If I book a flight with a passport and the airline employee at the check-in desk refuses it, can I check in with a second passport of mine with UA?

I have a French passport and a US passport. If I book a flight with United Airlines with one passport and the airline employee at the check-in desk refuses it due to its physical condition, can I check in with the second passport?

Assume:

I don't have to present any visa to the destination country's immigration officers that can't be done on arrival to be allowed to enter the country.
The two passports are under the same name.

FYI I've asked a similar but more general question recently If I book a flight with a passport and the airline employee at the check-in desk refuses it, can I check in with a second passport of mine? but it got closed and according to Should questions whose answer may depend on the airline or the check-in airline clerk be closed as “opinion-based” or be left open? (mirror) that's because the answer depends on the airline.

Best Answer

You don’t really need a passport for a booking, and even if you add one, it doesn’t matter. There can be significant time between booking and flying and documents and requirements can change.

You need to present a passport at check in that needs to be valid for your current travel. Which one you present is up to you and United doesn’t care as long as it’s valid for travel.

I sometimes give them both and ask “which one do you want” as a joke.

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Can I enter a country on one passport and leave on another?

Dual nationals may also be required by the foreign country to use its passport to enter and leave that country. Use of the foreign passport to travel to or from a country other than the United States is not inconsistent with U.S. law.

How do you travel with two passports?

Travelling with two passports: which passport to use when dual citizen is at an airline counter. You need to show your second passport, for example a Maltese one. Usually, along with the ticket, the passenger must present a visa allowing entry to the European Union.

Do I need two passports?

If you are a citizen of more than one country at a time, you will need a passport for both countries. Dual citizenship is legal in the United States, but it's not legal in every country. So, you would have to check with your other country to make sure that you would need two passports.

Will airlines tell you if someone is on the flight?

No. Only way somebody else can check your reservation is if that person knew your name, flight number and the reservation code. Even then, they would not know if you boarded the flight. No airline will give out the passenger list of a given flight.

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Gustavo Fring, Andrea Piacquadio, RF._.studio, Andrea Piacquadio