Pwrzecio

Hi,

Not sure if I am over-precautious or if I have reasons to worry...

My wife and I are traveling to the US in one month.
I didn't pay attention on the name I wrote for her ticket when I bought her AF ticket today, but I am now worrying there could be a problem.

Basically, my wife's names are:
Maiden Name: A
Married Name: B

Here are the names mentioned:
On her ESTA application: A B
On her passport: A ep. B (the 'ep.' is the usual way how it appears in French passports for maiden and married names)
On her flight ticket: B
On the additional informations requested by AirFrance for this flight to the US: B (I guess this is automatically filled from the name mentioned on the ticket ?)
On her Flying Blue Card: B (not sure if this is relevant here, but...)

So my questions: should I worry that her flight ticket is with B only, and not A B (as in the ESTA), or A ep B (as in her passport) ? Does it matter at all ?
And if this might create a big problem, any idea how I can sort this out?


Thanks in advance

orbitmic

I think she should be fine. I think if ESTA was A and ticket was B it could well be an issue but the fact that passport and ESTA mention both A and B most probably makes it fine to use either on the ticket.

irishguy28

If it were any other country, I'd probably not be so worried, but you're travelling to the USA where they take these kind of things seriously. Passenger names will be checked off against ESTA applications and passport details - so there is a very clear possibility of some kind of mismatch/error being flagged up here (the loss of an entire surname is, perhaps, not something the computer will just shrug its shoulders at). You really should be making sure that everything matches at every step of the way.

The airlines always specify that you should enter all passenger names exactly as shown on the passport. This is definitely a case where I would be testing Air France's name change policy and/or 24-hour cancellation policy (to rebook again).

irishguy28

That's a separate issue again.

If the surname on the ticket does not fully match with the surname on the Flying Blue card, then miles will most likely not be credited at all.

If your wife wants both names on her passport, then I would recommend that you always buy travel tickets using both names, and I would get the Flying Blue account details updated.

Concerto

I had an ESTA issue because I always used my 3rd forename on tickets etc. whereas my ESTA reflected, as it should, my given forename. Never a problem all my life until this security sickness evolved, although on flights to the US I always managed to wing it once staff saw my passport. But it became increasingly tricky with the airlines, although an American agent is always present at check in for US flights and okayed it. Given in my case there was a true name difference, I did the right thing to alter my FF profiles to reflect my true first name (only airline which won't cooperate is Iberia).

Of course, irishguy28 is quite right, you should try and make sure everything matches and he is right to say it probably wouldn't be an issue anywhere else in the world. I suspect you would probably be ok this time, but you might not be able to check in online. In the worst case you could just quickly do another ESTA at the airport, but since the name is on both it will probably pass as acceptable.

jsfr

I have flown a few times to the US with Mrs Fr (actually B ep. Fr) and the setup has always been exactly as you have above.

Ticket - Fr
FB card - Fr
Passport - B ep. Fr
ESTA - B ep. Fr

The only difference is that for the AF additional information (which you can still change) we have always entered B ep. Fr - in fact I think they update that at checkin anyway by swiping the passport and taking the digital information.

Never had a problem as I think they are all aware of the occasional incrongruity with married women...

brunos

Like all married French people, the passport includes both the maiden name and the married name. This is NOT a problem. The US is very used to this situation.

I have been married for a few decades and my wife never had a problem entering the US under the exact situation you describe. She has done it hundred of times. Same in any other countries including China.

Actually passports from many countries list several last names (such as maiden names and married names) while airline tickets are booked under ONE of the names.

Pwrzecio

Hi all,

Thanks for your feedback and experiences.

We are now back from our trip.
I can confirm that we didn't have any problems with the specific case I have described.

Calchas

So maybe you had problems with another case that you didn't describe?

But thanks for updating us, it is good to find out the final answers when people ask questions, it will help other folks in the future. ^

orbitmic

Thanks indeed for updating ^

bodory

My wife has B ep. A on her passport and B+A on her FB account. Everytime her corporate TA books an AF ticket for her, it is under the sole B name and everytime the miles post appropriately.

Sorry for the semi-OT.