Passport Amended to Married Name - Regretting It

Hiya,

Im starting to regret just having my passport amended to my married name. Is it just me or are the staff at airports completely off their rockers? I was blamed on more than one occasion of not being me (ie, ticket doesnt match name on passport). *sigh*.

Its not that difficult Mr Useless Virgin Atlantic Line Manager. It does say "See page 23" in glaring RED right next to my signature!

Youd think that they would have seen so many married women every day who have amended passports that they'd be used to this! Its like the amendment I was showing them in my passport was completely new to them! I was questioned at every check-in, every security check-point, every boarding pass check, in THREE airports! I can tell you, I was really tired of being looked at like I was some sleezy criminal all day! I was going to see my GRANDPARENTS for god's sake, not blow up Niagra Falls!

I would suggest to any newly married woman who's passport doesnt expire in the next year or who RARELY travels or who, unlike myself, has buckets of patience, just get a new passport issued. It'll save you time and hassle.

And ya know what made me laugh the most? That Useless Virgin Atlantic Line Manager at Heathow actually looked at me suspiciously and asked WHY I changed my name. MY HUSBAND WAS STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO ME. I said "I got married" and he looked at me like the concept of changing one's name because of marriage was completely ridiculous! AND THESE PEOPLE ARE MANNING THE SECURITY OF OUR PLANES AND BORDERS!! It just cracks me up!

Oh - one other funny story I'll chuck in for grins. When I got to JFK I had to get my bags and transfer airlines to carry on to my destination. When I passed through Customs (having already been cleared though Immo - Im USC, btw) the dippy, intrusive Customs officer slowly examined my passport and then nodded, indicating I was free to go and said "half a nice day". Then as I was walking away, I was probably about 6 - 7 feet from him, he turned around and said "Hey! Why were you in the UK?" I said "I live there", to which he actually replied "WHY?" in a very "why would any American want to live ABROAD!?" kind of tone. I said " I married an Englishman" , to which he replied, GET THIS!, "WHY??". I just said "because I wanted to", totally blown away by this second wave of completely senseless questioning. He then looked at me like I was clinically insane and said "ok", then turned to his next unsuspecting victim. Like I said - THESE are the people that are manning our borders?! Gimme a break!

Anyone else have any stories like this? Anyone else get hassle for having an amended passport?

Sarah

I've gotten so used to having to direct them to the correct amendment page that it is almost automatic now. I have THREE amendment pages with two different name changes (the third was the Embassy's fault) plus 3 visa pages....so it is commonplace now.....but, I've never been questioned as to why I changed my name. That's none of the f***ing business!

I'm heading out on Virgin in a couple of weeks to go to Vegas, so will be interesting to see if the officials at Gatwick are any more turned on than Heathrow! lol

Have a good flight! I tell ya, Gatwick is a dream in comparison to Heathrow. I'll never travel from LHR again if I can help it. The place is a mess.

Sorry to hear about the trouble!  I will be flying on Virgin with my kids next month.  That should be interesting.  Like Sherry, I find myself just automatically directing them to the amendment page.  They get that look like "These names don't match" and I say, "Page 23". 

I've had to direct people to the amendment page, too.  In three different passports (on behalf of my 2 kids as well!).  But the only time it caused me a real problem was the one time I couldn't (mentally) afford it...

I went by myself in February to Florida to help my mother clear out some of the stuff we'd left behind.  I was coming back and was already running "late."  I had trouble getting my rental car in Fort Myers to drive to Miami Int'l.  The lady had told me I couldn't rent the car using the same exact Visa debit card I had used in Miami 4 days prior with the same exact rental company, which car I dropped off at this very same desk!  ARGH.  After a minor breakdown in the car park where I kept crying on my mother's shoulder "I just want to go home," I went back in and got a manager and got my car.

I speed to Miami Int'l.  I try to turn in the car - and I can't do the fast check out because the idiots in Fort Myers hadn't put in a starting mileage!  ARGH.  So I have to stand in line managing 2 suitcases and a carry-on bag by myself because they don't allow the trolleys inside the building....ARGH...have to wait behind a family of 8 that are making trouble.  Then another guy - who luckily was quick.  Then some little old Spanish man thinks he CAN CUT IN LINE IN FRONT OF ME...NOT.  I finally get to check the car back in.

I get on the shuttle.  And wait.  And wait.  And wait.  Finally we leave for the airport.  I get off at the Virgin section and run up to the desk (my plane leaves in about an hour at this point).  I get up to the desk, give the girl my e-ticket and she says she doesn't have a reservation for me....

This is the return part of my trip - how can she not have my reservation???

She calls over TWO other people and they sit there scratching their heads - she has my passport by the way - trying to figure it out.  Then she looks at me and says, "Miss Berger..." at which point I figure out the problem.

She's obviously selectively blind and CAN'T SEE THE "SEE PAGE 23" STAMP IN RED IN MY PASSPORT WHICH SHOWS MY MARRIED NAME, THE NAME MY RESERVATION IS UNDER, BECAUSE I'M MARRIED DAMMIT!!!!!

Sorry.  Just going over it again...I just did NOT need that bit of stupidity.  Then she tells me it was my responsibility to point it out to her.  Well, I told her (honestly) that I didn't like to presume that someone wouldn't be able to see it for themselves...

I'm done now.

 

I am luck I guess... I choose to hypenate mine so they just wave me through....  Now I have yet another reason I am thankful I did.

Peedal, I was so there with you at every word! You would THINK that because amendments are commonplace that they would check for the "page 23" right away to prevent any delay. I mean its not like it takes any more motor or brain power to do it. The red stamp is just cenimeteres from the ID page!! MOVE YOUR EYES AROUND A BIT!

I suppose once you get used to having to direct people it doesnt become a problem anymore. You just get preemptive about it. But The way things are now days with check points and search points and security points and more check points at every damn turn in the airport, Id rather just get myself a new passport. But thats me - Im SO impatient and when Im traveling I do NOT want to be bothered lol.

Oh man!!!  Something new to look forward too!  Can't wait   I of course don't have any red stamp saying go to this page and my amendment is on the last page not 23.  Oh well, I have to deal with this till 2011!!!

i would hypehenate but it doesn't work together, too long. 

i've gotten harassed for dating and choosing to marry a brit one too many times.  they look at me like 'couldn't find an american eh?'   

In recent years Ive begun to feel like US Government Officials (Customs, Immigration etc) have started to treat US Citizens who reside abroad like second class citizens. Like we're unpatriotic by living in another country. God forbid we work abroad and have relationships with foreigners who choose not to come to the "one-and-only Land of the Free". Needless to say, it pushes my buttons when I get looks from Immigration like "Why would you do such a thing? Is america not GOOD enough for you?"

Good grief... I've been stressing about whether or not to change my name. Under 'normal' circumstances (i.e. not living in a foreign country) all my friends who have hyphenated or kept their maiden names say not to do it (too much hassle with banking and other things). But methinks that if I'm going to be doing the long haul flights for the rest of my life, maybe I shouldn't.

MarsBar, you make a very valid point about these being the people guarding our borders! Scary! 

YES mars....exactly.

guess what, i fell in love with a brit.  the heart knows no countries!   

I've had the same problems with my passport only mine is the opposite...I changed from my married name to my maiden name after my divorce. Every single one of them that looked at the damn thing said "Hmmm..these names don't match." and then looked at me for an explaination. I'm standing there thinking surely I'm not the only person to ever come through here with an ammendment for a name change for god sake.

But even with the hassle I don't at all regret changing my name. And if I get married again I'll change it again. I'll already have to point it out to them anyway so it won't really matter how many ammendments I have.

balmerhon, if you WANT to change your name, you should. You have the right to have your passport reissued in your married name rather than have it amended, and the hassle of changing everything else like bank and SSN Card arent really all that much of a hassle. If you intend to fly at all after your married you have 2 choices when you change your name: put up with greif or have that passport reissued. $60 for a reissued passport shouldnt sway your decison to change or name or not. Its not that big a price to pay to have your husband's name and live without the travel hassle. Either way, best wishes!

Gals, glad Im not the only one!!

I'd just like to day that I have never with my hyphenated name had any problems with anything travel or otherwise.  I have credit cards in my husbands name because the computer they used (Dept. Store) did not have a hyphen.  I have cards with my hyphenated name and for a while I had things in my maiden name.  I just changed (amended) my passport two months ago and had travelled to the UK for the second wedding with no problems. I think with hyphenated names they see what happened versus a totally different name.

You do have to go to SS and call the credit cards and banks and stiff when you get married, but really it's not that bad.

I agree with MarsBar and say do what makes you happy!

I did!