TSA HAS TO ISSUE CLARIFICATION: NO, YOU CAN’T USE YOUR COSTCO CARD INSTEAD OF REAL ID FOR AIR TRAVEL
I’ve been on the fence about getting a Real ID card. Mostly, I’m thinking the fact that I have a passport means there’s no reason to spend more money on an ID just for the new requirements for air travel in the United States. It just seems like another tax to buy an ID that was originally supposed to be in use the last 20 years. And despite almost everyone talking about it finally being, uh, Real, Americans are still pretty confused about what they need just to make their way thru airport security. But despite recent political events, I’m still giving my fellow Americans too much credit. Because the TSA had to clarify that no, no one can use their Costco card as an ID for air travel.
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EVEN THOUGH THE NEW ID TRAVEL RULES ARE CONFUSING, A COSTCO CARD IS JUST FOR COSTCO
Sure, it’s been a month since the until (a month ago) now reality that any non-Real ID driver’s licenses won’t pass muster for going thru airport checkpoints. It seems the Federal Government wants a little more effort (and money) for real Americans to prove they are real Americans. So if you don’t have a new Real ID driver’s license, passport, or another acceptable form of ID, you are SOL even to fly domestically. And despite all the coverage, controversy and negative commentary about the new (finally) Real ID requirement, many Americans still seem to be confused about the new rules. But the bar on my fellow Americans ability to think critically is much lower than I knew, as many seem to believe that their Costco card would work just fine.
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COSTCO CARD TRAVEL MISINFORMATION WAS OUT THERE, BUT PEOPLE SHOULD REALLY KNOW BETTER
Their Costco card. Really? It almost makes me embarrassed to be a Costco member the last 6 months or so. The next time I go, I’ll be looking around at fellow shoppers and wondering how many of them went to catch a flight, with their Costco card. I may have to abstain for a while, as shopping shouldn’t feel like watching reality tv, which is something I don’t do at all. TBH, I miss the classics like That’s Incredible, not Americans are Incredibly Stupid. And sure, there was misinformation that hoodwinked some folks, likely starting with a Chowhound article, “How Your Costco Card Could Save You At The Airport.” Fortunately, the article has been updated to reflect the new reality.
So what now? Now, I just hope that Trump doesn’t make a contract with Costco making their membership cards official forms of U.S. travel identification. I don’t think that would be a great deal.
