A binary flight with a nonbinary passport

July 2, 2022 6:37 AM

I am booking a flight from the US to the UK. The best option for me for times and price is Virgin Atlantic, whose booking page says I must select either male or female "as on the passport". My US passport has a nonbinary ("x") gender marker. Should I just... pick one? Or do I need to find another carrier?
posted by quintessence to Travel & Transportation (4 answers total)

Best answer: They claim that "Virgin Atlantic is committed to its support within the LGBT+ community" despite the booking process, so I'd try contacting them to ask. It probably will just be "pick one" though, I'm guessing. I know a couple of the other airlines already offer X bookings baked right into the regular process and others have committed to implementing it and seem to imply you can call and have it corrected if necessary, so driving even our likely small market population directly into the arms of the competition wouldn't make much sense for them.
posted by teremala at 9:14 AM on July 2, 2022 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Call the airline. They have a very strong interest in the computer allowing you to board the plane. (To the point that the airlines stopped the UK fucking over dual citizens at least once.)
posted by hoyland at 9:42 AM on July 2, 2022

Response by poster: Thank you, both. The answer (after a 2 hour 40 minute hold) was "pick one, it won't cause any issues." (why do they ask for it then?? arblegarble)
posted by quintessence at 11:49 AM on July 2, 2022 [7 favorites]

They claim that "Virgin Atlantic is committed to its support within the LGBT+ community"

Note that the linked article is from 2019, and the full quote is

However, Virgin Atlantic is committed to its support within the LGBT+ community and is looking into its booking processes and gender options for travel in the future,” says a spokesperson.

I guess they’re still looking, three years later. Per a recent NYT article:

Yet some travelers have expressed frustration that although they can now hold a nonbinary passport, and despite the airlines’ support of L.G.B.T.Q. initiatives like Pride Month, only two major U.S. airlines currently offer options other than male or female when booking airfares.

Right now, it’s just United and American who have got themselves sorted out. The NYT article gets into the whys and wherefores, but basically the other airlines just haven’t bothered getting around to it yet.
posted by zamboni at 10:17 PM on July 2, 2022