Several major airlines are going to offer a non-binary option on tickets

Several major airlines in the US announced they are going to start offering a non-binary option on their tickets for passengers.

According to AP News, the gender option on airline sites will soon also list ‘undisclosed’ or ‘unspecified’. There may also be the optional title ‘Mx’.

So far, six airlines confirmed on Friday (15 February) they are in the process of adding these options. The airlines are: American, Delta, United, Southwest, Alaska, and JetBlue. They said the changes will start appearing on their websites in the coming weeks.

American Airlines spokesman Matt Miller said they have a ‘diverse customer base’.

‘This will be well-received, and we’re happy to do it,’ he continued of the new option.

At United, spokesperson Andrea Hiller said the company wants ‘all of our customers feel comfortable and welcome no matter how they self-identify’.

On 1 June, a new standard approved by the US and international airline trade groups will go into effect regarding non-binary passengers.

This standard allows airlines to comply with requirements that passenger information must match what is on their form of ID used for travel.

In the US, several states, such as Oregon and Washington, have approved non-binary IDs for their residents.

Decreased stress while traveling

Beck Bailey of the Human Rights Campaign said he did not know of any non-binary travelers being denied transportation due to their identification.

He continued, however, that this new move eliminates a source of stress and fear that they will be stopped while they travel.

‘It’s a significant step forward for non-binary individuals, so they are not faced with a mismatch between their ticketing information and their legal identification,’ he said.

See also

Delta Airlines ‘must apologize’ for calling police on deaf LGBTI couple

Emirates accused of cutting same-sex scenes from in-flight shows

Why the deserts of Arizona are surprisingly great for a gay USA road trip