRI and NEXUS, may provide their membership number to further identify themselves and potentially prevent watch list matching misidentifications. Members of a Trusted Traveler program are assigned a membership number, or PASS ID, as part of their enrollment in a Trusted Traveler program. Passengers are encouraged to update their profile by placing their PASS ID in the Known Traveler Number field. The number will be included in the reservation and passed to the TSA’s Secure Flight system and taken into consideration during the pre-screening processing.

To learn more about Secure Flight visit the TSA's website.

Frequently asked questions

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

  • The name you provide when booking your travel is used to perform 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 within the United States. Learn more about these exceptions.

  • 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.

  • Yes. All agencies that book travel on United Airlines will be required to request and collect the data. The travel industry has upgraded and standardized system programming that provides the ability to transmit the newly required Secure Flight passenger data between travel agency systems 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 security 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. The TSA may share information you provide with law enforcement or intelligence agencies or others under its published system of records notice. For more on the TSA's privacy policies, or to review the system of records notice and the privacy impact assessment, please see the TSA website at www.tsa.gov

Read the United privacy policy