Unacceptable - AA charges $150 to change last name on ticket after marriage
Jul 12, 2010, 11:36 am
#91
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In defense of the OP, the agent initiated the change without first notifying the OP that she would incur a $150 fee. If the fee was mentioned upfront, I'm sure the OP would have chosen to travel with her maiden name and we would all have been denied an opportunity to grandstand. Not mentioning the fee prior to initiating the transaction is simply poor customer service regardless of whether the agent was following policy or not and left the OP with a negative customer service experience.
I'm sure the OP will be conveying this story to her circle of friends/family/colleagues and this is how reputations are built and opinions formed.
Not every change or re-issue of a ticket comes with a $150 change fee, and expecting the customer to knows all of the intricacies of the fare rules is not a credible defense when none of the airlines offer a list of clear concise fare rules.
Lastly, I don't think it is our place to judge why it was important for the OP to have her name changed on her ticket. She got married, wanted to start her new life with her new name, so be it.
I'm sure the OP will be conveying this story to her circle of friends/family/colleagues and this is how reputations are built and opinions formed.
Not every change or re-issue of a ticket comes with a $150 change fee, and expecting the customer to knows all of the intricacies of the fare rules is not a credible defense when none of the airlines offer a list of clear concise fare rules.
Lastly, I don't think it is our place to judge why it was important for the OP to have her name changed on her ticket. She got married, wanted to start her new life with her new name, so be it.
AA always has the complete fare rules available before you buy any ticket online. You just click the fare rules link. The "the intricacies of the fare rules is not a credible defense when none of the airlines offer a list of clear concise fare rules" is an exageration.
The whole thread seems to boil down to " I what what I want, the way I want it, and I do not want to pay for it".
The only fault I can see here with AA is the Agent should have mentioned the fee upfront.
Jul 12, 2010, 12:36 pm
#92
Join Date: Mar 2006
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Anyway, I think it isn't important why the OP wanted the name changed. However what is important is the timing, the reasons for the timing, and their sense of outrage. The OP has never returned to this 6 page thread so we never had the opportunity to actually have some questions answered.
Jul 12, 2010, 12:49 pm
#93
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At the risk of seeming judgmental, I find this to be a good post.
Jul 12, 2010, 1:20 pm
#95
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We bought tickets 8-10 months out for international travel. In the meantime the spouse became a US citizen (unlike a wedding, this is something applicants have close to zero control over the timing) and changed her last name in conjunction with this. Therefore the US passport is issued in new name.
Seems to me the AApologizers haven't considered international travel requirements...particularly foreign agents comparing the passport with ticket name while in the foreign country trying to return to the US.
Seems to me the AApologizers haven't considered international travel requirements...particularly foreign agents comparing the passport with ticket name while in the foreign country trying to return to the US.
Present the gov't ID (ex: the old non-US passport) with the last name the ticket was booked under when checking in and when passing through security checkpoint.
At immigration, feel free to present the US passport. Many people travel with multiple travel documents, including passports from 2 countries.
Jul 12, 2010, 1:24 pm
#96
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: CLL
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It took me three years after getting married to get my stuff changed! All the hassle and expense. It's discrimination against women, I tell ya!! 
Jul 12, 2010, 1:27 pm
#97
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This thread is not about the OP. Its about us FTers arguing with each other.
OP just gave us something new to argue about.
This means that there really is NO BIG AA news happenning.
Jul 12, 2010, 3:02 pm
#99
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Of course, he is more than worth it.
Jul 12, 2010, 4:27 pm
#100
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In this example, it is a clearly labeled cancelled (and by that point expired) passport. And then if that eludes the agent, when asked to show a visa to enter the US, whip out the US passport?
Again, my airline of choice didn't force me into making these types of silly choices, such as carrying cancelled passports. Feel free to keep defending the ridiculous, however.
Again, my airline of choice didn't force me into making these types of silly choices, such as carrying cancelled passports. Feel free to keep defending the ridiculous, however.
Jul 12, 2010, 5:17 pm
#101
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Just encountered this unacceptable fact with an AA phone agent when trying to change my last name on a ticket after a recent marriage. Of course I have identification in both my former name and last name, but I was not told until after the agent had changed my last name on the ticket that "please give me the confirmation code on my credit card." When I asked why, she said, "because the fee for changing your name is $150."
While I agree that logically, you're the same person, etc, and there shouldn't be a fee (and you might have been able to avoid one escalating to the right supervisor, as other people seem to have managed) ... this is an airline we're talking about.
Even pre-9/2001, they were being a pain in the ... about these things, and my wife waited until after the honeymoon to change her passport/frequent flier account etc because we were expecting problems with that. With today's ridiculous security climate, that's all the more predictable.
For that matter, since there's no ID check at the time of purchase, you COULD just buy the tickets under the new married name.
I know a guy who took his wife's name instead, and several couples who jointly hyphenated. While it's more common for women to change their name when getting married, a lot of states make it a real pain in the neck for guys to do so.
Jul 12, 2010, 5:23 pm
#102
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Jul 12, 2010, 6:33 pm
#103
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Cheers.
Jul 12, 2010, 7:29 pm
#104
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 423
Not simples. Using a canceled passport isn't much of an option. It's no longer valid to get into the country. And presenting a marriage certificate in English to a border agent who may not speak or read English - or at least may not speak or read it well - is just confusing. The last thing you want to do when traveling to a foreign country is create an issue for the border agents to over-scrutinize everything.
I really don't get AA's issue here. A legal name change is a legal name change. If the TSA's systems require full legal names be used, AA can't charge for complying with a legal requirement.
People do get divorced and remarry.
I really don't get AA's issue here. A legal name change is a legal name change. If the TSA's systems require full legal names be used, AA can't charge for complying with a legal requirement.
Originally Posted by Happy
From having a wife in the previous marriage based on a thread started in July 2008 to a member of a marriage, starting a thread complaining about change fee on "his" name changed due to recent marriage in July 2010...
It is quite interesting to say the least...
It is quite interesting to say the least...
Jul 12, 2010, 8:12 pm
#105
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Posts: 699
To everyone hoping on this wagon:
Everyone in this camp has been citing that the OP should have been aware of this, that the fare rules are 'clearly posted' when purchasing the tickets, the OP is a poor planner, that he should stop whining etc.
First of all the fare rules are not 'clearly' laid out and users are provided only as a single link of two small words of text buried in more than six screens to purchase tickets and are among literally dozens of other links. If you actually find the fare rules link it is multiple pages of walls of text suitable for a lawyer who also knows AA fare classes. Upon reading these, some of you might be surprised that the fare rules state nothing regarding a name change and only speaks of 'ticketed flight changes'. If I am the same person, traveling on the same flight, on the same day, in the same plane, common sense would lead me to believe that this is not a 'change'. I would consider changing seats to be more of a 'change' to an itinerary than a name. Note, I am considering this from a layman's point of view and not an FTer who knows more about the program than most employees.
Lastly has anyone actually looked this policy up on AA.com? I looked around aa.com and found three pages regarding name changes.
http://www.aa.com/i18n/agency/bookin...name%20changes
http://www.aa.com/i18n/agency/Bookin...p&locale=es_ES
http://www.aa.com/i18n/utility/nameC...tle=namechange
None of the pages make any mention of a fee. Anyone reading "Legitimate changes to a passenger's name will be accommodated." would certainly think they could update the ticket without penalty. The fact that the page indicates you can even make the request via email also seems to indicate there is no fee. What are they going to do? Charge the credit card without your authorization?
That turned out a lot longer than I anticipated....
Changing a ticket costs $150, marriage has nothing to do with it. Ticket change fees are clearly posted on aa.com and in the ticketing rules. If you bought a full fare ticket you could have had it refunded and bought it with the new name.
I do not see what the issue is. AA told you in the ticketing rules that changes were $150. You wanted a change it costs $150.
I do not see what the issue is. AA told you in the ticketing rules that changes were $150. You wanted a change it costs $150.
First of all the fare rules are not 'clearly' laid out and users are provided only as a single link of two small words of text buried in more than six screens to purchase tickets and are among literally dozens of other links. If you actually find the fare rules link it is multiple pages of walls of text suitable for a lawyer who also knows AA fare classes. Upon reading these, some of you might be surprised that the fare rules state nothing regarding a name change and only speaks of 'ticketed flight changes'. If I am the same person, traveling on the same flight, on the same day, in the same plane, common sense would lead me to believe that this is not a 'change'. I would consider changing seats to be more of a 'change' to an itinerary than a name. Note, I am considering this from a layman's point of view and not an FTer who knows more about the program than most employees.
Lastly has anyone actually looked this policy up on AA.com? I looked around aa.com and found three pages regarding name changes.
http://www.aa.com/i18n/agency/bookin...name%20changes
What to do when a ticket for flights solely on American Airlines has been issued in the passenger's married/divorced name and that name does not match the name on their travel documents.
In this case the passenger will be allowed to travel on that ticket provided they present a copy of their marriage license/divorce certificate at the American Airlines check-in desk on the day of departure.
In this case the passenger will be allowed to travel on that ticket provided they present a copy of their marriage license/divorce certificate at the American Airlines check-in desk on the day of departure.
For marketed and operated flights by American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection:
* Legitimate changes to a passenger's name will be accommodated. The agent will need to call AA Sales Support to complete the name change and retain the inventory. Legitimate name changes include spelling changes, changes to last names due to marriage or divorce and changes to prefixes (for example, Mr. to Dr.).
* Legitimate changes to a passenger's name will be accommodated. The agent will need to call AA Sales Support to complete the name change and retain the inventory. Legitimate name changes include spelling changes, changes to last names due to marriage or divorce and changes to prefixes (for example, Mr. to Dr.).
Examples of name corrections/changes managed via email* or by calling AAdvantage Customer Service at 1-800-882-8880 and asking for AAdvantage Accounts.
- Change to a last name*
- Reversed first and last names (e.g. Dickens Charles and should be Charles Dickens)
- Adding or changing a prefix (Mrs. to Ms.; Mr. to Dr.)
- Adding or changing a suffix (John Jones, Sr. to John Jones, MD)
- Changing a hyphenated name to any of its variations
- Any additional updates to first and/or middle name following the one-time change made via the My Account section of AA.com (legal documentation may be required)
* Changes to last name without documentation are allowed for instances of marriage or divorce. AAdvantage members who request a last name change for any other reason will be required to submit written legal documentation.
- Change to a last name*
- Reversed first and last names (e.g. Dickens Charles and should be Charles Dickens)
- Adding or changing a prefix (Mrs. to Ms.; Mr. to Dr.)
- Adding or changing a suffix (John Jones, Sr. to John Jones, MD)
- Changing a hyphenated name to any of its variations
- Any additional updates to first and/or middle name following the one-time change made via the My Account section of AA.com (legal documentation may be required)
* Changes to last name without documentation are allowed for instances of marriage or divorce. AAdvantage members who request a last name change for any other reason will be required to submit written legal documentation.
That turned out a lot longer than I anticipated....
Last edited by sica4; Jul 13, 2010 at 5:59 am