So it begins, the collection of the worlds population data, that is of course if you want to visit the good old US of A!
From January 2009, anyone wanting to travel to the USA under the previous Visa-Wavier program will now have the enter their travel and a number of personal details on the USA Department of Homeland’s VISA computer at least three days before their travel dates! Failure to register will mean that you will not even leave the UK, let alone arrive in the US.
This data will then be shared around a number of USA security agencies and if they flag you for any reason, even it is understood an unpaid speeding ticket, you could well find that your not going to enjoy Uncle Sam’s hospitality anytime soon.
The fact that this can only be done online will cause a number of inconveniences for people not on line at home, but will increased activity at Internet cafes. Of course it is anticipated that Airlines and Travel Agencies will do this for you at the time of booking. Regular travellers will be able to register at anytime and will only have to renew their ‘application’ every two years. All information will be kept for a period of 15 YEARS!
So what information is it that will be collected? I wrote about this as far back as 30th September 2006 when just 34 pieces of information were first discussed.
Now it seems that you will have to provide over 50 pieces of details personal information that will make up a Passenger Name Record (PNR) and will in fact match many elements of the Passenger Exit Record (PER) – also to be introduced on January 2009 by the UK government for all UK citizens to be completed for any trip out for the UK!
So not only will the USA government have all of your personal details if you want to go there; but even if you just want to pop over to Calais for the day, the UK government will also have the full facts.
It’s easy not to give the USA all this data, don’t go! But why do we have to give up all this information just to leave our own country?
See the tables below of the information you will need to supply for your PNR and PER.
PNR
|
PNR |
Passenger Name Record (PNR) Field |
My Notes / Comments |
| Information about you | ||
| 1 | Passengers Name | Needs to match exactly what is on your passport |
| 2 | Full postal address | Including Postcode |
| 3 | Date of Birth | Needs to match exactly what is on your passport |
| 4 | Passport Number | |
| 5 | Country of Citizenship | |
| 6 | Sex | |
| 7 | Country of Residence | |
| 8 | US Visa number including date and where issued | What happens travelling on the Visa Waiver program is not clear |
| 9 | Address while in the USA |
If it is a hotel then make sure the Zip code is included |
| 10 | Telephone contact numbers | UK and USA |
| 11 | Your email address | Yet another opportunity to receive spam! |
| 12 | Airline frequent flyer number and number of miles collected | Will their be enough room for holders of multiple cards? |
| 13 | Address on Frequent Flyer account | Probably needs to match your home address given in field 2 above |
| 14 | Your history of not showing up for flights. |
The number of flights that you’ve missed! Did you know that the airline we’re collecting this info about you already! |
| Information about your flight booking | ||
| 15 | Date of flight reservation | |
| 16 | Date of travel | |
| 17 | Date ticket was issued | |
| 18 | Travel agency name | |
| 19 | Travel agency agents name | I wonder what they would have to say about this? |
| 20 | Billing address used by the travel agency to invoice you |
Probably needs to match your home address given in field 2 above. But good chance that it will not, in the case of business travel! |
| 21 | How was the ticket paid for. If by credit card include card number | We are told by many data agencies not to give out your credit card information, so why does this need to conflict with that advice. However, why do they not want the address of the credit card holder? Do they already have that?. |
| 23 | Which organisation issued the flight ticket | Complicated in some cases of charter tickets |
| 24 | Was the ticket purchased at the airport just before the flight? | Yes/No? |
| 25 | Is this a real booking? – Is the passenger on a wait list/standby list. | |
| 26 | Ticket pricing information. | |
| 27 | Ticket Locator code in the airline reservation computer. | |
| 28 | History of any changes that have been made to the reservation | Information about the flight itself |
| Information about the flight itself | ||
| 29 | Passenger allocated seat number. | |
| 30 | Passenger seat information – Window / Aisle. | |
| 31 | Passenger luggage tag numbers. | |
| 32 | One way or return ticket. | |
| 33 |
Special requests including special meals requested, wheelchair required, help for an unaccompanied child |
|
| Information about passengers itinerary | ||
| 34 |
Any other flight booked on same trip, additional accommodation information, car rental information, any rail reservations or tours booked. |
In other words a method of tracking your movement across the USA during your stay there. |
PER
| PER Item No. |
Passenger Exit Record (PER) Field |
My PER Comments |
| Information about you | ||
| 1 | Passengers Name | Needs to match exactly what is on your passport |
| 2 | Gender | |
| 3 | Date of Birth. | Needs to match exactly what is on your passport |
| 4 | Nationality | Needs to match exactly what is on your passport |
| 5 | Type of travel document | |
| 6 | Travel document number | |
| 7 | Issuing country of travel document | |
| 8 | Travel document expiry date | Will this need to have a certain number of days/months left on it to allow you out of the country? |
| 9 |
Registration of any vehicle used to travel |
Will you have to carry all vehicle documents as well? |
| 10 | Place of birth | Needs to match exactly what is on your passport |
| 11 | Issue date of travel document | |
| 12 | UK visa or entry clearance expiry date | |
| 13 | Travel booking reference number | |
| 14 | Date of reservation | |
| 15 | Date(s) of intended travel | If this is an exit record, won’t it be the date that you are at the travel exit point? Or will we have to submit this information prior to travel. |
| 16 |
Passenger name if different to full name |
I always thought that when you had your passport checked as you boarded a plane this had to be correct already. |
| 17 |
Other passenger names if on same booking |
|
| 18 |
Passenger(s) address(es) |
|
| 19 |
Form of payment, including and credit card number |
We are told by many data agencies not to give out your credit card information, so why does this need to conflict with that advice |
| 20 |
Billing address of payment method |
Great, now we have add more confidential information! |
| 21 |
Contact numbers, including hotels or relatives being visited. |
Why do I have to give the name of my Aunt in Australia? |
| 22 |
Travel Itinerary and route |
|
| 23 |
Frequent flyer information including miles flown and address of account holder. |
Again, gathering of more confidential information. |
| 24 |
Travel agency used to make travel booking. |
Complicated in some cases of charter tickets |
| 25 |
Person at travel agent who made the booking. |
Surely against the Data Protection Act. |
| 26 |
Reference numbers of any shared bookings. |
|
| 27 |
Status of booking e.g confirmed, wait-listed etc. |
|
| 28 |
Details of passengers on booking with a different itinerary. |
|
| 29 |
Email address. |
What if I don’t have an email address. Will I not be allowed to travel? |
| 30 |
Ticket number and date of issue. |
|
| 31 |
Any other information the ticket agent considers of interest. |
This is random information gathering, I would want to know what the agent is saying about be, it could be inflammatory, it could be false! |
| 32 |
Number on Ticket. |
|
| 33 |
Reserved seat number. |
|
| 34 |
Date Ticket is issued |
|
| 35 | ‘No show’ history | If I shop around for travel tickets, how will they track this. |
| 36 | Bag tag numbers | |
| 37 | Details of whether travel arrangements are ‘flexible’. | |
| 38 | Names of any infants or staff in travelling party | Staff, does this mean nannies? |
| 39 | Is traveller an unaccompanied minors? | |
| 40 | Details of who made the booking. | |
| 41 | All historical changes to travel arrangements | |
| 42 | Number of travellers in party | |
| 43 | Seat information, including whether First class | |
| 44 | Is the ticket one-way only? | |
| 45 | Any other biographical information | What does this mean, if I have a larger than average bigger head or one eye, might I not be allowed to travel. |
| 46 | Cost of fare. | |
| 47 | Check-In time | |
| 48 | Actual seat number. | |
| 49 | How much luggage checked-In. | |
| 50 | Check-In agent’s Initials | This obviously means that the travel agents are being asked to spy for the government. |
| 51 | Out-bound travel Indicator | |
| 52 | Where did journey begin, if not first-leg of trip. | |
| 53 | Group indicator of whether a party is a family or friends etc. | |
Keep a look out for updates.
Beasley's Place 