British Airways - must ID name match ticket name?
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Sep 2004
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British Airways - must ID name match ticket name?
I'm flying BA from Dulles to Heathrow to Prague. All my ID's, including passport, have first, middle and last name - but the ticket is being issued in first and last name only. Since the ID's and ticket are not an exact match, will I have problems boarding the flights?
#2


Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 26,168
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I was told the same thing by BA, in fact I posted a thread last year asking this question. Here it is:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...name+on+ticket
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...name+on+ticket
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#9
Joined: Jan 2003
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I'm willing to make a one-sided bet, right here, right now.
If BA refuses to fly anybody just because their middle name, (which is listed on their passport), is missing on their ticket, I'll buy you a first class ticket on BA for your next trip.
Obviously that's impossible to prove, unless I'm there to see this, but the point is that I'm that confident that there is NOTHING to worry about!
If BA refuses to fly anybody just because their middle name, (which is listed on their passport), is missing on their ticket, I'll buy you a first class ticket on BA for your next trip.
Obviously that's impossible to prove, unless I'm there to see this, but the point is that I'm that confident that there is NOTHING to worry about!
#11


Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 26,168
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LA woman, when I booked my ticket with BA to Geneva last year, I initially gave only my first and last name. I was surprised when the guy asked if there's a middle name on my passport. I asked if that's necesary and he told me that my ticket must exactly match my passport, and yes they do need my middle name.
Maybe it all depends on who answers your call when you book. Maybe the guy I talked with was new and wanted to be overly cautios not to make a mistake. When I booked my Paris trip w/AA for January 2005 I asked if they needed my middle name. The answer was something like, "It wouldn't hurt to have that," so I included it. I will probably give my middle name from now on, better safe than sorry these days.
I'm not saying with any certainty that nanray will or will not have a problem, all I'm suggesting is that s/he call and ask.
Maybe it all depends on who answers your call when you book. Maybe the guy I talked with was new and wanted to be overly cautios not to make a mistake. When I booked my Paris trip w/AA for January 2005 I asked if they needed my middle name. The answer was something like, "It wouldn't hurt to have that," so I included it. I will probably give my middle name from now on, better safe than sorry these days.
I'm not saying with any certainty that nanray will or will not have a problem, all I'm suggesting is that s/he call and ask.
#13
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 17,268
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We rarely use BA, since more obscure airlines are invariably cheaper.
But Mrs F, whose full name won't fit on any known ticket, did use them (at a client's expense) a few weeks back and, as always, suppressed for the ticket the litany of names that appear on her passport.
As always, nothing happened. But here's what I'll bet BA really meant to say when they spoke to PM:
If you're going to quote a middle name, what's on the ticket has to be identical to what's on the passport. If they differ (as they most certainly would if anyone tried to get Mrs F's middle names onto a ticket), bells will ring, matter will turn into antimatter and security alerts will be declared.
Moral, IMHO: now more than ever, don't give airlines your middle name. The more information they've got, the more confused they'll get.
And confused airlines ALWAYS means messed-about passengers.
But Mrs F, whose full name won't fit on any known ticket, did use them (at a client's expense) a few weeks back and, as always, suppressed for the ticket the litany of names that appear on her passport.
As always, nothing happened. But here's what I'll bet BA really meant to say when they spoke to PM:
If you're going to quote a middle name, what's on the ticket has to be identical to what's on the passport. If they differ (as they most certainly would if anyone tried to get Mrs F's middle names onto a ticket), bells will ring, matter will turn into antimatter and security alerts will be declared.
Moral, IMHO: now more than ever, don't give airlines your middle name. The more information they've got, the more confused they'll get.
And confused airlines ALWAYS means messed-about passengers.
#14



Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,866
Likes: 79
BA will check your passport when you receive your boarding pass. TSA will check photo ID (passport) before you go airside. If your middle name is/isn't on one of the other, it won't matter. If the picture in your passport is of a different person, or if the first and last names in the passport are different from those on the ticket, then it's time to worry.
#16
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 123
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When I booked my ticket to Paris on Air France, the ticket agent asked me for name as it appeared on my passport. EXACTLY as it appeared on my passport. He said I could have problems if they were not exactly the same, and just to be safe he wanted to make sure my ticket AND passport had the same name.
#17



Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,866
Likes: 79
Meant to add, a funny (well to me) story from back when.
A professor of mine at Edinburgh University had a hyphenated name. I'll say it was Nigel Smith-Jones. (Nothing like the real name but you get the idea.)
Gets off the ship in NY shortly after WW2 (that's how long ago it was) and presents himself to the customs/immig. man at the terminal. Official person (NY accent) looks at his passport and says, "Pal, go back to the end of the line. When you get back to me, your entry form says that you're either Mr. Smith or Mr. Jones. You decide."
A professor of mine at Edinburgh University had a hyphenated name. I'll say it was Nigel Smith-Jones. (Nothing like the real name but you get the idea.)
Gets off the ship in NY shortly after WW2 (that's how long ago it was) and presents himself to the customs/immig. man at the terminal. Official person (NY accent) looks at his passport and says, "Pal, go back to the end of the line. When you get back to me, your entry form says that you're either Mr. Smith or Mr. Jones. You decide."
#18
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 76
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I am flying BA in May. I booked my tickets online through their web site. I just looked at my e-ticket and it says "Mr John Doe and Mrs Jane Doe". I always give my middle name or initial if prompted to do so, so its absence means that BA didn't ask or didn't record it on the e-ticket.
I don't think I would be concerned unless your first or last name is misprinted.
I don't think I would be concerned unless your first or last name is misprinted.
#19
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,762
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I'm a little worried...but can't figure out what to do.
I booked FF tickets to Italy and they were reserved under the name on her FF account, Marje. Her passport says Marjorie.
The airline said that they can't resissue the ticket because it would mean canelling her FF ticket first and the gettign a new FF ticket...but there isn't another award ticket available.
We contacted the passport office and without a legal name change..they won't do anything.
I think all we can do is hope....unless anyone here has an idea.
I booked FF tickets to Italy and they were reserved under the name on her FF account, Marje. Her passport says Marjorie.
The airline said that they can't resissue the ticket because it would mean canelling her FF ticket first and the gettign a new FF ticket...but there isn't another award ticket available.
We contacted the passport office and without a legal name change..they won't do anything.
I think all we can do is hope....unless anyone here has an idea.

