Air New Zealand Air Points - Ticket Says "Mr." But Should Be "Ms." - Any Concerns?

Name is otherwise correct, but must have chosen wrong on drop down box when ticketing so says "Mr." instead of "Ms." Is this anything that I should be concerned about?

As long as the name is correct I wouldn't worry.

I concur - AirPoints rep advised specifically that it isn't a problem. (They'd wrongly assumed the gender of one of of the passengers when booking over the phone.)

Name is otherwise correct, but must have chosen wrong on drop down box when ticketing so says "Mr." instead of "Ms." Is this anything that I should be concerned about?

You're absolutely fine, if for piece of mind you want it changed, call the airline and they'll do it in a matter of seconds and will re-send confirmation for you, otherwise, you're good. ^

You're absolutely fine, if for piece of mind you want it changed, call the airline and they'll do it in a matter of seconds and will re-send confirmation for you, otherwise, you're good. ^

Be careful, it depends on where you are going and who you talk to. I had a similar issue when my Frequent Flyer booked me as Andy instead of Andrew. I was almost refused at check in/customs because the name did not match the passport. When I contacted the airline they told me they could not change the name after I had started travel. If you go to somewhere paranoid like the US you may have the misfortune to meet a jobsworth and that could be end of trip!

My take on this ...

Your ticket name and passport must (should) match exactly (so Andy and Andrew are not the same, that becomes a problem).

However, passports do not have titles in them as they are not part of your legal name (as per birth certificate, marriage/civil union licence for those that change your name). In fact, Im guessing you can you can call yourself Mr or Ms or Mrs whenever it takes your fancy. So this should be no problem.

In any case if there was an easy way to correct it I would, I am all for avoiding potential (even if remote) hassles.

My take on this ...

Your ticket name and passport must (should) match exactly (so Andy and Andrew are not the same, that becomes a problem).



Interesting. Our corporate TA issues e-tickets with first name, middle initial, and title as one word. So if my name is Dr Fred A Smith, the ticket is issued to Smith, Fredadr. I have no idea why they do this, and it causes problems when adding my flights to my AP account. Seems not to be a problem when travelling.

I'll send a query off to the TA and ask why.

Titles don't really matter at all. I was in a particularly funny mood one day and when booking a domestic NZ flight and decided to put my title as Judge (I know, I know...). This was in the days of no SSCI and I don't think the airport employees even looked at it.

Certainly not a problem domestically, as there is no formal verification (ie ID check) that the passenger is actually the person named on the boarding pass. It might be possible that the gate agent notices an obvious gender naming 'mismatch' ie a male named Rebecca ...

Cheers, TK

This happened to me on a flight from BHX to KRK.
I didn't know whether to be relieved that it made no difference, or insulted
that no-one queried it. (both, actually!). Was tempted to ask, "Is it the hair?"
The funny thing was that I had booked under the title DR, which when
translated by this particular airline, given the choice MR or MS, automatically chose MR.

Im guessing you can you can call yourself Mr or Ms or Mrs whenever it takes your fancy

Just be careful calling yourself Captain though, they don't like that, I'm told. :D

Certainly not a problem domestically, as there is no formal verification (ie ID check) that the passenger is actually the person named on the boarding pass. It might be possible that the gate agent notices an obvious gender naming 'mismatch' ie a male named Rebecca ...

Cheers, TK

Gosh, don't tell Johnny Cash's friend - 'a boy name Sue'

Be careful, it depends on where you are going and who you talk to. I had a similar issue when my Frequent Flyer booked me as Andy instead of Andrew. I was almost refused at check in/customs because the name did not match the passport. When I contacted the airline they told me they could not change the name after I had started travel. If you go to somewhere paranoid like the US you may have the misfortune to meet a jobsworth and that could be end of trip!

The latter part of your comment is correct, but your example is a little different, that's actually name related, so yes, checkin can refuse boarding when the name is not as on the passport.
For a title, it is not an issue.

Just be careful calling yourself Captain though, they don't like that, I'm told. :D

Similarly, the academic 'doctors' need to think about whether they wished to be called upon inflight to attend a medical emergency when entering their details...!

Similarly, the academic 'doctors' need to think about whether they wished to be called upon inflight to attend a medical emergency when entering their details...!

FA's generally just PA for a person with medical training rather than singling someone out based on their title...i'd say in the past a few people with Dr titles were left red faced after being asked by an FA to assist based on being a Dr.

Similarly, the academic 'doctors' need to think about whether they wished to be called upon inflight to attend a medical emergency when entering their details...!

I will be able to try that one out soon

FA's generally just PA for a person with medical training rather than singling someone out based on their title...i'd say in the past a few people with Dr titles were left red faced after being asked by an FA to assist based on being a Dr.
My ex-CEO was a trained medical doctor, but hadn't practiced for many years. Always had Dr on his boarding pass. Did get tapped on the shoulder on one long-haul, maybe 8 years ago. Luckily, there was a practising doctor who knew what to do and my ex-CEO happily stood in the background and made encouraging comments! I suspect the last thing he wanted was to be asked to do something well outside his knowledge and current skills.

Similarly, the academic 'doctors' need to think about whether they wished to be called upon inflight to attend a medical emergency when entering their details...!I think this is the under the urban myth's category.

Unfortunately we can't restrict the use of the word doctor to doctors in the true sense of the word.

I think this is the under the urban myth's category.

Unfortunately we can't restrict the use of the word doctor to doctors in the true sense of the word.

Staff always ask if you are a medical doctor in my experience before requesting your help

I think this is the under the urban myth's category.

Unfortunately we can't restrict the use of the word doctor to doctors in the true sense of the word.

and who is a 'true' doctor?

there was a recent interesting exchange about this in the NZ Medical Journal

I am all for tighter 'control' over use of the title - only those who have it by profession (ie a doctor) and those with a doctoral degree

dentists, most chiropractors etc I think are fraudulent if they use 'Dr' - they are neither doctor by profession or have a doctoral degree

sorry, getting a wee bit away from flying here

OT

From a web discussion ... I guess it all comes down to definition (current or otherwise !

Here is the information from "The Oxford English Dictionary" [OED] -- the "bible" of the etymological world:

The earliest use of "doctor" in WRITTEN English was in 1303, but the term applied to "doctors of the Church," meaning "learned men in the scriptures."

It was not until 1377 that it was used in the sense of "medical doctor," or one who treats illnesses or diseases.

[a. OF. doctor (-ur, -our, -eur), ad. L. doctor, -rem teacher, agent-n. from docre to teach.]

The entry from the OED above traces the word's origin -- from the Old French "doctor" from the Latin "doctor," meaning "teacher." And that noun came from the verb "docre" which meant "to teach."

Here are the earliest entries in WRITTEN English from the OED:

6. a. spec. A doctor of medicine; in popular current use, applied to any medical practitioner. Also, a wizard or medicine-man in a primitive tribe.

[1377 LANGL. P. Pl. B. XVIII. 362 e bitternesse at ow hast browe brouke it i-seluen, at art doctour of deth, drynke at ow madest! c1386 CHAUCER Prol. 411 Wi vs ere was a Doctur of Phesike.] c1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 73 Of rasis auicen & galion & of oere doctouris. 1598 SHAKES. Merry W. III. i. 106 Shall I loose my Doctor? No: hee giues me the Potions and the Motions. 1699 DRYDEN Ep. to J. Driden 71 So liv'd our Sires, ere doctors learn'd to kill. 1725 DE FOE Voy. round World (1840) 182 Our doctors themselves (so we call the surgeons at sea). 1783 AINSWORTH Lat. Dict. (Morell) II, Veterinarius, a farrier, a horse doctor. 1858 Compendium of Kaffir Laws & Customs 123 Doctors are not entitled to fees, except a cure is performed, or the patient relieved. 1872 GEO. ELIOT Middlem. xv, A common country doctor. 1884 GILMOUR Mongols 180 They apply to the missionary in his capacity of doctor..and..want him only in so far as he is a doctor.

NOTE: The OED uses only the first references to WRITTEN English. Of course, the word would have been spoken for many years before it was finally written down. The ORAL language almost ALWAYS precedes the WRITTEN version.


# (v. t.) To confer a doctorate upon; to make a doctor.
# (v. i.) To practice physic.
# (v. t.) To treat as a physician does; to apply remedies to; to repair; as, to doctor a sick man or a broken cart.
# (n.) A teacher; one skilled in a profession, or branch of knowledge learned man. I guess this could include non-medical professions
# (n.) An academical title, originally meaning a men so well versed in his department as to be qualified to teach it. Hence: One who has taken the highest degree conferred by a university or college, or has received a diploma of the highest degree; as, a doctor of divinity, of law, of medicine, of music, or of philosophy. Such diplomas may confer an honorary title only.
# (n.) Any mechanical contrivance intended to remedy a difficulty or serve some purpose in an exigency; as, the doctor of a calico-printing machine, which is a knife to remove superfluous coloring matter; the doctor, or auxiliary engine, called also donkey engine.
# (v. t.) To tamper with and arrange for one's own purposes; to falsify; to adulterate; as, to doctor election returns; to doctor whisky.
# (n.) The friar skate.
# (n.) One duly licensed to practice medicine; a member of the medical profession; a physician.