Help!! Names on Flight Reservations and Passport Must Match??
 

I am taking my granddaughter to Paris in Oct. In order to get FF, I did the 331 days before trip reservation. I tried to call my daughter before I made the reservations to see how granddaughter's name appeared on her birth certificate. She does not have her passport yet. Daughter was not home and in a panic to book the flights I went ahead and put her name on the reservation as I thought it probaby was. Wrong. Well, not totaly off, but I put just her middle initial, not her full middle name and she has a hyphenated last name, which I did not hyphenate.

I also just made reservations for inner-Europe flights on Easyjet, using the same names as our Delta flights over there and back, so they would all match at least. So, my question is, because she doesn't have her passport yet, does the passport name have to match her birth certificate name exactly and, if it does, is this going to cause us problems checking in for our flights. If this is a problem, can I change her name on all our flights without having to pay a penalty.

I'm reading that they are pretty strict about this now. Please tell me not to panic.

I guess names on reservations can be changed until tickets are issued based upon that reservation code. However I would not be too much concerned. Yes, I tell you: DO NOT PANIC !!
My wife has only her surname (before marriage) on her passport but on reservations and air tickets both surnames (my surname as family surname) and her surname are hown. As they are quite long put together, her first name just appears only with the first initial as there is no other space to have two surnames plus the full name (also long) on the ticket. In this way we are travelling all over the world since years, even to those countries where visas are required etc......
hope this helps

Thanks Fabio, have you traveled recently? because they seem to be more strict about this now in 2010. I suppose it comes down to a different name on a birth certificate than what you want on your passport. Obviously on my bc it has my maiden name and my passport has my married name, so hopefully I am worrying about nothing and she can put whatever she wants on her passport.

If I understand u correctly you have her middle name initial and last name not hypehnated, but as one long name? My passport has my middle name spelled out, but my tixs only have my middle initial, so you should be okay on that part. I've flown alot in the last year or two since they've gotten stricter with the names and have not had any questions or problems.

I don't know about the last name, but I bet it too would be okay. Did u check with the airline and see if they can add the hyphen without charging u?

I don't know about the rules with passports, but I doubt she will be able to put whatever she wants. I think they will use her birth certificate name on the passport.

I think that the ticketing system strips out the hyphens anyways. My kids have hyphenated last names, and the hyphens never appear on the boarding passes, although I enter them that way when I buy the tickets

If her name is something like:

Jane Anne Smith-Jones

and you put the following on the tickets

Jane A. Smith Jones

I am pretty sure this is fine. I remember reading somewhere that the middle name didn't matter. But if you are still worried, go see someone at the airport (you could phone, but it's probably easier in person, is my guess).

You have no problems whatsoever. TSA explicitly states on their website that middle initial or full name makes no difference.

Second, airline computers routinely drop the hyphen or change it to a space. Been doing it that way for over 60 years. Again, will not be an iota of a problem.

Barb

Yes, we flew recently to India in Easter holiday 28th march - 7th april 2010.
In addition on her ticket there is even no space between our common family surname and her own passport surname. It looks like one single extralong surname plus her initial A as follows:

MYFAMILYSURNAMEHERSURNAME A/MRS

WillTravel - that's exactly how I put her name on the ticket. Middle initial and no hyphen. Thank you all, it sounds like I shouldn't worry too much about this. I will wait until she gets her passport and then maybe call the airline and see what they say, just to relieve my mind.

Unrelated - but assuming she is a minor you will also need a notarized letter from both parents to take her out of the country. They may or may not ask for it, but you should have it.

She will be turning 18 just two weeks before our trip, so I guess I don't have to worry about that.

A year ago my husband's ticket did not match his passport, as he uses his middle name as his first. We were concerned that there might be a problem, but it was all fine.

have you called the airlines? they could change the name on the ticket, or reassure you that it's not necessary.

When we asked AA to change the name on the ticket, I was told that it would mean re-issuing the ticket, with the usual charge.

I suspect that with heightened security, not now having a ticket match a passport could be a problem.