ZeppoX

I think you are right -- I am stuck with AA's interpretation.
Which might explain why they so easily changed by ticket.

I'm still hoping some one with legal knowledge will state whether the OP's old DL is valid as ID any more. That speaks to whether the ticket change is a choice or a requirement.
And whether Secure Flight gets informed of changes in legal name.

The fact remains, AA does define circumstances under which changes do not require fee, and you'd think circumstances in which the passenger has no choice would be on that list. I remain to be convinced that we have a case here of bad policy by the airline, rather than a case of bad implementation.

oklAAhoma

Fwiw, as has already been noted several times in this thread, the OP was NOT without a choice in this case.

chicaloca453

This is the post I agree with most on this forum. OP mentioned she had ID with both names. With that being the case, just travel with the maiden name ID.

The fee would be the same had you booked online and misspelled your name. And it likely would have been the same if you booked on the phone and the agent misspelled your name or inverted your name or made any type of mistake regarding name to where it did not match your ID (unless you could dig up the call recording as proof that it was agent error alone). Name change = reissue. Reissue = $150 fee. This is a fee that is not even waived for the highest elites.

I'm really curious as to why the OP did not originally book the ticket in her married name had she known she would be married at the time of travel. Was it an issue that she was unsure if she would have proper ID with the married name or was it a matter of just not thinking ahead? If it wasn't a big issue at time of booking, why should it be at the time of travel? I'm not judging the OP for wanting to use her married name. Marriage is a big and exciting deal, and being called by your new married name is I'm sure a great thing for a lot of women. Still, who cares what the airline or TSA calls you as long as you can board the plane and save yourself $150?

mvoight

Name changes on a reservation have a fee.
Since a name change on this reservation is NOT required, why should AA not charge a fee for it? It's an option. Nobody is forcing the person to change the name on the ticket and I doubt AA forced her to book with the wrong name. Why must the airline be the scapegoat for passenger errors?

TR7_DFW

My opinion, which counts for nothing, is is that most travelers impression regarding a policy depends on how it fits their current situation. Since AA wouldn't change their policy, it obviously had to be wrong. (sarcasm hat on)

Weenie

I didn't finish reading the whole thread but I agree. I had the same situation, but my new wife's passport had her old maiden name.

That said, I found AA customer support changed my wife's AA account to my last name with no problem since her address was also my address.

On a side note, we were in a flight from DFW=MIA in F and when the flight attendants found out we were on a honeymoon, they announced it to the entire flight and everyone starting congratulating us. AA flight crew won serious props for that.

alhcfp

It may not be an error. We are short some facts, so lets assume following scenario: It is a honeymoon, couple just married!

But as many AA backers say- she should have bought ticket in married name.
OK- wedding cancelled- he left her at alter. Now she needs a refund credit.
SORRY- voucher is in married name. Now she can't use it.

NOW-= Wedding HAPPENED. Ladies and Gentlemen, we preset Mr and Mrs Smith. She has wanted to be Mrs Smith since she was 7 yrs old. Now- on her honeymoon, in F, FA calls her Miss Jones. She cries I'm Mrs Smith, see my ring. FA says, "Honey, you should have changed your ticket" Miss Jones: "They wanted to charge me $150." FA- figures, only a grinch would charge a bride to change her name!!!

Mark_T

Agreed.

I'm filing this complaint along with the 'How do we get upgrades - we are on our honeymoon' threads and other expectations of special treatment for no good reason.

So many of these start from a basis of poor planning/research then are exacerbated by an expectation that established rules and procedures should be waived to suit their lack of planning/knowledge.

There was no need to change the name in this case and nothing wrong with charging for the process if the customer required it.

ZeppoX

Yes, it is clear that the OP had choices before buying the ticket and before executing the legal change of name.

After doing those, it is not clear that the OP has a choice remaining.

I'm asking -- is it legal to use the old ID, or has it become a false ID?

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

Setting aside the issue of whether its right or not, if the OP had documentation with both names why just not use the documenation with her maiden name and save the $150 and the hassle of a long phone call. Really, why do people make life so difficult.

Not everything in life can be to our perfect liking.

swag

It may not apply to the OP, but there are plenty of people who buy airline tickets 10 or 11 months out. And there are women who get married after engagements that are only a few months long. It's certainly conceivable that someone may buy a ticket long before they have any idea that they will be married by the time the flight happens.

thedoorchick

I'm interested in the answer to this myself. However, the answer may be purely for argument's sake. If someone is traveling with ID that matches the name on the ticket, I assume the TSA would not have reason to question the validity of the ID or much of a way to determine if it was in fact valid.

Again, probably not applicable to the OP, who states ID is on hand in both names. But presumably someone who has just married, but not "officially" changed names (however one defines that - I would define it as having changed it on one's SS card), can travel on the old ID as the name change is not official yet. I traveled in my maiden name on my honeymoon, not having changed everything over yet. Though I called myself Mrs. Marriedname, I did not do so to airline officials - as far as they and my ID were concerned, my name was still Ms. Maidenname.

In other words, my driver's license in my maiden name was, in my mind, a valid and legal ID, regardless of what name I chose to call myself since the wedding was over and done.

gardener

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...ill-sched.html

In 2008 this person (who has made all of 8 posts since joining) claimed he had a wife. Now he is changing his name because of marriage and <complaining> about a change fee.

<unnecessary>

Plato90s

I would also think it took more time/effort to call AA to change the name on the ticket instead of just bringing the old ID. There must be many other items like credit cards, health insurance cards, etc... which all carry the maiden name pending replacement.As long as the ID in question wasn't fraudulently obtained, it's not a "false ID". Just because it contains outdated information (re: last name) doesn't make it a false ID.

Pretty sure someone is on firm legal ground holding on to an old ID with the maiden name.

teemuflyer

Totally agree. Just started reading a book by Fred Reichheld called "The Ultimate Question- Driving Good Profits and True Growth", which clearly articulates the importance of rooting out "bad", short-term "profits", i.e. the $150 change fee, and focusing like crazy on building loyalty and thus creating "Net Promoters" of the company. AA should want to have a core group of customers be avid promoters (recommending AA to friends, family and business acquaintances) but being backed by top notch customer friendly behavior by AA in ALL instances. The good profits will follow...