phoenix travel id

Six Months: The Travel ID will be required in 2023

Arizona Travel ID

Beginning May 7, 2025, air travelers 18 years old and older must have a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or another acceptable form of ID for air travel within the United States. Travel ID is Arizona's REAL ID-compliant form of identification.

Get Your Travel ID

Visit AZMVDNow.gov to review required documents and schedule an appointment for an MVD location. View frequently asked questions for Arizona's Travel ID program here .

Learn More About the National REAL ID Program

Visit tsa.gov/real-id for additional information and FAQ on the national REAL ID initiative.

TRAVEL ID DEADLINE: What you need to know as the date approaches

PHOENIX — The federally imposed travel ID deadline is quickly approaching! So, what do you need to do before October 1, 2020 so your travel plans aren’t interrupted?

What you need to know:

Federally imposed deadline: October 1, 2020

The TSA will now advise all passengers passing through airport security checkpoints that it’s important to consider getting a travel ID in order to meet upcoming requirements.

“This is a significant step for the TSA,” said MVD Director Eric Jorgensen. “It’s important for the flying public to be aware of these new ID requirements. While those requirements are a federal mandate, licenses and IDs are issued by the state, and we encourage all Arizona motorists to strongly consider getting the Travel ID. It’s the simplest way to ensure you have the proper ID needed to pass through airport security starting on October 1, 2020.”

In order to get a license or ID, customers need to bring three forms of documentation, including:

• Proof of ID such as a birth certificate or valid U.S. Passport
• Proof of Social Security number, such as a Social Security card
• Two documents proving Arizona residency such as a utility bill, rental statement or similar items

Where to go:

The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division offers the federally compliant Travel ID at all MVD locations statewide. It’s also available at Authorized Third Party providers that offer license and ID services.

For a full list of acceptable documents and for more general information about the requirements for the Travel ID, click here.

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Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint

Adult passengers 18 and older must show valid identification at the airport checkpoint in order to travel.

• Beginning May 7, 2025, if you plan to use your state-issued ID or license to fly within the U.S., make sure it is REAL ID compliant . If you are not sure if your ID complies with REAL ID, check with your state department of motor vehicles.  
• State-issued Enhanced Driver’s License
• U.S. passport
• U.S. passport card
• DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
• U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
• Permanent resident card
• Border crossing card
• An acceptable photo ID issued by a  federally recognized , Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe
• HSPD-12 PIV card
• Foreign government-issued passport
• Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
• Transportation worker identification credential
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
• U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

In coordination with its DHS counterparts, TSA has identified acceptable alternate identification for use in special circumstances at the checkpoint.

A weapon permit is not an acceptable form of identification. A temporary driver's license is not an acceptable form of identification.

Beginning May 7, 2025, if you plan to use your state-issued ID or license to fly within the U.S., make sure it is REAL ID compliant . If you are not sure if your ID complies with REAL ID, check with your state department of motor vehicles.

Learn more about flying with a REAL ID .

 TSA currently accepts expired driver’s licenses or state-issued ID a year after expiration. DHS has extended the REAL ID enforcement deadline to May 7, 2025. Learn more about REAL ID on  TSA’s REAL ID  webpage.

TSA does not require children under 18 to provide identification when traveling within the United States. Contact the airline for questions regarding specific ID requirements for travelers under 18.

Forgot Your ID?

In the event you arrive at the airport without valid identification, because it is lost or at home, you may still be allowed to fly. The TSA officer may ask you to complete an identity verification process which includes collecting information such as your name, current address, and other personal information to confirm your identity. If your identity is confirmed, you will be allowed to enter the screening checkpoint. You will be subject to additional screening, to include a patdown and screening of carry-on property.

You will not be allowed to enter the security checkpoint if your identity cannot be confirmed, you choose to not provide proper identification or you decline to cooperate with the identity verification process.

TSA recommends that you arrive at least two hours in advance of your flight time.

Names With Suffixes

TSA accepts variations on suffixes on boarding passes and ID. Suffixes are not required on boarding passes. If there is a suffix on the boarding pass, and there is not one on the ID or vice versa, that is considered an acceptable variation.

If your identity cannot be verified, you will not be allowed to enter the screening checkpoint.

'Phoenix is the future': Kate Gallego announces new airport terminal for Sky Harbor

M ayor Kate Gallego celebrated Phoenix as the city of the future at her annual State of the City address Tuesday, touting the expansion of advanced manufacturing and medical companies, and ensuring her commitment to smart water use and home affordability.

Speaking before hundreds of influential lawmakers, business owners, and organization leaders at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, the mayor lauded a series of changes coming to Phoenix, such as a new airport terminal and new Amazon drone delivery services. The new "cutting-edge" terminal will feature "zero greenhouse gas emissions" and a new Customs facility to usher in tourists from around the world, Gallego said.

The mayor is also establishing an Olympics committee to help bring events to Phoenix from the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. She also said that she's planning to build a new team focused on accessibility in order to make Phoenix the most accessible city in the world for persons with disabilities.

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Gallego emphasized Phoenix's role in the global economy, highlighting an increase in international flights out of Sky Harbor International Airport, the increased investment from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the relocation or expansion of 25 additional semiconductor companies in Phoenix and a new trade office the Dutch government is building.

"It didn’t happen by accident," Gallego said, "I chased this opportunity relentlessly when I first traveled to Taiwan in 2019 to pitch Phoenix as the best place for TSMC."

TSMC in Phoenix: The semiconductor company is making microchips.

She added, "As of today, the Phoenix airport system’s economic impact is $44 billion — an increase of nearly 15% compared to 2016."

Gallego also lauded the expansion of United Foods International, a company she met with in Asia and lured to Phoenix, and the new Global Operations Center for the autonomous car company Cruise — from which autonomic vehicles in "Tempe, Tokyo or Dubai" will be navigated.

The mayor also used Tuesday's address to voice support for abortion access. She previously lambasted the 1864 near-total abortion ban that the Arizona Supreme Court upheld this month , saying girls and women have fewer rights today.

"I want all Phoenix families to get the care they need right here at home. And let me be clear, that includes reproductive health care," the mayor said.

She praised other city leaders for their work in delivering the regional transportation tax measure, Proposition 479 , to voters' ballots this November.

But Gallego also used the address to urge other cities to "step up" in areas where she said Phoenix has led, such as homelessness and home affordability.

"To folks who might be listening and thinking zoning policies are the bane of the affordable housing shortage: I'm here to tell you that in my city, they are not," Gallego said.

Tuesday's address was Gallego's fifth State of the City since 2019 and her last before she faces re-election in November. She skipped it in 2021. She was on the City Council representing parts of downtown and south Phoenix for 4 1/2 years before that.

Taylor Seely covers Phoenix for The Arizona Republic / azcentral.com. Reach her at [email protected] or by phone at 480-476-6116.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Phoenix is the future': Kate Gallego announces new airport terminal for Sky Harbor

A Phoenix team had its wheelchairs damaged after a flight. The airline's response? A $150 travel voucher

Members of a Phoenix-based wheelchair basketball team are speaking out after a pattern of what they consider their "freedom," their "livelihood," and their "legs" be treated as an inconvenience.

Players of the Ability360 Wheelchair Suns said they were stuck on a Southwest Airlines plane for more than two hours without their wheelchairs after they took a flight earlier this month from Phoenix to Richmond for the National Wheelchair Basketball Championships.

The problems continued off the plane.

"We watched our chairs come off of the conveyor belt off of the plane and we watched them fall off the conveyor belt onto the ground. Just chair, after chair, after chair," said Justin Walker, a player for the Wheelchair Suns.

Airport workers mishandling and damaging the wheelchairs, delays to travel and apologetic travel vouchers seem to be par for the course, team members told The Arizona Republic.

The experience is not unique to the Wheelchair Suns. Thousand of mobility device damage incidents are reported to the U.S. Department of Transportation a month.

'It's sickening, to be honest with you'

The team communicated with Southwest six months before the April 10 flight, according to Walker. There were three teams on the flight and each player would be traveling with both a sport wheelchair and an everyday chair. The return flight was scheduled for April 14.

On both the departing and returning flights, team members said they experienced long delays to get off the plane and incorrect storage of their wheelchairs that led to damage.

Walker said the airline should have known what accommodations they needed to make.

Despite that they had been in contact with the airline for half a year, not enough employees were there to help reassemble the wheelchairs they had deconstructed, he said.

"It's just sickening, to be honest with you," Walker said. "It's sickening because we know we're an inconvenience when we have two chairs, we know that. That's why we try to communicate with them as much as possible to allow the situation to be as seamless as possible."

Myranda Shields, social media manager for the Wheelchair Suns, said it wasn't like losing bags, luggage or medication. Wheelchairs serve as legs.

"It's not luggage and that is the problem, they don't look at it like, I've got 300 devices people need to live and then 200 bags under there," Shields said. "They look at it like, oh, I've got 500 bags."

In response to the incident, Southwest sent out an email to the NWBA and the coaches, but they have not reached out to the people who were on the plane, according to Walker.

In an email obtained by The Republic, the airline claimed they had been in communication with the cities involved for "well over a month" and failed on its end for "several" of the people on board.

The airline stated in the email it did not communicate with many of the people and their teams about whether it could take the wheels off the chairs, and the intent was to create more space for all baggage by removing the wheels.

For the flight home, the airline said it did not want to disappoint the team on their travel home and asked to zip tie the wheels together with nametags. It also stated it would give players the option of taking their sports chairs to the gate so the wheels could be removed there. The email acknowledged the team would be flying on a "smaller" Boeing 737-700 aircraft, which had a "smaller cargo hold area."

In a statement to The Republic, Southwest said it apologized if it had not met customer care expectations.

"We have reviewed the situation and addressed it with the appropriate parties so we are able to provide a better experience for our Customers the next time they fly with Southwest," the statement read. "We have a long history of caring for our Customers and apologize any time we don’t meet those expectations."

Walker said they were given a $150 travel voucher in an attempt to compensate for the mistreatment.

"It's a voucher to a place that's already mistreated us. Cool," Walker said. "What is $150 going to get us? Nothing. So, when our stuff is falling down and we're watching our legs, our livelihood, our freedom fall on the ground like no one cares. ... I know about disabled rights. I know if I give you my device, you are obligated by law to bring that chair back to me the way I gave it to you."

According to the Air Carrier Access Act, if an airline damages someone's wheelchair, they are completely liable, regardless of the cost.

Shields said they have not filed an official complaint because she has done it many times in the past. The Republic obtained emails confirming that on at least five occasions, the airline sent vouchers to Shields and Walker for bad experiences she said were "I'm sorry vouchers."

Now, she is taking a different approach and speaking out.

"This is a systemic problem with the airline industry and how they treat people in wheelchairs," Shields said.

"It's unreasonable to expect us to live like this whenever we want to travel and it's also unreasonable to expect us to not travel, not do the things we love to do that we are able to do, because we are in wheelchairs."

Laws are aimed to protect people with disabilities. But is it enough?

The Americans with Disabilities Act was established in 1990 to prohibit discrimination based on disabilities.

The Air Carrier Access Act requires airlines to provide assistance to people with disabilities when traveling by air, including with loading and stowing of assistive devices. In response to incidents like what the Wheelchair Suns faced, the U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing a rule to strengthen implementation of the act.

According to the Department of Transportation, airlines "mishandle" on average about 1.5% of the mobility devices they transport.

In 2022, airlines carried 741,582 wheelchairs and scooters, and there were 11,389 incidents reported to the DOT. That's an increase from 2021, when carriers transported 553,969 mobility devices and 7,239 incidents were reported, according to USA TODAY.

In the new proposal unveiled by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in February, the definition of "mishandled" devices would specify that any mishandling of wheelchairs and assistive devices by airlines is a violation that is subject to penalty. If an airline does mishandle an assistive device, they would have to immediately notify the impacted passenger of their rights.

The passenger could then file a claim with the airline, receive a loaner wheelchair or scooter with certain customizations. If necessary, the passenger would have access to a complaints resolution official and to choose a preferred vendor for device repairs or replacement.

The proposal is undergoing public comment period through May 13. Many of those comments echoed a familiar sentiment:

"I am appalled by the rampant disregard that airline employees have displayed when handling passengers' wheelchairs."

"Airlines need to be held to account for this by training and retraining staff from baggage handlers to flight attendants."

"When wheelchairs are damaged or delayed, lives are upended due to missed connections, missed experiences, missed employment, and even injuries due to inadequate loaner wheelchairs."

Players watch wheelchairs be mishandled, fall off conveyor belt

After the team got off the plane, Walker said they started to notice their tires and rims were broken.

As they were sitting down at the carousel, a message came over the loudspeaker that said there was an inconvenience with the bags on the flight because of the wheelchairs and 30 bags were left in Denver because of it.

"Now we have every person that was on that flight that was already pissed off because we were late getting there," Walker said. "Now they're pissed off looking at us."

Walker said the airline only escalated the situation and when trusted to take care of the passengers' livelihoods, they did not.

When the team flew home to Phoenix, the airline said they would zip-tie and tag the wheels so the process would flow. The wheels were zip-tied, but during their layover in Chicago, the ground crew cut the zip ties, according to a social media post Walker and Shields posted to Instagram. Players then watched as their wheelchairs fell from the conveyor belt.

On the way back, the team needed an hour and a half to get off the plane so they could match the wheels to the chairs. Chairs and axles were broken. According to Walker, everyday wheelchairs cost between $5,000 and $8,000, and basketball wheelchairs between $8,000 and $12,000.

Walker said they were told it was an inconvenience for them to bring their chairs and that they would instead be put in a standard wheelchair, typically provided by airports and hospitals.

"For you to ask me to use somebody else's wheelchair that I don't know, that is honestly like asking you to use somebody else's underwear," Walker said. "We don't know if it's been clean, we don't know what's been happening in that chair, we don't know where it came from."

Players call for 'serious' policy changes

Speaking out about the experience has been part of the team members' way to share their story and their voices, they said.

"That's why we're doing what we're doing right now is because it needs to change," Shields said. "I don't need to be crying in the airport on the way to a national tournament because I've got all these angry strangers coming over and poking at me."

Shields said the airline needs serious policy changes regarding wheelchair storage. She said she would like to be able to remove the wheels herself, attach them to the chairs and make sure they are properly tagged.

She also suggested the airline pick a bigger plane to better accompany everyone and train their staff so they know the difference between an everyday wheelchair and a sports wheelchair.

Christopher Rodriguez, Ability360's CEO, got into disability advocacy work because of his older brother TJ — who has significant intellectual and developmental disabilities.

He said he has spent his career trying to assist in breaking down barriers for those with disabilities.

Ability360 is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Through its comprehensive programs, Ability360 touches the lives of individuals with disabilities throughout Arizona and addresses the disability concerns of their family members, co-workers and employers, according to its website.

Ability360 has three adult wheelchair basketball teams that compete in Division II, Division III and the Women’s Division in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association.

"It's heartbreaking to hear about these stories and to understand how frequent they are, despite the fact that our paramount piece of legislation and law that put forth the rights to accessibility, the ADA, was passed over 25 years ago," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said the Southwest incident was disappointing and a horrible situation to put the athletes in.

Education needs to occur so both the workers at the airport and airline employees know the needs of individuals with disabilities and are aware of the challenges they may face, he said.

"If they fully appreciated or understood that a person's wheelchair is literally an extension of their body, perhaps they would have been more sensitive to the situation, but unfortunately, that did not seem to be the case," Rodriguez said.

After placing sixth in the tournament, the D2 Phoenix Suns season came to an end. While the men will not be playing again until next fall, travel will continue.

Shields said she is weary of traveling again but was hopeful that her next flight, which was scheduled for Wednesday, would not be as bad.

Phoenix Suns

Minnesota Timberwolves

Timberwolves take 2-0 lead on suns behind 25 points and ace defense from jaden mcdaniels, kevin durant fades away for 'masterful' shot.

Kevin Durant fades away for the tough Phoenix basket in the second quarter.

MINNEAPOLIS -- — Jaden McDaniels scored 25 points for a career best in the playoffs and spearheaded another stifling defensive performance by the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 105-93 victory over the Phoenix Suns to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series on Tuesday night.

Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert each had 18 points for the Wolves to offset a smothering of Anthony Edwards by the Suns, who held him to 15 points on 3-for-12 shooting after allowing him 33 in the opener.

The teams head to Phoenix for Game 3 on Friday night. Minnesota has held a 2-0 series lead only one other time in franchise history, against Denver in the first round in 2004 en route to a 4-1 series victory.

“Everyone down the list has shown they’ll be willing to do whatever it takes to sacrifice whatever it is for betterment of the team,” said Karl-Anthony Towns , who had 12 points.

Devin Booker scored 20 points, Kevin Durant added 18 and sixth man Eric Gordon had 15 for the Suns, who again failed to get their high-octane offense in gear.

“When they’re scoring on us and we’re not getting the right stops, we can’t not be organized offensively,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said. “We had too many possessions like that.”

The big three of Booker, Durant and Bradley Beal combined to shoot 18 for 45, with McDaniels leading the list of reasons for the slump.

“We can see it. I can feel it. I can see them. It’s tough,” Gobert said. "No one likes going against the type of defense that we’re playing right now."

After building an eight-point lead in the second quarter and taking a 51-50 edge into halftime, the Suns wore down while Towns got going after early foul trouble.

Phoenix lost guard Grayson Allen to an aggravated ankle sprain in the third quarter. Minnesota's momentum carried into the fourth quarter, and the crowd noise came with it. Conley found Gobert with a bounce pass off the pick-and-roll for an easy slam and an 84-76 lead the Wolves later extended to 19 points, before the 17-year veteran point guard swished a corner 3-pointer that electrified the arena.

The “Wolves in 4!” chant popped up in the final minutes.

“The building’s been amazing. The fans have been unreal,” coach Chris Finch said. “Our guys have risen to their energy, and we were locked in from the start.”

The Wolves used a heavy dose of Edwards on the attack to deliver a 25-point win in Game 1 on Saturday, and the Suns never hesitated to send multiple defenders swarming into his space.

The Timberwolves had trouble making them pay, shooting 9 for 32 from 3-point range. The bench production that helped them dominate the opener waned a bit. The whistles were tighter this time, leading to a costly three-foul first quarter for Towns that kept him out until halftime.

But McDaniels, Gobert and anyone else wisely attacked the basket with abandon, making sure the Wolves could use their size advantage inside.

They passed their test of maturity, too. Booker slammed his forearms into McDaniels after a stray elbow, triggering McDaniels into an ill-advised shove that drew him a technical foul. But the fiery 23-year-old, who missed the 2023 first-round series against Denver with a broken hand after punching a wall out of frustration during the final regular season game, didn't let that define his night.

“Everyone on the team does a good job helping me manage emotions and stuff like that,” McDaniels said. “It’s a physical game. There’s nothing serious between us. Sometimes things happen.”

McDaniels even crashed the boards at the constant urging of his coaches, using his high-flying 6-foot-9 frame to grab eight rebounds. Finch deadpanned that he'd been harping on McDaniels to do so for the last “250 games,” and the staff put him through football-style drills in practice during the week to get him in character.

Jusuf Nurkic (10 points, 14 rebounds) helped negate some of Gobert's award-winning and shot-altering defense. After the Timberwolves set a franchise playoff record with a plus-24 rebounding margin, the Suns had a 41-39 edge, but progress was elusive beyond that.

“Don't count us out,” Booker said. “It's a series for a reason.”

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Southwest Airlines cuts flights between Phoenix and this Midwest city. Here's why

Southwest Airlines is cutting back on flights to some airports − and pulling out of a few others − because of a disappointing financial start to 2024 and delays in receiving new planes.

During its first-quarter 2024 call with investors on Thursday, April 25, Southwest said it would end service at four airports and cut the frequency of routes at two others. One of those cuts affects flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport .

"To improve our financial performance, we have intensified our network optimization efforts to address underperforming markets," Southwest President and CEO Bob Jordan said in a statement on the airline's first-quarter 2024 earnings.

What flight is Southwest Airlines cutting in Phoenix?

The airline is reducing the frequency of flights out of Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Southwest will cut flights between Phoenix and O'Hare from three flights daily to one flight daily, effective June 4, Southwest spokesman Dan Landson told The Arizona Republic.

Phoenix will see no changes to its Atlanta flights, which fly twice daily Mondays through Saturdays and three times daily on Sundays.

Southwest will continue to fly up to 10 flights daily between Phoenix and Chicago Midway International Airport, Landson said.

Southwest will also return a seasonal route between Phoenix and Des Moines, Iowa, on peak travel days near the winter holidays starting Nov. 23. The route is resuming for the first time since January 2022, Landson said.

What airports is Southwest cutting?

Southwest said it will end service at four airports:

• Bellingham International Airport in Bellingham, Washington.
• Cozumel International Airport in Cozumel, Mexico.
• George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas.
• Syracuse Hancock International Airport in Syracuse, New York.

Southwest does not fly nonstop from Phoenix to any of those airports. It does offer flights to Houston via William P. Hobby Airport.

Why is Southwest Airlines cutting flights and airports?

Jordan, Southwest's CEO, said in the earnings call that the airline posted a net loss of $231 million in the first three months of 2024, despite record operating revenues. A net loss is when a company's expenses are higher than its income.

Southwest also expects to fly fewer planes than it planned because of Boeing's delays in delivering new aircraft. He said the delays present "significant challenges for 2024 and 2025." For instance, he now expects Boeing to deliver about 20 737-8 planes in 2024; the airline previously expected 46 planes.

Pro tips: How many seats are available on a Southwest flight? How to get a better boarding position

Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at   [email protected] . Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:   @salerno_phx .

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