Problems with flight: Wrong name

Darragh Murphy · Jan 3, 13, 4:27 am

Hello,

I booked a flight with Budgetair.ie on monday for my sister and put the wrong name in (name used is different than on passport but similar)

Budgetair say there is nothing they can do about it as it has 2 legs (shannon to heathrow and then to vancouver) that are ran by different airlines.

What the said they can do is add a note to the BA system saying that the name in the passport doesn't match the ticket name but she said it may still not allow her to fly.

Surely this has happened before and there is some way that it can be changed? When we rang BA they would not talk to us as we used an agent to book.

It just seems a bit ridiculous that there is so way it can be changed, even for a fee.

I know it is my fault for making the mistake but come on?

I guess what I would like to know is has anyone else come across this? Has anyone had a memo put on there ticket in the BA system with a different name and allowed to fly?

Thanks for any help you can give.

magyaar · Jan 3, 13, 4:30 am

How similar is 'similar'? Is it an obvious spelling mistake or a completely different name?

Darragh Murphy · Jan 3, 13, 4:32 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by magyaar

How similar is 'similar'? Is it an obvious spelling mistake or a completely different name?

name used day to day: Debbie
Name on passport: Deborah

Different names as you can see but there really should be some sort of facility for this kind of mistake as it was genuine.

Short Final · Jan 3, 13, 4:40 am

I think they may well be correct.

I believe BA can only change stuff if the ticket was issued by BA (i.e. ticket number starting 125) with a BA PNR on it.

I believe this is a technical limitation of the way GDS systems work rather than a BA corporate policy.

Don't know what Canada are like, I guess at least you can be grateful you're not flying into the US.

corporate-wage-slave · Jan 3, 13, 4:40 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darragh Murphy

What the said they can do is add a note to the BA system saying that the name in the passport doesn't match the ticket name but she said it may still not allow her to fly.

Surely this has happened before and there is some way that it can be changed? When we rang BA they would not talk to us as we used an agent to book.

Welcome Darragh Murphy, and greetings to you. I hope you continue to post in the BAEC forum, and that you make the most of this bit of the internet. I would point out that if your real name is close to your screen name then you may want to think about changing one (or the other!).

I have 3 nationalities (blame my parents, nothing to do with me) and my passport spelling is slightly different on all of them. I fly on a 4th compromise spelling and I have not had a problem, even to the US. However all 4 spellings are very close to each other and can easily identify me.

So if she is down as Debbie on your ticket, and Deborah on the passport, you would probably get away with it unnoticed (obiously my name is different, but I have a male variant of this). I actually think having a note on your PNR probably doesn't help to be honest, it's like inviting trouble, but that's just my view. I'd speculate the surname is more of an issue than the first name(s).

Also it is definitely the case that if the spelling is just a few letters out then you won't have a problem. (E.g. Stephen rather than Steven).

magyaar · Jan 3, 13, 4:45 am

I have a name which is easily misspelled and have frequently been ticketed with spelling mistakes. The general rule of thumb that I have been told is that two spelling mistakes is fine, and I would have thought that since Debbie is a very common version of Deborah then she has a good chance.

The main problem I see is that it's hard to know whether you'll be OK until you actually fly. You you try calling BA at LHR since it's their decision. She should be able to fly from Shannon to LHR without a passport anyway.

Does she have any other Photo ID with Debbie on it? Can't hurt to have as much as possible with her.

Short Final · Jan 3, 13, 4:52 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by magyaar

You you try calling BA at LHR since it's their decision.

Why "at LHR" ? That sort of thing is going to be a company policy. Just call the normal customer service (or BAEC if you're a member).

darthlemsip · Jan 3, 13, 4:54 am

My given name in my passport is Joseph, but I use Joe as day to day name - I've had air travel booked under Joe and never had a problem (though never to NA admittedly)

Darragh Murphy · Jan 3, 13, 5:05 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Short Final

Don't know what Canada are like, I guess at least you can be grateful you're not flying into the US.

Yeah at least we have SOME chance. If it was the US we would be SOL I fear!

Quote:

Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave

Welcome Darragh Murphy, and greetings to you. I hope you continue to post in the BAEC forum, and that you make the most of this bit of the internet. I would point out that if your real name is close to your screen name then you may want to think about changing one (or the other!).

I have 3 nationalities (blame my parents, nothing to do with me) and my passport spelling is slightly different on all of them. I fly on a 4th compromise spelling and I have not had a problem, even to the US. However all 4 spellings are very close to each other and can easily identify me.

So if she is down as Debbie on your ticket, and Deborah on the passport, you would probably get away with it unnoticed (obiously my name is different, but I have a male variant of this). I actually think having a note on your PNR probably doesn't help to be honest, it's like inviting trouble, but that's just my view. I'd speculate the surname is more of an issue than the first name(s).

Also it is definitely the case that if the spelling is just a few letters out then you won't have a problem. (E.g. Stephen rather than Steven).

Thanks so much for your welcome! It's great to hear you are ok with your name different on your passport and ticket!

Quote:

Originally Posted by magyaar

Does she have any other Photo ID with Debbie on it? Can't hurt to have as much as possible with her.

She has her student ID. I doubt it would suffice though?

Quote:

Originally Posted by darthlemsip

My given name in my passport is Joseph, but I use Joe as day to day name - I've had air travel booked under Joe and never had a problem (though never to NA admittedly)

Thanks for that. Giving a little bit of hope with these posts

itsmeitisss · Jan 3, 13, 5:11 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darragh Murphy

Yeah at least we have SOME chance. If it was the US we would be SOL I fear!

Thanks so much for your welcome! It's great to hear you are ok with your name different on your passport and ticket!

She has her student ID. I doubt it would suffice though?

Thanks for that. Giving a little bit of hope with these posts

A colleague of mine has been booked under his middle name (as he known by all who know him) whereas his actual first name is something different. He had to fight to get his BAEC points credited but had no issue getting on to flights.

As Debbie is such a well known version of Deborah, I don't think she will have any issues.

stevemack · Jan 3, 13, 5:49 am

I wouldn't worry about it either, I've had Steve used instead of Stephen before, the surname is more important I would say!

Often1 · Jan 3, 13, 6:02 am

Let me echo what others say. Having a note in the PNR is actually inviting trouble. If, as a policy matter (linked to both problems with US admittance & fraud) BA won't fly her without matching names, nothing in the PNR will fix that. On the other hand, given that people tend not to look at minor issues such as the use of a diminutive, why call attention?

It's water under the bridge for OP, but after a number of our people have been delayed at check-in, at various immigration facilities and the like, we've had our travel people do an actual match of passport name to our traveler database, right down to commas and the like. That doesn't work for the average individual, but it does point to the importance of double-checking this stuff before booking. For a 10-second pause, you avoid days of worry.

Darragh Murphy · Jan 3, 13, 6:41 am

Thanks all for the helpful advice and hope.

I think we will chance it.

Correct me if I am wrong but since it is a connecting flight SNN-LHR-YVR do you think once we get past SNN and arrive in LHR we don't need to check in again do we? We are just shuttled to the terminal?

It's been about 5 years since I have done a connection so correct me if I am off base.

corporate-wage-slave · Jan 3, 13, 6:45 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darragh Murphy

Correct me if I am wrong but since it is a connecting flight SNN-LHR-YVR do you think once we get past SNN and arrive in LHR we don't need to check in again do we? We are just shuttled to the terminal?

You should get your boarding pass either online or in Shannon. When you arrive in Terminal 5, off your SNN flight and bus transfer, there is a visual check of your boarding pass and a quick scan of the passport by BA staff just as you enter the T5 building (Flight Connections). This is done for ESTA / APIS reasons. Then this is repeated at the gate just before boarding. In your shoes I'd check-on online. Any luggage won't need rechecking if it is one ticketed booking.

shorthauldad · Jan 3, 13, 6:58 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave

You should get your boarding pass either online or in Shannon. When you arrive in Terminal 5, off your SNN flight and bus transfer, there is a visual check of your boarding pass and a quick scan of the passport by BA staff just as you enter the T5 building (Flight Connections). This is done for ESTA / APIS reasons. Then this is repeated at the gate just before boarding. In your shoes I'd check-on online. Any luggage won't need rechecking if it is one ticketed booking.

Good advice from c-w-s re: getting your BP ahead of arriving at LHR.

IMHO, once you are at LHR in transit it would take a serious paperwork/booking discrepancy for any BA staff member to make the decision to off-load you (and your luggage). It's much easier to turn pax away before check-in than once they (and their luggage) are "in the system".