Fort Worth-Based American Airlines Adds Non-Binary Booking Options
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Taking a trip by plane? If you're traveling on American Airlines you're no longer limited to identifying as "male" or "female" when purchasing tickets.
AA customers can now choose non-binary gender options when booking flights. Passengers have the option of having their gender designated on their boarding pass as "U" or "X", but the non-binary selection, however, must match that displayed on the person's official identification.
American Airlines made the change in order to better meet TSA requirements. Some U.S. states and foreign countries provide ID's with a gender of U or X and, as part of TSA's existing requirements, airlines must obtain a first name, middle name, last name, gender and date of birth for all passengers.
In a statement to CBS News American Airlines said, "Taking care of our customers and team members is what we do, and we are glad to be able to better accommodate the gender preferences of our travelers and team members."
As it stands, passengers can't choose the non-binary options when booking a ticket online; they'll have to make the reservation over the phone or call in after booking online to have the gender changed. American Airlines officials say the options will roll out on it's website in 2020.
Dallas-based Southwest Airlines and Delta are expected to be the next carriers to offer the gender neutral options
In March, United Airlines became the first U.S. airline to offer non-binary gender options for customers. Passengers on their flights can identify as male, female, undisclosed or unspecified. They can also use the title "Mx." in lieu of "Mr.," "Mrs." or "Ms."