Secure Flight Passenger Data (SFPD) and Passport (APIS)
Passport and Advanced Passenger Information (APIS)
Guidelines for Domestic Travel
Guidelines for International Travel
Bookings and Modifications within 72 Hours
Secure Flight is a risk-based passenger prescreening program developed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enhance security by identifying low and high-risk customers before they arrive at the airport by matching their names against trusted traveler lists and watch lists.
To protect privacy, the Secure Flight program collects the minimum amount of personal information, such as full name, date of birth, and gender, necessary to conduct effective matching. Personal data is collected, used, distributed, stored, and disposed of according to stringent guidelines.
Secure Flight work matches the name, date of birth and gender information for each passenger against government watch lists to:
· Identify known and suspected terrorists
· Prevent individuals on the No-Fly List from boarding an aircraft
· Identify individuals on the Selectee List for enhanced screening
· Facilitate passenger air travel
· Protect individual’s privacy
Secure Flight transmits the screening instructions back to the airlines to identify customers eligible for TSA Pre✓® and standard screening.
To learn more about the TSA Secure Flight program, please visit www.aa.com/secureflight or https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening
For consistency and to reduce delays at airport Security Checkpoints, each traveler's name must be entered as it appears on their government-issued photo ID.
Secured Flight Passenger Data (SFPD) is required in a PNR/Order prior to issuing a ticket. However, if travel is within 72 hours it must be entered prior to ending the PNR/Order and receiving a record locator to ensure the required data is transmitted to help prevent future delays for misidentified passengers.
To enable ticketing, Secure Flight Passenger Data (SFPD) must include the following information:
· Name as it appears on a passport, driver's license or other valid government-issued photo ID
· Date of Birth (2-digit or 4-digit birth year is acceptable)
· Gender, as indicated on government-issued ID
· Redress Number/Canadian Travel Number (where applicable)
Gender codes
· M: Male
· MI: Male infant
· F: Female
· FI: Female infant
· U: Undisclosed gender
· X: Unspecified
If the customer’s birth date was entered incorrectly in the reservation, the agency can input the new corrected DOCS/DB SSR outside of 72 hours prior to the flight departure; this will overwrite the old data. Within 72 hours American must transmit all PNRs to DHS/TSA and American could be fined for any incorrect or incomplete data.
Passport and Advanced Passenger Information (APIS)
Passport information should be entered by the customer upon check-in on aa.com, scanned at the airport kiosk, or by the American airport agent to ensure the information is accurate and exactly matches the travel documents to avoid check-in situations.
If the Travel Agency chooses to enter the passport (APIS) information instead of the SFPD, they should use the suggested format within our guidelines to enter the data directly into the reservation. The required SFPD will be extracted from the APIS data to meet TSA requirements.
Best practice for international flight(s) is for the APIS to be entered by the customer at the time of check-in. It is suggested that the agency does not enter the APIS (DOCS/P) information in the PNR/Order and allow the customer to enter the information upon check-in on aa.com, at the Kiosk located at the airport, or with the AA Airport Agent.
Note: The only required document information for any itinerary is the DOCS/DB (SFPD).
Guidelines for Domestic Travel
Travel agencies can insert the SFPD as it appears on:
· Name on Driver's License
· Customer’s passport for domestic travel
· Example:
o Name on ID: Thurston Gerard Howell III
§ Name Field in Reservation: -HOWELL/THURSTON
· The middle name or middle initial is not required in the Name Field of the reservation
· Do not use suffix in the Name Field of the reservation
§ Secure Flight Passenger Data: DOCS/DB/01JAN35/M/HOWELL/THURSTON/GERARD
· Enter the date of birth, gender and name as appears on the government-issued ID
· Must include middle name/middle initial if it appears on the government-issued ID.
· Do not use a suffix
In all cases, when updating the DOCS information for SFPD the name must be entered exactly as they appear on a government issued picture ID, excluding suffix. The formats described are for use in Sabre. Users of other GDSs should contact their respective GDS for the correct format.
Guidelines for International Travel
All passports and/or passport replacing documents must be in good condition and the edges may not be torn or damaged. If APIS data is entered into a reservation, SFPD does not have to be entered, as American extracts the required SFPD from the APIS data.
· Example:
o Name on ID: Thurston Gerard Howell III
§ Name Field in Reservation: -HOWELL/THURSTON
· The middle name or middle initial is not required in the Name Field of the reservation
· Do not use suffix in the Name Field of the reservation
§ Secure Flight Passenger Data: DOCS/DB/01JAN35/M/HOWELL/THURSTON/GERARD
· Enter the date of birth, gender and name as appears on the government-issued ID
· Must include middle name/middle initial if it appears on the government-issued ID
· Do not use a suffix
SFPD: DOCS/DB/01JAN35/M/HOWELL/THURSTON/GERARD
OR
APIS: DOCS/P/US/1234567/US/01JAN35/M/01MAR17/HOWELL/THURSTON/GERARD-1.1
Note: The U.S. Passport Card is not valid for travel by air. The U.S. Passport Card may only be used for international land and sea travel between the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
Bookings and Modifications within 72 Hours
For travel booked within 72 hours, SFPD must be entered prior to ending the PNR/Order and receiving a record locator. This is to ensure the required data is transmitted to help prevent future delays for misidentified passengers. Any modifications within 72 hours will send the record back through the vetting process and may result in online check-in failure.
SFPD and KTN information can be modified/re-entered up to 25hrs prior to departure; however, this will send the record back thru the vetting process and may impact online check-in if the information does not match the data on file with the DHS.
Any time a customer's itinerary is changed in a PNR/Order, including schedule change information/acceptance, or to add an Other Airline carrier segment, whether on a courtesy hold or ticketed, the Travel Agent is required to re-submit SFPD data to ensure that the SFPD collected is transmitted to the other airline carrier.
Some GDS’s associate SFPD by segment and as a result the Other Airline carrier segment or newly booked segment will not have SFPD and must be re-submitted for the new itinerary.
Example of segment associated SFPD:
SSR DOCS AA HK1 DFWORD176Q17MAR/DB/16OCT1967/M/SMITH/DON/H
Example of name associated SFPD:
SSR DOCS AA HK1/DB/16OCT1967/M/SMITH/DON/H
All American flights require the collection of SFPD, whether we are the operating or marketing carrier on the flight. Itineraries which include at least one flight segment require the collection of SFPD.
Every airline, both domestic and international, that operates to/from/over the United States must comply with TSA Secure Flight program requirements.
See the TSA Pre✓® file on Agency Reference for more details.
1. Why should the customer provide Secure Flight Passenger Data (SFPD)?
Every customer is required to provide Secure Flight Passenger Data to comply with the TSA mandate and to enable ticketing.
2. If I have Secure Flight Passenger Data (SFPD) and Passport (APIS) Information, should I enter both?
No, the only required document information in the PNR/Order is the SFPD (DOCS/DB) to issue the ticket.
3. What if the name is correct but the SFPD (DOB or Gender) was entered incorrectly?
SFPD information can be modified/re-entered up to 25hrs prior to departure; however, this will send the record back thru the vetting process and may impact online check-in if the information does not match the data on file with the DHS (Department of Homeland Security).
4. If a customer is on an international itinerary, should the agency enter the passport information via the standard DOCS/P, and do we still need to collect the SFPD and enter it as a separate DOCS/DB?
The required document information for any itinerary is to enter the DOCS/DB (SFPD) only. It is suggested that the agency does not enter the APIS (DOCS/P) information in the PNR, but that the customer should enter the information upon check-in on aa.com, at the Kiosk located at the airport, or with the AA Airport Agent to ensure that the information is accurate and matches the docs exactly. This is why best practice is for the APIS (DOCS/P) to be entered by the customer upon check-in for international flight(s) as it promotes a smooth travel experience.
5. Why is it important that agencies refrain from entering APIS (DOCS/P) information into the PNR?
For security purposes, and to prevent possible check-in issues, the passport information should be entered by the customer upon check-in whether it is on aa.com, scanned at the airport kiosk, or entered by the American airport agent
Note: If the information already exists in the record upon Check-in, the customer is still required to re-enter it. Should the information differ in any way from the initial entry, the customer will be directed to see an airport agent.
6. How will American Airlines identify flight segments that require Secure Flight Passenger Data (SFPD)?
All American flights require SFPD collection. A ticket cannot be issued until the SFPD or passport (APIS) information is added to the reservation.
Agencies will not be able to force the issuance of a ticket after receiving the message ADD SECURE FLIGHT DATA (that is the response that American Airlines will send the issuing source if the data is missing). SFPD must be in our reservation to issue a 001-validated ticket.
8. What happens if I modify the PSPT/APIS field after the customer is checked-in and/or within 24hrs of departure?
If the information is changed in the PSPT field within this period, your client most likely will be restricted from check-in and/or receiving their boarding pass via aa.com or our mobile app. This is why we encourage agencies to refrain from entering APIS information into the PNR/Order once online check-in is available.
Note: If the information already exists in the record upon Check-in, the customer is still required to re-enter it. Should the information differ in any way from the initial entry, the customer will be directed to see an airport agent. The system will verify if the information in the DOCS field matches what the customer enters during check-in. This is a safety mechanism to ensure the correct data from the passport matches what is in the PNR.
9. If a reservation is booked within 72 hours of flight departure with Secure Flight Passenger Data (SFPD) in the reservation and the ticket purchase date is not until the next day will the reservation be canceled even though the SFPD is in the reservation?
Standard ticketing time limit rules apply.
10. If the customer’s driver's license has one name, but the name on the passport is different, which one should be provided?
The SFPD information should match whatever type (passport, driver’s license, etc.) of valid government-issued photo identification that the customer is using for travel.
11. Can SFPD in an international booking be changed to add the Passport (APIS) information?
If the required Secure Flight Passenger Data (SFPD) information was entered to issue the ticket, it is suggested that the agency does not replace/update the APIS information.
12. What if the passport is torn or damaged?
All passports and/or passport replacing documents must be in good condition and the edges may not be torn or damaged.
13. Can the customer retrieve their reservation and add Secure Flight Passenger Data?
Yes. Go to aa.com for details.
When the customer receives an error message, they should contact Web Services. AA.com Technical Support team will attempt to troubleshoot, track, analyze, and develop resolutions to the error(s). Do not call American reservations for assistance.
15. What information is required for a residency or citizenship-based tax exemption?
For residency and citizenship-based exemptions, you will need to input the customer’s relevant passport or residency card number in the DOCS field of the PNR/Order at time of ticketing. This is a requirement to ensure the customer qualifies for the tax exemption. You can verify the DOCS input formats with your GDS.
Updated: February 2023