The governments of various countries require bmi and all other airlines to collect Advance Passenger Information (API) for passengers prior to travel.
If your customer is travelling to one or more of these countries you will be asked to provide this information. We will only provide each country's Customs and Immigration Authorities with the relevant information required by them, however some governments require airlines to provide them with direct access to airline passenger bookings (PNRs) which may contain other passenger data.
In order to ensure that your customers' check-in at the airport is as smooth as possible and to avoid any additional queues, you are strongly advised to provide this information for all passengers (excluding infants where API will be added at check-in) in each booking before the day of departure.
The UK Government has introduced legislation that requires airlines to submit API on all flights to and from the UK. The programme, known as e-Borders, is being implemented on a route by route basis which will be rolled out to all routes by the end of 2010.
API is currently required for customers travelling to/from or in transit to the following countries:
Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Bermuda, Canada, China (except Hong Kong), Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and USA.
The following information which is obtained from your customer's passport or travel document, is required to be entered into the booking, prior to travel.
In addition, the following information is required for passengers travelling to or transiting the USA:
*Transiting passengers are defined as those who transfer
through the US for the purpose of continuing their journey to a third country, where the time period between arrival in and departure from the US does not exceed eight hours.
US Secure Flight
Since October 2009, the US Government implemented Secure Flight for all US flights. Airlines must provide the following four items of Secure Flight Passenger Data (SFPD) 72 hours before
departure, or as soon as known for a late booking:
US ESTA
All passengers travelling under the Visa Waiver Programme must obtain authorisation to travel to the USA by the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). This is mandatory from 20 January 2010 and doesn't replace the need for airlines to transmit API.