Dual Citizen - Which Passport to Use When Buying Tickets

Does it matter which passport I use to book a roundtrip ticket from UK to US?  I have not yet applied for my UK passport but would like to purchase the tickets now as I just saw the prices go down for the period we are hoping to fly.  Does it matter if I purchase the tickets under the US passport?  I am thinking I purchase the tickets with the US passport so that I don't have to buy an ESTA.  Is that Right?  I assume if I book tickets with UK passport the system will prompt me for an ESTA.

Also, when leaving the UK which passport do I show?  I believe I enter US with US passport and leave with US passport and then return to the UK on the UK passport.  Correct?

Does it matter which passport I use to book a roundtrip ticket from UK to US?  I have not yet applied for my UK passport but would like to purchase the tickets now as I just saw the prices go down for the period we are hoping to fly.  Does it matter if I purchase the tickets under the US passport?  I am thinking I purchase the tickets with the US passport so that I don't have to buy an ESTA.  Is that Right?  I assume if I book tickets with UK passport the system will prompt me for an ESTA.

Also, when leaving the UK which passport do I show?  I believe I enter US with US passport and leave with US passport and then return to the UK on the UK passport.  Correct?

If you're a US citizen, you enter and leave the US on the US passport, correct. I don't know if it really matters which you use to purchase the tickets. When I've traveled between the US and the EU (when the UK was still part of it) I'd enter and leave the USA on the US passport and show the EU passport when entering/leaving the EU/UK. Never had a problem with that. [Except when flying Aer Lingus, where the US border is at the departure terminal in Dublin and I'd need to show my US passport.]

I suspect that when traveling to the USA your booking info may go to some branch of the TSA that automatically scans for prohibitions on your entry. NO clue if that happens in the UK or not.    Whenever I was traveling to the US I used my US passport to book the tickets, pretty much for that reason.

If you're a US citizen, you enter and leave the US on the US passport, correct. I don't know if it really matters which you use to purchase the tickets. When I've traveled between the US and the EU (when the UK was still part of it) I'd enter and leave the USA on the US passport and show the EU passport when entering/leaving the EU/UK. Never had a problem with that. [Except when flying Aer Lingus, where the US border is at the departure terminal in Dublin and I'd need to show my US passport.]

I suspect that when traveling to the USA your booking info may go to some branch of the TSA that automatically scans for prohibitions on your entry. NO clue if that happens in the UK or not.    Whenever I was traveling to the US I used my US passport to book the tickets, pretty much for that reason.

+1 to all of this, particularly when booking the trip. I always use our US passports since we need them to enter the US anyway and will have to show them at the desk on check-in.

I suspect that when traveling to the USA your booking info may go to some branch of the TSA that automatically scans for prohibitions on your entry. NO clue if that happens in the UK or not. 

Yes, the UK does.

The UK is given the infomation of everybody who books to land in the UK, either advance airline bookings or at the ports, eurostar. There can be people there to meet them if they are wanted, haven't paid their NHS debt,  or embassy staff at the foreign ports to stop them boarding/remove their British passport*. 

The UK also collects the names of everyone who exits the UK, either the advance bookings list from the airlines or from the ports or eurostar. This can either trigger details of those the UK will prevent from returning; or they have staff there to stop that person from exiting; or they use the data to see which visas cause the most overstayers and which country they are from. 

With the UK's ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisations)* everyone will need an ETA to be able to board/enter the UK., unless they have a UK visa, or a British Citizen passport or Irish passport, unless there is an exemption.

* Were made law under the Nationality and Borders Act 2002.

The UK also collects the names of everyone who exits the UK, either the advance bookings list from the airlines or from the ports or eurostar. This can either trigger details of those the UK will prevent from returning; or they have staff there to stop that person from exiting; or they use the data to see which visas cause the most overstayers and which country they are from. 

They've been doing that for ages - I do genealogical research for a hobby. I've found exit records for several relatives going WAY back. ( I think the most recent were in the 1950s.)

I've often wondered - my great-grandfather was NOT in in good stead with the authorities in Dublin when Ireland was an occupied country back under martial law. I found records of several of his arrests, and it looks like he married in haste and skedaddled out of Dublin in 1873 a few days after the wedding.  I  have always been curious if he knew they were coming for him again, and if that the penalty was going to be particularly harsh.

I never found a trace of my g-gmother leaving in the public ships manifests - under her married name. Under her maiden name, I'm pretty sure I've found her leaving a few weeks later. Even back then it seems they had lists.... 

It sounds like maybe it doesn't matter which to use for the purchase. Should I call the airline to see what they say?  Would they know?  The flight is with Aer Lingus, which has a layover in Dublin.  So going out of Dublin to US I show US and then coming back to England I show UK when leaving Dublin? X_x

I actually forgot that I have to send my US passport for the UK application.  Looking to fly mid August, not sure if that's enough time for the passport to be processed.  Planning to mail it in tomorrow, but from facebook groups online it looks like some applications are taking over 10 weeks.

It sounds like maybe it doesn't matter which to use for the purchase. Should I call the airline to see what they say?  Would they know?  The flight is with Aer Lingus, which has a layover in Dublin.  So going out of Dublin to US I show US and then coming back to England I show UK when leaving Dublin? X_x

I actually forgot that I have to send my US passport for the UK application.  Looking to fly mid August, not sure if that's enough time for the passport to be processed.  Planning to mail it in tomorrow, but from facebook groups online it looks like some applications are taking over 10 weeks.

When asked to provide a passport when making the booking you could simply ask which one they would prefer to have.

Our daughter is in a similar position to applying for her UK passport renewal. Even though it says to send in her US passport with the application she needs it to travel to the USA as she has has quarterly meetings so she has sent a copy of her passport with the application instead. If she doesn’t have her UK passport when she next goes to the USA she can use her US passport to get back in and have a copy of her UK passport application to show if needed.

They've been doing that for ages - I do genealogical research for a hobby. I've found exit records for several relatives going WAY back. ( I think the most recent were in the 1950s.)

The exit checks were stopped and then reintroduced on 8 April 2015
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/exit-checks-on-passengers-leaving-the-uk/exit-checks-fact-sheet

It used to make me smile when a few of the non-EU citizens using the EU's free movement, complained if their passport was stamped (as it shouildn't have been), because their entry and exit data was being sent to the Home Office anyway.

Our daughter is in a similar position to applying for her UK passport renewal. Even though it says to send in her US passport with the application she needs it to travel to the USA as she has has quarterly meetings so she has sent a copy of her passport with the application instead.

Maybe her company’s expense policies are tighter than mine were, but I always stuck the cost of same day or fast processing on expenses since I was expected to use the passport for “crucial” meetings. It’s worth asking the question!


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Maybe her company’s expense policies are tighter than mine were, but I always stuck the cost of same day or fast processing on expenses since I was expected to use the passport for “crucial” meetings. It’s worth asking the question!


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If her UK passport application is rejected because she only sent in a copy of her US passport then I’m sure she will consider fast processing next time or same day processing. Presumably same day processing men’s going to a passport centre in person.

If her UK passport application is rejected because she only sent in a copy of her US passport then I’m sure she will consider fast processing next time or same day processing. Presumably same day processing men’s going to a passport centre in person.

Yes - in person. Here’s an insane work story from the world of big companies: a colleague who really was a road warrior felt he couldn’t risk a long wait for his uk passport. Same day processing is only available in person on the uk. So he flew from Singapore to London for a day to renew his passport. And flew back home. Crazy crazy!


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Yes, the UK does.

The UK is given the infomation of everybody who books to land in the UK, either advance airline bookings or at the ports, eurostar. There can be people there to meet them if they are wanted, haven't paid their NHS debt,  or embassy staff at the foreign ports to stop them boarding/remove their British passport*. 

The UK also collects the names of everyone who exits the UK, either the advance bookings list from the airlines or from the ports or eurostar. This can either trigger details of those the UK will prevent from returning; or they have staff there to stop that person from exiting; or they use the data to see which visas cause the most overstayers and which country they are from. 

With the UK's ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisations)* everyone will need an ETA to be able to board/enter the UK., unless they have a UK visa, or a British Citizen passport or Irish passport, unless there is an exemption.

* Were made law under the Nationality and Borders Act 2002.

So how do we deal with this then? You have to enter the US on your American passport, but you have to enter the UK on your British one. Since airlines want passport info prior to checking in - which do we put? Can we change/update the info for the return ticket??? Or will it just get sorted out at check in when we show both passports???

So how do we deal with this then? You have to enter the US on your American passport, but you have to enter the UK on your British one. Since airlines want passport info prior to checking in - which do we put? Can we change/update the info for the return ticket??? Or will it just get sorted out at check in when we show both passports???

I always show the airline the passport that allows me entry into the country I am going to since the airlines face big fines if they don’t check that the passengers will be allowed in.

So when traveling to the USA I always show my US passport and when returning to the UK I show the airline my UK passport. If the airline wish to confirm that I have been in the USA legally then I will show them my US passport.

In Australia they have proper exit procedures where you show the airline the passport that gives you legal entry into the country you are going to then border control asks to see the passport you entered Australia on.