For some stuff, especially airline frequent flyer programs, it is very easy to change your gender. But changing your name? You need to submit documentation for some of them, copy of photo ID etc and sometimes they take some prodding.

I updated two so far, Delta and JetBlue. Delta was important as I have the credit card and medallion status. I am a member of a couple others - United and Caribbean Airlines.

So far gender could be changed on the website. Name required a call to customer service.

I wonder why is that? Nearly everyone who transitions and legally changes their gender also changes their name, no?

Quote from: iKate on December 10, 2015, 10:59:03 AM

I updated two so far, Delta ... Delta was important as I have the credit card and medallion status.

So far gender could be changed on the website. Name required a call to customer service.

I wonder why is that? Nearly everyone who transitions and legally changes their gender also changes their name, no?

Kate, it's actually more to do with fraud and protecting the FF member's account than anything else.  Our FF program especially is audited pretty closely.  In fact, when I was still a Customer Care Manager, they were on the floor above us and they didn't even like people wandering around on that floor if you didn't work there.  So say someone calls us and says "Hi, my FF information is under Sam Smith but I have changed my name to Jane Jones and I need my account to reflect that."  If the call came in to me, I would certainly understand the request but there are two things I have to think of.  One, it's a legitimate request and I've seen many of them in the FF history in the computer.  Or two, it could be someone who has stolen an identity and is trying to steal mileage from that person's account.  So for your protection, unless things have changed since I retired, we're going to ask for documentation.  We always called it CYA.

I can understand that. I absolutely do not mind showing documentation. In fact, I keep a scanned copy of the court order and a copy of my ID available in a secure cloud location so I can just send it at will to anyone who needs it.