Hello and welcome to FT. This might not be so bad after all, since sometimes names are shortened as not all carriers have enough room to accommodate them. As for T&C being criminal, well, that's a whole different topic. For future reference, when booking tickets, it is clearly worded that names must match the name on the ID card of the traveler, there is a reason for that. A Joe will not board a plane using a ticket for Sue. Simple and straight forward. With all the news about airport security and such, I'm surprised that people still make this honest mistake. I would certainly suggest that the traveling couple give themselves extra time while going to the airport, as they may have some explaining to do. The cost of fixing this error is most likely a new ticket.