Many countries, including the USA, require bmi (and all other airlines) flying to these countries to collect and supply Passenger Information System data (APIS).
We are required to collect this information from passengers who are travelling to the USA, Spain and other countries who request it and transmit the data to each country's Customs and Immigration authorities prior to departure.
We will only provide each country with the relevant information requested by them. In addition to APIS data, some countries, including the USA, require direct access to Passenger Number Record (PNR) data for each passenger. This information may include other passenger data such as contact details and travel itinerary.
APIS data is currently required for customers travelling to or in transit to the following countries: USA. Canada, Spain, Mexico, China (except Hong Kong), Japan, United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Thailand, Iran, South Africa, Syria, Pakistan, Morocco, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago.
what information is required?
For all of the countries above, the following information which is obtained from your customers passport or travel documents, is required to be entered into the booking, where possible.
In addition to passport information, if your passenger is travelling to or transiting the USA, we are required to provide the following information prior to departure.
A. Enter the information into the DOCS SSR, as you would for all US bookings.
For Spain and other countries
This information should be supplied at the airport. We are currently making changes to our systems so that APIS information can be provided in advance.
What happens if I don’t supply you with the information?
A If you don’t supply us with the correct information then you will be unable to enter those countries, and therefore you will not be accepted for travel at check-in.
What if I don’t know the address of where I will be staying?
A If you can't provide a full address you will need to provide as much information as possible.
If your accommodation is to be allocated on arrival then please provide the name of the agent in the US.
If your customer is taking a fly-drive holiday then you should provide the name and location of the car hire company and the first intended stopping point.
If your customer is joining a ship you should provide the vessel and cruise name plus the US City of embarkation.
If your customer is backpacking you should provide an indication of where they will spend their first night.
Do I need to provide this information if the customer is a US citizen or a Legal Permanent Resident (LPR)?
A No. If your customer is a US citizen then they will need their US passport at check-in, if your customer is an LPR then they will need to provide Alien registration number at check-in.
Customers should be reassured that bmi does not anticipate any negative impact on flights to Spain, and our procedures include the provision to supply the required passport information in advance of travel in order to minimize any potential delays at check-in.