Two passports in different names?

My US passport is still in my maiden name and is due to expire in June 2008.  We are flying to the US for a visit in March.

Should I wait to apply for my British passport until I have my new US passport in my married name, or can I apply for it and have it issued in my married name (as that's the name on my naturalisation certificate)?

I'm just trying to avoid changing my name on my US passport until after our trip -- I don't want to have to pay extra to change the name on my plane ticket. 

You can get the British passport in your married name if you wish, regardless of what the US passport says.


Vicky

Thanks Vicky.   

My British passport was issued in my married name.

My US one is still in my ex-h's name, as we were married when the passport was issued.

Admittedly, this was a few years ago, and they may have cracked down since then, but...

I once had to fly with a driver's license in my maiden name (a mistake by the IDIOT who issued it) and a ticket in my married name. The airline told me to carry my marriage certificate in case anyone questioned it, but nobody did.

(Edited for a somewhat Freudian slip!)

That's good advice, but not applicable in this case.

Vicky

But...

I've heard that now the name on your ticket has to match the name on your passport - airports don't accept marriage certificates as proof of name change anymore.

And...

You (generally) have to enter the UK with your UK passport and the US with your US passport.

So:

The ticket, the UK passport and the US passport all have to have the same name.*

Am I right?

* I mean so you can travel without problems. I'm not disputing the fact that it could be possible to have the 2 passports issued in different names, just that it could cause a problem when you are actually at the airport.

You should have the ticket in the name on which you are travelling, although whether or not a marriage certificate is counted as evidence of name change I think will depend on who you fly with (I know that Eurostar are fine with this, don't know about airlines).

But if flying from the US to the UK and back then you need both passports anyway, so just show both passports and the certificate and there will be no problem.

Vicky

The ticket needs to be in the same name as one of the valid passports. So it's fine to have a ticket in Lola Maidenname as long as Lola's US passport which is still valid is also in the name of Lola Maidenname.

I don't think any airports allow you to just show a marriage certificate any more. I would never try it.