Alex Salmond found himself in a bizarre situation with airline staff after booking on to a flight under the name James Kirk - the captain of Star Trek's USS Enterprise.
The former Scottish first minister caused confusion when British Airways initially refused to let him board a flight at Heathrow under the sci-fi alias, the Press Association reported.
It took a series of phone calls for the senior politician to persuade the airline that he should be allowed on board, The Mail on Sunday claims.
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Alex Salmond likes to check into flights under different names
Mr Salmond said he often travelled under a false name for security reasons and as a Trekkie - as fans of the show are known - he liked to use Kirk's name, partly as a joke but also because it was easy to remember.
It is understood the confusion at the airport only lasted for a couple of minutes before being resolved.
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Salmond, who became a figurehead of the 'Yes' campaign for Scottish independence, told the Mail on Sunday: "It was all sorted out. I just wanted BA to 'beam me up, Scotty'."
But Mr Salmond indicated that in future he will be travelling under a different name.
He said: "Now that my cover has been blown by the Mail on Sunday, I will choose another Star Trek character - but not Mr Spock because that would be illogical."
The incident took place over the summer when Mr Salmond tried to fly back to Scotland after a week at the Commons.
Mr Salmond has previously described himself as an "obsessive Trekkie" and the show's fan club made him a "Starfleet Officer" and gave him a "Membership of Distinction".