In the near future we are flying to Memphis...all 4 of us. One of Dave's buds, Liz (who played the piano in our wedding), is getting married. A couple of months ago I made our flight arrangements, which went fairly smoothly.
Here is the dilemma, 2 dilemma actually. We moved to Germany very soon after getting married and I did not have time to change my passport. TO change a passport is a LONG procedure and you need all these documents (as in marriage certificate, social security card, etc) and it took me a while to obtain all of these documents and by the time I had obtained all of them it was about time to move. I have known several other ladies who have just left their maiden name on their passports and always travel under their maiden name. I figured this was a viable option. I also checked into getting my passport changed once we arrived in Germany, but I would have had to live w/o a passport for several months and blah...blah...blah...that wasn't an option for me. I'll come back to this.
The other dilemma is that I have a frequent miles card with an airline and apparently it takes an act of congress to change your name on the frequent miles card. I find this mildly amusing...but OK. So, my maiden name is on my frequent flier card.
Whenever I fly with my frequent flier airline I always put my maiden name on the ticket and use my passport for my photo ID.
I have only had one problem using this approach. We booked a Turkish vaca package, and were going to fly from Germany to Turkey. Of course we used a travel agent and in my zeal to get the package booked I accidently used my married name. Woops! Of course I called immediately when I got home and asked the agent to change the ticket. Problem averted...yea...until our tickets arrived (2 days before we were to leave) and shock of all shocks my ticket said McNay. In a panic I made numerous phone calls...my passport is the only valid photo id to travel with in Europe, and my passport say Franklin. I was assured that it would not be a problem because they had made a "documentation" of it in the computer. RIGHT. Long story short it was a nightmare, they almost did not let me on the plane or through security (as in...since when did the security check point have access to computers...they see McNay on my ticket and Franklin on my passport...no compute!). OK, crisis averted, we made it to Turkey, all is well.
Fast forward to today. I think...oh I should get out my passport and make sure I know where it is (since we just moved and in case I need to search through millions of boxes). I check my first safe place...BINGO! There it is. SWEET. I take it out and flip through it and then put it back in the "safe" place (since now I know that it is indeed there) for future use. As I put it back down I noticed something peculiar...did that say expire April 2008? $#@%!
I then proceed to reason with Dave how they should accept an expired passport as a form of identification...I mean I am not leaving the country, I just need something that say Franklin and has my mug on it. He sees my faulty reasoning and encourages me to call airline.
I call...the airline...via India (I think)...poor guy name Baul is trying to help me...but first problem is he cannot hear me. Second problem is I am convinced he cannot understand my problem since I am sure he lives in India...sorry Baul if you are an American... After much dialogue...do you have a birth certificate...a driver's license...a social security card...a medicare card... No my only form of ID with Franklin is my expired passport. THe answer is NO...cannot fly with the passport.
My first thought is what the heck...what does this guy know...he lives in India...it is totally reasonable for me to travel with an expired piece of identification! So, moving past my insane rationale, I ask to change my name on the ticket. It cannot be changed, but he has made a "documentation" of it in my reservation. OK, my Turkish experience flashes through my head. I try to tell him that he HAS to send me some sort of new confirmation with McNay on it...we go back and forth...I explain how desperate I am...my prior experience...all of this in a totally rational tone of voice (read borderline hysteria).
Of course my hysteria gets me no where...only with the documentation...I calm down, make a joke, tell him thanks for helping me though I acted like an idiot and hang up.
Dave is shaking his head at me and then starts making fun of me. I again try to reason that an expired passport is legit...and as I am speaking he interrupts me about how someone could have stolen my passport and put in their photo, etc. As I mention how ridiculous that is, I remember something.
After one of my many moves I "lost" my passport. Before I went to Bulgaria in 2002 I had to apply for a new one...and my new one has a different picture and...expires in 2012. Ugh...
As I flip through my other "safe" place Dave is mocking me and daring me to call back airline and ask them to remove the documentation...I think I will just bring all forms of identification when I fly. Doh!
Note: Please do not take any of the above words as racial slurs...it was merely trying to communicate my insane, unrational state of mind.
2 comments:
loved this story! (Having just had a similar trying experience on the phone with my delivering hospital regarding ID--and they were in America! I know this is an area God needs to change me 'cause I hear myself getting more and more irritated on the phone-at least it sounds like Baul was trying to be pleasant, more than I can say for my gal!)
And, fyi, changing the name on my frequent flyer cards was not too hard. I did it quite easily... (unless the process has changed in the last 8 years)
Well, anything that requires me submitting my marriage certificate seems over the top...but yea, not as hard as an act of congress...I just keep thinking good grief, it is a frequent flier card...like I can change my name on much more important things without my marriage cert.
Post a Comment