Are middle names required on all plane tickets?
 

I recently booked a ticket on BA and they asked for my middle name. They said that because of heightened security they now require all names on the passport. I have no objection to providing this information, but I was wondering if this is now standard in the industry, or is this just BA's requirement?

I believe the requirement is that the name on the ticket exactly matches the name on the passport. If the middle name is on one, it should also be on the other. If not, not.

My middle name is on my passport, but I've never used my middle name on a ticket, and have never had a problem.

I wonder if this is just a BA thing (and a new one, at that). Haven't had this on any other European airline in the last few months. Last month I even travelled to Italy on Easyjet with my first name listed as Kate, when my actual first name is Catherine (my stupid partner, who booked the tickets, always forgets my real name. Bad sign??). Wasn't even questioned.

I still think that a lot of this security stuff is for naught.

My favorite story is that on a recent trip (at the start of the year?), I got a boarding card and I didn't check it. I went through security twice (they moved the gate). When I got on, this woman had the same seat I did. So I thought, ok, no big deal. We called a flight attendant over -- it turns out the agent who checked me in gave me the woman's boarding card.

Weird, isn't it? No one realized this. And I'm pretty sure my name is nowhere close to hers.

Hmmm, it sounds like this is a new requirement only from BA. For years I have flown BA using only my first and last name, but they made it sound like it's really important to have all names. I have no problem with it, but I just wondered if this is a new airline regulation I have not yet heard of. Apparently it's just BA.

That is weird, 111op, and a bit scary.

Yes, P_M. I remain convinced that it's not that difficult for terrorists to thwart security. And this was an international flight, which you think would have been subject to tighter screening. I was also surprised that they could check the same person in twice -- fortunately I had no bags to check. It would have been a nightmare otherwise, I bet.

I'm in big trouble! I don't have a middle name.

Maybe it's a BA thing, I've flown in past 6 months and didn't do that. I don't think I ever have as my name is too long already and never is printed out in total on tickets, etc -- if I added my middle name, it would be worse (which I suppose they never thought of). My last name has 9 letters, then Christina Jane..... well, wouldn't work, on my last ticket, they only printed out Christi or something.

I think BA is nuts, but perhaps I have not thought of the major security ramifications of this that could conceivably make sense. However, if you are flying under a fake or stolen passport/name, I think you can have enough IQ to also give them the middle name on the passport if they ask. I don't get this at all, but as I said, maybe it's because I'm not in the security biz. It would make more sense if they really examined your photo and made sure the passport didn't look doctored, it seems to me.

I have three first names and a surename from which I just take the main part as it is much too long for every computer and this was ok for my eight flys this year, some with BA!

I recently had Czech Airlines tell me that the passport name had to exactly match the ticket name.

I think that must be a BA thing. I just returned from Italy last week, our tickets had just our first and last names, no middle names at all. They check the passport along with the ticket so verification of identity has not been a problem.

HUH? I don't even have a middle name, not on social security card, not on the passport, never had a problem with that.

Add me to the group that has a middle name which is clearly stated on my passport, but I've never ever used a middle name on any plane ticket. No one has ever batted at eye at it.

airlines just want name on passaports to match name on tickets. no big deals
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I use both my first and middle names, but it always appears as first name, middle initial on tickets.

The only time I ever had a problem is when some moron at BA put a "Mr" in front of my name. The guy at security wasn't going to let me through, until his supervisor decided to exercise some judgment.