Strange question but...

If your passport said Joseph James Smith and your ticket read James Smith, do you think you'd be allowed to board an international flight?

I'm taking a group of students to Europe Monday. Despite my repeated instructions on matching ticket names to passport names, this kid registered as James Smith but passport says Joseph James Smith. The airline can't change it because it was booked through the tour company and the tour company said they are going to charge a ton to change it.

What would you do??

I work for an airline whose principal language does not use the Roman alphabet, and we sometimes get 5 variations for the same name. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the name on your ticket, as everything on your ticket is also on your passport.

Hi C,

Check with the airline.

Specifically, will they let Joseph James Smith board a flight on a ticket assigned to James Smith?

If the answer is "no", then JJ's parents will have to fork up the money, or JJ can't go.

This is NOT your problem, it is his.

Otherwise, enjoy your trip.

I did call United - the lady I spoke with said she couldn't be 100% because she couldn't speak for immigration in the EU but she felt it would most likely be ok especially since he is traveling as part of a group and since he has other ID as well that has his middle name.

I use my middle name and have never had an issue with people getting confused. I think as long as the middle name is also on his passport he should be fine. Unfortunately, though, it probably depends upon the gate agent and if that person is a jerk...

I just called Lufthansa since we have a flight with them as well - the lady there said it had to be his first name on the ticket even though his passport has all 3 names - guess he's out of luck

Between this and the 2 passports we are still missing for our Monday departure, I think I may go crazy. Please remind me NEVER to be the group leader for a student trip again!!!

At least I'll be on the plane

Poor Carolina, if only he had followed instructions! I had a set of tickets with transposed names (courtesy of the issuer) and although I made all my flights, there was a wait and a scamble at each junction.

How much is the tour company going to charge to change it? "A ton" sounds high.

They are working on it right now - why it takes hours is beyond me - but the first estimate was $500. They are telling me they actually have to cancel one leg of the trip and rebook completely new tickets??

This is why I would always book my own travel as I can't stand to rely on others to "fix" things.

I'm a bit surprised that they airline can't rewrite the ticket at the check-in. They re-write hundreds of tickets to reflect seat changes, etc. IMO the people to worry about are the airline: if they recognize the traveler as the person on the ticket, customs and immigration won't care: their concern is the passport.

My tickets usually say "Tom" even though my passport says Thomas. Hasn't kept me off a flight. And for ten years I traveled with a passport which said my year of birth was 951. Only a thousand years off. Only once did anyone ask about it and they didn't keep me off the flight. Not to say you should go by me, but ... call Lufthansa again, don't tell them what you've been told, and see if they give the same answer.

I think I will try Lufthansa again unless the tour company comes back with a reasonable fee to change the ticket.

The airlines wouldn't let me request a change since the tour company booked it. Maybe that's why they won't reissue at check in??

One would think it would be the passport that matters and since that's correct...oh well, at least it isn't my decision to have to make.

There ya go! That attitude will help you through the whole trip. Have a great time.

Joseph James Jingleheimer Smith, his name is my name too........

>One would think it would be the passport that matters and since that's correct..<

Joseph James Smith might be standing at the counter with his passport, but the ticket was issued to James Smith. Where is he?

PS, the travel agency is shafting you.

Who is paying the $500?

Looking around online and found this directory from Alitalia to TRAVEL AGENTS:

<<Important Booking Procedure Advisory!

Dear Travel Partner:

To avoid unnecessary penalties and inconveniences to our passengers, we emphasize the following:

Prior to creating bookings, followed by issuance of tickets, please be sure to match all passengers’ names to the names shown on their respective passports.
Name on booking, name on ticket, and name on passport must be identical.
Please note that if an error is made and the name on the booking/ticket is different from that of the passport, all fare rules and penalties apply to the issued tickets.
Unfortunately, there are no name changes permitted, no waivers granted, and no exceptions to rules allowed.
Disservice to the passenger:
Westbound returning passengers will be required to purchase new tickets at Alitalia’s Airport Ticket Counters in Italy **correctly**, as tickets cannot be accepted with name discrepancies.

Disservice to the Airlines:
Airlines are subject to fines of $5,000.00 per passenger if the name does not match the passport as submitted through the APIS (Advanced Passenger Information System).

Thank you for your proper handling of our clients' travel documents! >>


Most other advice on boards is the same. An agent for EasyJet advised that possibly a call to the airline will get them to put a note on the booking and then allow travel.

From the Alitalia notice, it sounds as if actually CHANGING the name on the ticket is the same as changing the ticket in any way: the penalty applies, just as if you were changing the date on it. It sounds like JJ's folks may have to pay the fee - but I'd sure encourage them to get that fee down to the actual amount being charged by the airlines. And to stress that an entire group is on board. The agency should try to do this with as little cost as possible to the group, IMO - but if they're jumping through hoops to get it done quickly and efficiently, a reasonable charge over the airline fees can't be argued with.

Then when JJ gets home he'll have to mow some extra lawns to pay back mom and dad.

Just go and be done with it. I have taken students overseas before and, unfortunately, their parents are so stupid and can't follow directions of issuing the tickets exacty as the passport says. Parents need a license to breed but that's a different topic.
At any rate, the last time I took a group of animals overseas, one of the idiot parents had the ticket issued under his nick name followed by his formal last name. I told the parents that they must get it changed and then go slap each other for making such a stupid mistake. The parents refused to change the ticket and so I told the parents he coudn't go on the trip... that plain and simple. Either correct the ticket or keep your stupid kid at home...I didn't want him to go anyway. Eventually, the parents gave in and had the ticket reissued. The cost was minimal $200 and they ended up getting a refund voucher to use on a future trip because the cost of the ticket had actually gone down since initial purchase. It was fine.

I wouldn't stress over it, it's not your problem.

Like poor James Smith, I also use my middle name (thanks to my dad who filled out the birth certificate and thus won the argument over which order my names would be in).
Despite Scott not being my first name, it's NEVER caused any problems other than occasionally having to explain that I don't use my first name - it's not all that uncommon (ie writer F. Scott Fitzgerald - probably had tickets issued as Scott Fitzgerald, not Francis Fitzgerald).

Well, the end result was the kid paid about $550 for the ticket change - oddly, they changed his return flights completely. By the way, names have been changed to protect the not so innocent!

Thank you for reminding me that this was not my fault - my husband has been doing so all day. I must admit I'm a bit of a control freak and therefore felt rather responsible even though it wasn't my fault in the least.

And one rouge passport has surfaced. Only one more to go and we will be all set. At least I've got a good group of kids (even if this one made a rather large mistake), so the trip itself should be just fine. Best to get the bad stuff out of the way before we go

Edited because this stress has killed my already limited spelling abilities. Clearly the passport is rogue not rouge!

My husband was not able to board a January flight to Norway because the travel agent issues the ticket for "Jim" and his passport name is "James" - Delta refused to issue a boarding pass, I think. He had to buy a new ticket at the walk-up rate. It was a business trip, so the original tickets weren't discount.

After the trip he wrote LOTS of letters, and I know he was credited back with the cost of one of the tickets. It was a huge pain and he was totally furious about the whole thing.