Thinking Of Flying EnFemme?

Proper ID and the Airlines


By Allison Marsh

Some of you may have wondered about the photo ID practices of airlines in this time of tightened security. My recent experiences may give you some insight.

My mate and I just returned from a 12-day trip to Orlando via American Airlines. It was the first time in several years that I have flown any way except en femme. (Actually it was kind of fun to play boy again and pretend to be a regular guy through a family reunion and wedding get-together.)

Phoebe and I were both flying on Senior Citizen coupon books, where you buy four vouchers to exchange for one-way tickets anywhere the airline flies in the US. Our travel agent had warned us that AA is the ONLY airline still verifying identity of it's senior citizen travelers who use the voucher books. They did ask to see my driver license when we left Seattle. I think half the reason is that my male name is used predominantly for females, and they wanted to make sure I wasn't riding on someone else's reduced price ticket.

They didn't ask Phoebe for photo ID. But when we left Orlando to return home, they looked at me and said, “I guess I don't need to see your ID.” That suggested they were principally concerned that I was old enough to be using the senior rates.

Flying En Femme

In a recent article by an airline security person who is also a TV he wrote, “NEVER try to pass on a phony ID. Airlines do offer special rates for specific groups of people, and they often check to avoid fraudulent use of such tickets.” The most he says can happen to you is that they might ask you to step aside and give some verification that you are who you say you are, even though the picture doesn't seem to match your apparel. They are used to seeing TVs and TSs whose pictures don't match. Don't be embarrassed. They don't care how you dress, as long as you are who you say you are.

I reprinted part of that article in my column in the Emerald City News, and was later told that it had helped one of our members avoid the mistake of using a phony ID while traveling. The great humor of that trip was that he traveled as a man to New York on business, packed a second suit case of girl things to use on a one-week stop-over in his home town of Chicago -his first attempt to pass away from home.

He got to New York, finished his business, checked his baggage for Chicago, but the only bag that was downloaded in Chicago was the girl's stuff. He found himself unexpectedly en femme for the entire week while all his male clothing went on to Seattle. He told me he had a perfectly wonderful time. Great confidence builder. And by the time he was ready to fly back to Seattle, he didn't give a damn what the picture and sex on his driver license looked like. But he was also aware that the airline security people wouldn't give a damn either.

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