A TSA officer sent me back to the airline check-in counter for a simple mistake. Here's how to avoid it
I travel regularly for my job as a travel writer. I've become a pro at navigating long security lines utilizing programs like TSA PreCheck, Clear, and even my frequent flier status. I was expecting to breeze through the TSA checkpoint as usual on a recent trip with my boyfriend, but things didn't go exactly as planned.
I was traveling from Reno-Tahoe International Airport, which doesn't have Clear. I physically handed the officer my ID when I reached the booth at the front of the line. I watched him look at it several times, as he switched his gaze between the screen and my identification. Then he said, 'Your birthday is wrong. You'll have to go back to the check-in counter to get it fixed.'
I was dumbfounded.
My boyfriend purchased my ticket, and apparently, he'd misentered my birthday in the airline's booking system. Now, I would be unable to fly unless it was fixed, and my flight was about to board. The officer handed me a laminated card and said I could use it to cut to the front of the line once the issue was fixed.
It was a busy travel day, and there was a short line at the check-in counter. It only took the agent a few seconds to make the change, and I quickly walked-trotted back to security. I felt a little sheepish using the card to claim a spot at the front of the line, but I was short on time. Luckily, no one around me seemed to mind.
I made my flight, but I was lucky. The incident has changed the way I fly.
Since then, I've observed numerous passengers get turned away at the security booth because their birthday was incorrectly entered in the ticketing system. I always shoot them a look of sympathy as someone who has been there.
Travel is stressful enough; don't let a tiny mistake ruin your plans. My airport mishap taught me a crucial lesson: When another party books your ticket, always double-check details like your birthdate before arriving at the airport.
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