Answers to two things:

1) The airline that CHARGES for name changes is Singapre Airlines.

I was told:

$10USD or 1,000 miles taken right out of your FFP!

What a crock!
Do THEY get married? I guess not!

2) LightingGuy:
my wife is Dutch. It's hard enough trying to get them spell out both our names, then the US immigration is aweful and treats her like a terrorist or something, AND, this name thing is no good--hypen or no.

Oddly, when I GOT the UAL ticket receipt, it dropped a whole bunch of letters so I wonder what they will say when we actually fly?

I think they are just trying to make us jump thru hoops and then once there, it is not so bad. But that stinks too and turns me off.