The Director of Homeland Security, Vaetagaloa Glenn Lefiti, says the $45 fee announced Monday by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for travelers without valid REAL ID cards or passports will also apply to travelers from American Samoa. The $45 fee is to go into effect on February 1 of next year.
Director Vaetagaloa says Pago TSA is working out the details with Honolulu TSA.
The Transportation Security Administration announced that travelers 18 and older flying domestically without a REAL ID, and who do not have another accepted form of ID on them, such as a passport, will pay a non-refundable fee to verify their identity through TSA’s alternative “Confirm.ID” system.
TSA officials said that paying the fee does not guarantee verification, and travelers whose identities cannot be verified may be turned away. If approved, however, the verification covers a 10-day travel period.
The fee can be paid online before arriving at the airport. Travelers can also pay online at the airport before entering the security line, but officials said the process may take up to 30 minutes.
The TSA initially proposed an $18 charge for passengers without a REAL ID, but officials said Monday they raised it after realizing the alternative identification program would cost more than anticipated.
As of now, the REAL ID cannot be used for travel between Pago Pago and Honolulu, as the route is considered international, so most people have obtained passports.
