Just received an e-mail from Delta instructing me to check in on-line for our flight tomorrow which connects through CDG with Air France to Marco Polo. Delta redirects the check-in to Air France which requires personal info from each passenger with full names, birthdates and passport numbers. Do you frequent travelers trust the security of the Air France website with personal info or do you just check in in person? We aren't checking bags.

WE have used the Air France website to check in many times without a problem.

I have also checked in online with AF--no problems.

Its the same for Delta\KLM flights as well as Delta\KLM\Egypt Air combo flights, they each want all the information.

Wow, thanks for the rapid response!

Yes most airlines are asking for the same info. BA and American for 2

We used the AF online checkin in September, no issues with the security of their website. Proceed with confidence (and enjoy your trip!)

I have not heard about about that. I leave on Delta in a few weeks for Paris.

Interesting update. When I saw the request for birthdates and passport #s I backed out of the check-in page and posted the question here which was promptly answered by the nice Fodor's posters. I went back to the on-line check in process and was directed to a screen indicating that we were already checked in and to print the receipt and present it to the airport check-in counter to obtain boarding passes.

I never keyed in the requested personal info. I wonder if I hadn't backed out of the personal info page and completed the process the first time if I would have been able to print out the boarding passes myself. I've never been able to print out international boarding passes from home before but have never flown Air France. Not a big deal as we plan to leave plenty of time to spare, I was just curious. This really is such a helpful forum! And thank you Margo! You aren't the Margo from the STJ forum are you?

I think you would have been able to print your own boarding passes. We always print our own. And check our own bags on arrival at the airport.

Why would you think that an airline check-in page would be any less secure than the page you use to hand over your credit card details and name to buy the tickets in the first place?
If is is an Https page it is secure.

FUll names, birth dates and passport numbers are not State secrets.

I can appreciate quinnsmom's question about security. Handing over your credit card number is one thing - if someone gets that number your liability is limited, and if compromised they you can easily get a new credit card. If someone gets a hold of your more personal info, including birth date then there may be greater risk of identity theft. She is wise to think twice before just offering up info over the internet.

That said, I would have no issues entering that info into an airline website for check in, especially if it is a secure website (address begins with https, not just http), as hetismij said.

There are some websites that want date of birth, perhaps for security purposes should you forget your password. For those I tend to use a fake date, as they have no need to know my real DoB (security, not vanity). The trick is remembering what fake date I used! My fallback was 1/1/1900!

Same here J62. Those were my thoughts exactly. I always use the same fake birthdate also. Not paranoid, just cautious.

Better finish packing. I'll try to offer somewhat of a real time trip report. Thanks again for all the great info and encouragement! Can't wait to see #1 son. Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate!

Just checked in for our flight to Paris this evening and had the same experience. No problems that I saw.

I needed to provide that info to United before printing my boarding passes for my flight to Frankfurt this afternoon.

You have to hand the info over at some point. The question is whether you do it online or at the airport. At the airport, they will put it into the same system. I can't think of any reason not to do it online.

Ihave been asked to add this info for our trip home from Paris which will be on AF and I don't think there is any problem with the request at all.

You are going to have to give it to them, anyway, it just saves time at the desk if you give it in advance. Also, I thought there was some requirement now that airlines had to give it to the US govt in advance of the flight, but don't know the details. I fly AF all the time and always tell them in advance. In fact, I think they have my passport number in their system permanently.

Any airline is going to ask your name and birthdate.

Your ID must match the birth date you provide. If it is different on your DL or PP you may have a problem.

Seems to me that before our flight to Paris in October we received an email that we needed to provide this info prior to our flight and if we did not we might not be allowed to board the flight. Think this is being done by government mandate so I would not provide any false info -- the info you provide has to be exactly as listed on your passport.