Travel on Passport with Maiden Name

So today I got my spousal visa in my good old passport with my maiden name. My passport doesn't expire until 2012, and I don't particularly want to go through the hassle of changing it, and all that would entail. Since I have a couple of weeks before my move to London, I do plan on changing my license (about to expire anyway) and SS card.

I'm sure that many of you have the same situation, so if you can shed any light...what do I need to do to travel on this passport without any problems? Should I always book my tickets in my maiden name? Or should I stick a copy of my marriage certificate in the passport to show to immigration?

I'm about to book a ticket for my move to London, so any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!!

It's been discussed on many threads in here - just do a search for 'maiden name' or some such.

You book tickets in the name that is in your current, valid passport, even if you do not use that name in day to day life.  Your name on the ticket must match what's in your passport.

That's it!  Not a problem at all and many of us do it/have done it.

Thanks for the info! That sounds easy enough.

it's super easy

until you check in at a european hotel, proffer the passport with your maiden name and then try to pay with your married name. lol

or my assitant books me half the time under my maiden name or half under my married so i have no idea who i am when i get to a hotel! 

even then, no one minds!

My Passport doesnt expire till 2013 so my thinking was the same as you. so whenever DH & I travel home we always book my ticket in my maiden name. also we always take our marriage cert with us just to be on the safe side. so far we have had no reason to even get our marriage cert out when we travel as of yet. We just got back from the States on Oct 1st of this year. Goodluck with your trip.
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I waited until my FLR was about to expire and then changed my passport to my married name. The process to do that is easier than you might think - just a form and some registered post envelopes and only cost about $65 or something (which isn't bad given the exchange rate at the mo!!!) Then I applied for ILR in my married name. I have to say that it's sort of a relief to be able to book everything in my married name as my passport was the only thing left that was still in my old name. And maybe it's just me, but we SAILED through immigration at Heathrow last week - they didn't ask me a single question - not sure if that's due to having everything in one name or due to now having ILR!

I went through passport control about 3 hours ago at London City.  I don't even try to explain it any more - just let the guys look at it and see what they ask.  I think they prefer to do that than have some bolshie little thing like me try to explain it all!  So the guy takes both and looks at them and then says....'so did you get married then?'  I was like, yes!  Then that was it!  He stamped it and said thank you!

Anne-That's exactly what I'm hoping to do, unless I can't be without my passport when that time comes. How long did it take to get your new passport?

Now here's a question that I had when I came over this time (and I admit this is really splitting hairs--but who know--maybe it actually matters?), but what do you write on the landing card? I just assumed I should write my maiden name, so that it matched my passport, as writing my married name would just create a problem. Is there a right or wrong there?

I waited until my FLR was about to expire and then changed my passport to my married name. The process to do that is easier than you might think - just a form and some registered post envelopes and only cost about $65 or something (which isn't bad given the exchange rate at the mo!!!) Then I applied for ILR in my married name.

This is exactly what I'm thinking about doing, but before changing from fiancee to FLR - my passport doesn't expire until 2014, but I'd like to have everything in one name and cut down on the amount of documents I'm about to lose carrying around at any given time....

Anne, did they send your old passport back along with the new one?  I imagine they must have, as your FLR stamp was in your old one!  I'm thinking that we might push the date up a bit and do the registry thing in late January, send off for a new passport, then apply for FLR in person in early March using both passports.  That way, I'll have my new passport, complete with my new surname and a FLR stamp, in time to fly back to the States for the wedding on 31st March - and I'll be able to change my driver's license and SS over at the same time.  We're  not signing any official paperwork during the wedding in the States, so it won't matter if I've already changed my name.

Anne-That's exactly what I'm hoping to do, unless I can't be without my passport when that time comes. How long did it take to get your new passport?

Now here's a question that I had when I came over this time (and I admit this is really splitting hairs--but who know--maybe it actually matters?), but what do you write on the landing card? I just assumed I should write my maiden name, so that it matched my passport, as writing my married name would just create a problem. Is there a right or wrong there?

You write exactly what is in your valid passport - not what your stamp is in.  They need the landing card to match the valid passport.

Anne, did they send your old passport back along with the new one?  I imagine they must have, as your FLR stamp was in your old one! 

Yes they send your old passport back with any valid stamps back to you.

Meg, do you really want to get a new passport even though yours doesn't expire until 2014?  That's a long time from now and it's expensive too!  I know it's a neat feeling to have everything in one name but I'm just sort of stingy so I waited until mine was really about to expire.  Carrying two passports is really not a big deal at all.  Do what I did  - get a cheap passport case, and put them both in their.  I love mine!

Yeah, I'm pretty sure.  Not only do I want to cut down on the number of things I can misplace or lose, I'm also not terribly fond of my passport photo. 

Seriously, though - three years (until I can apply for naturalisation) is a long time to be carrying around two passports and a marriage certificate.  And even after I obtain British citizenship I'll still have to book travel in a different name or haul around my marriage certificate for another four years - whenever I go to the States.  I'd much rather pay $65 now and get everything changed over so that it matches.