Originally Posted by MSPeconomist

I usually call other carriers to get the PNR. Using different websites tends to require that you know their conventions on exactly how names are listed. Some drop the middle name, some just have the initial, some have both first and middle names with or without caps, etc., and getting it wrong leads to a message that they cannot find your flights. I've almost given up on trying DIY first as this tends to cause me to panic when it doesn't work.