Booking Flight While Undergoing Legal Name Change
Mar 17, 2019, 6:16 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 26
Booking Flight While Undergoing Legal Name Change
Hi all,
Just wanted some advice cause I was trying to find a solution online but have come across mixed answers. Girlfriend is due to fly a couple different flights booked on one itinerary through AC (YVR - YYZ May 2019, YYZ - ICN August 2019, ICN - YVR September 2019). She is going through the process of a legal name change, but it came across to us that she would have to update her Canadian Passport, Nexus and Citizenship documents as well which could take months to complete.
Does anyone know if Air Canada will be able to change the name on an international itinerary given a legal name change certificate? If not, would the best thing to do be using the old passport and going through with the processing of the name change? Would there be any customs issues entering ICN? Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!
Just wanted some advice cause I was trying to find a solution online but have come across mixed answers. Girlfriend is due to fly a couple different flights booked on one itinerary through AC (YVR - YYZ May 2019, YYZ - ICN August 2019, ICN - YVR September 2019). She is going through the process of a legal name change, but it came across to us that she would have to update her Canadian Passport, Nexus and Citizenship documents as well which could take months to complete.
Does anyone know if Air Canada will be able to change the name on an international itinerary given a legal name change certificate? If not, would the best thing to do be using the old passport and going through with the processing of the name change? Would there be any customs issues entering ICN? Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!
Mar 17, 2019, 6:26 pm
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
Hi all,
Just wanted some advice cause I was trying to find a solution online but have come across mixed answers. Girlfriend is due to fly a couple different flights booked on one itinerary through AC (YVR - YYZ May 2019, YYZ - ICN August 2019, ICN - YVR September 2019). She is going through the process of a legal name change, but it came across to us that she would have to update her Canadian Passport, Nexus and Citizenship documents as well which could take months to complete.
Does anyone know if Air Canada will be able to change the name on an international itinerary given a legal name change certificate? If not, would the best thing to do be using the old passport and going through with the processing of the name change? Would there be any customs issues entering ICN? Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!
Just wanted some advice cause I was trying to find a solution online but have come across mixed answers. Girlfriend is due to fly a couple different flights booked on one itinerary through AC (YVR - YYZ May 2019, YYZ - ICN August 2019, ICN - YVR September 2019). She is going through the process of a legal name change, but it came across to us that she would have to update her Canadian Passport, Nexus and Citizenship documents as well which could take months to complete.
Does anyone know if Air Canada will be able to change the name on an international itinerary given a legal name change certificate? If not, would the best thing to do be using the old passport and going through with the processing of the name change? Would there be any customs issues entering ICN? Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!
If AC changed her name on the itinerary, then her BPs would not match any of her ID
As for name changes, I assume both of you knew that changing one's name means changing every single piece of legal ID - passport, Nexus (and these guys are quite serious about it), license etc?
Mar 17, 2019, 7:03 pm
#3
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, FB Plat, WS Plat, BA Silver, DL GM, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,759
Has the ticket already been booked, and what is the status of the name change?
It would be advisable to book the ticket entirely in one name and do the name change before or after.
Your timeline of "months" seems pessimistic. My wife changed her name after we got married and I think it took less than 6 weeks to get new passport, NEXUS, etc, although I'm not sure whether there's another nationality at play here when you refer to "citizenship documents" that could complicate it.
She did ask AC beforehand whether they could do a name change on an existing ticket for someone who changed their name and they said yes, with appropriate documentation. But ultimately she decided it was easier to do everything afterwards (we left for our honeymoon four days after the wedding, so it would have been stupidly tight to get everything done).
It would be advisable to book the ticket entirely in one name and do the name change before or after.
Your timeline of "months" seems pessimistic. My wife changed her name after we got married and I think it took less than 6 weeks to get new passport, NEXUS, etc, although I'm not sure whether there's another nationality at play here when you refer to "citizenship documents" that could complicate it.
She did ask AC beforehand whether they could do a name change on an existing ticket for someone who changed their name and they said yes, with appropriate documentation. But ultimately she decided it was easier to do everything afterwards (we left for our honeymoon four days after the wedding, so it would have been stupidly tight to get everything done).
Mar 17, 2019, 7:21 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 26
If AC changed her name on the itinerary, then her BPs would not match any of her ID
As for name changes, I assume both of you knew that changing one's name means changing every single piece of legal ID - passport, Nexus (and these guys are quite serious about it), license etc?
As for name changes, I assume both of you knew that changing one's name means changing every single piece of legal ID - passport, Nexus (and these guys are quite serious about it), license etc?
Has the ticket already been booked, and what is the status of the name change?
It would be advisable to book the ticket entirely in one name and do the name change before or after.
Your timeline of "months" seems pessimistic. My wife changed her name after we got married and I think it took less than 6 weeks to get new passport, NEXUS, etc, although I'm not sure whether there's another nationality at play here when you refer to "citizenship documents" that could complicate it.
She did ask AC beforehand whether they could do a name change on an existing ticket for someone who changed their name and they said yes, with appropriate documentation. But ultimately she decided it was easier to do everything afterwards (we left for our honeymoon four days after the wedding, so it would have been stupidly tight to get everything done).
It would be advisable to book the ticket entirely in one name and do the name change before or after.
Your timeline of "months" seems pessimistic. My wife changed her name after we got married and I think it took less than 6 weeks to get new passport, NEXUS, etc, although I'm not sure whether there's another nationality at play here when you refer to "citizenship documents" that could complicate it.
She did ask AC beforehand whether they could do a name change on an existing ticket for someone who changed their name and they said yes, with appropriate documentation. But ultimately she decided it was easier to do everything afterwards (we left for our honeymoon four days after the wedding, so it would have been stupidly tight to get everything done).
Mar 18, 2019, 9:24 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 13,573
If the flight is booked in the old name, and the passport is in the old name, I would travel on the current passport, under the old name, and do the document changes once the itinerary is complete. Provided the passport and ticket match, there shouldn't be an issue. I don't know how NEXUS works, but imagine it is linked to the passport? People get married (and change their name) all the time, but travel on their maiden name until they complete document updates.
Mar 18, 2019, 9:58 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Programs: BA GGL, FPC Plat, HH Diamond, IHG Amb
Posts: 3,372
Book in the legal name as it is at the time of booking. When the legal change of name comes through there will be documentation to demonstrate the name change (it varies by province but is typically a certificate of change of name), present this with up to date identification to travel if there has not been an opportunity to reticket in the new legal name before departure.