Name correction saga (Expedia)
Mar 13, 2018, 1:55 pm
#31
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Gloucestershire
Programs: BA Gold (ex-GGL, maybe future Silver), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,198
As another data point, if I can end up being anything from DMR JONES, DAVIDMR JONES, DAVID OWEN JONES, MRDAVID OWEN JONES or anything else, despite entering the details correctly.
It happens. Not an issue for an infant, I know, but tier points and avios even post correctly - and if those systems don't fall over, no one will bat an eyelid at checkin or passport control.
It happens. Not an issue for an infant, I know, but tier points and avios even post correctly - and if those systems don't fall over, no one will bat an eyelid at checkin or passport control.
Mar 13, 2018, 2:56 pm
#32
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Bridport, Dorset
Programs: Mucci, BA Bronze, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,129
I like Expedia in many respects (variety of hotels, flight combinations etc.) but after sales service is appalling. I only use them now when it’s simple AND money saving.
Mar 13, 2018, 3:40 pm
#33
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: London
Posts: 3,500
This seems like an interface issue, not an Expedia error. They might not offer John Lewis levels of service (to say the least!), but in this instance they seem to have responded to the OP five times to confirm the details are OK, and re-sent the booking information FOC. They will have lost money on this transaction due to the number of customer interactions.
Mar 13, 2018, 3:46 pm
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
I believe that this, too, is conventional: as far back as I can remember, the format JONES/DAVIDMR has been routinely used for Mr David Jones.
Mar 13, 2018, 4:12 pm
#35
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: All over the place often South Wales and Lake District
Programs: BA Gold for Life Accor Platinum
Posts: 4,552
My tickets to Seoul are done by a Korean travel agent, and my names are regularly in the wrong order. It has never ever in 70+ sectors caused any issues whatsoever. It's easy to see why the Korean TA does this as Koreans always put their surname first followed by their given names with salutation after. EG: Kim, Jeong-UnMr.
OP - get to the airport in good time (which of course you will anyway) and ahead of that see if Expedia are prepared to put their money where their mouth is. Ask them to put into writing that if there is a problem with the infant's ticket, that they then have issue a new ticket at their cost. If they don't want to assume this risk, which is a result of their error, then they need to sort this out themselves.
OP - get to the airport in good time (which of course you will anyway) and ahead of that see if Expedia are prepared to put their money where their mouth is. Ask them to put into writing that if there is a problem with the infant's ticket, that they then have issue a new ticket at their cost. If they don't want to assume this risk, which is a result of their error, then they need to sort this out themselves.
Mar 13, 2018, 5:14 pm
#36
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: London
Programs: Honors Diamond
Posts: 71
The name will be fine.
Get to the airport in good time, go to check in, if there is a problem then they send you to the ticket desk and they can name change the little one (the call center will say it has to be the agent that does it, but the airport ticket desk can name change the booking 100%!)
If I’m honest, when it comes to infants, it’s usually difficult in the check in system to tell what the infants name is actually supposed to be!! It has gotten better with FLY (new system) but certainly in the old system, most the time the infant name just appeared as INF [family name of person baby is attached to on booking] so was rarely right!
The contact center will say it needs to be corrected etc because they want as little ticketing done at the airport done as possible.... so they want it sorted pre airport so will push you to get it done with the agent.
Name changes at the airport is a common thing, people often book under nicknames or incorrect spelling of names (which is only a problem when going to the US, most other places we allow up to 2 letters wrong before requiring a change), people who have gotten married and so the passport name doesn’t match the booking...
The worst that it will be is you may get changed a fee of £40 for the airport doing the name change. Which in sure you could reclaim from Expedia.
Get to the airport in good time, go to check in, if there is a problem then they send you to the ticket desk and they can name change the little one (the call center will say it has to be the agent that does it, but the airport ticket desk can name change the booking 100%!)
If I’m honest, when it comes to infants, it’s usually difficult in the check in system to tell what the infants name is actually supposed to be!! It has gotten better with FLY (new system) but certainly in the old system, most the time the infant name just appeared as INF [family name of person baby is attached to on booking] so was rarely right!
The contact center will say it needs to be corrected etc because they want as little ticketing done at the airport done as possible.... so they want it sorted pre airport so will push you to get it done with the agent.
Name changes at the airport is a common thing, people often book under nicknames or incorrect spelling of names (which is only a problem when going to the US, most other places we allow up to 2 letters wrong before requiring a change), people who have gotten married and so the passport name doesn’t match the booking...
The worst that it will be is you may get changed a fee of £40 for the airport doing the name change. Which in sure you could reclaim from Expedia.
Mar 13, 2018, 5:29 pm
#37
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: London
Programs: Honors Diamond
Posts: 71
The entry we use into Amadeus to input customer name is NM1JONES/DAVID MR which is how it is required to be by Amadeus.
Mar 13, 2018, 5:49 pm
#38
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Atlanta Metro
Programs: DL , AC, BA, Hhonors Diamond, IH Platinum, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,354
My boarding passes for DL regularly print out with my first and middle names smashed together as if they're one name. (And no capital on the middle name, either.). Only once has security questioned it.
Mar 14, 2018, 12:38 am
#39
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: UK
Programs: BA Blue, IC Spire Ambassador
Posts: 5,228
If all of the names are there I think it'll be fine. What I'd do now is print off the emails from expedia confirming it's been fixed and just check in as normal. Don't even suggest there is a problem until if / when somebody raises it. BA will gain 'control' of this booking from Expedia (I believe) 24 hours prior to departure, so IF anyone raises it they can amend it at a ticket desk. In circumstances when it's clear you're not trying to pull a fast one (ie you booked for infant 1 but are now trying to travel with infant 2) and have the interactions from Expedia confirming it's fixed, I think it would be a harsh agent who refuses this.
Note as well it is BA's policy to allow name changes of 3 characters or less free of charge. I fhink the aim here though is typo corrections rather than sorting out the order or conjucation of letters so I don't see why this couldn't be sorted at the airport if needed.
Note as well it is BA's policy to allow name changes of 3 characters or less free of charge. I fhink the aim here though is typo corrections rather than sorting out the order or conjucation of letters so I don't see why this couldn't be sorted at the airport if needed.
https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/traveltrade/bookings-policies/changes/name-corrections
Mar 14, 2018, 1:54 am
#41
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: LON
Programs: BA Gold, LH SEN , A3*G & others less exciting that don't fit in my wallet
Posts: 1,657
Mar 14, 2018, 3:34 am
#42
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: The North
Posts: 1,844
Can't comment on whether the name mistake will be an issue or not, but can vouch for using Twitter to resolve issues.
A number of years back a colleague organised Unaccompanied Minor status with well known European airline (not BA) for their young teenage daughter, returning from a South American country to visit her grandparents. For some reason some paperwork wasn't completed properly, and she wasn't allowed to embark. She was abandoned by the airline's representatives at the airport with no guidance or help. Luckily the grandparents had remained at the airport and were able to pick her up, but the airline insisted the 'next available' flight was more than a week later - unless the child was willing to stump up several thousand euros for a business class fare that day. A swift public tweet tagging the airline later, highlighting the unacceptability of leaving a 13-year-old at an airport on the other side of the world when UM status had been arranged and the failure of paperwork was due to the airline's neglect, and all was magically resolved…
A number of years back a colleague organised Unaccompanied Minor status with well known European airline (not BA) for their young teenage daughter, returning from a South American country to visit her grandparents. For some reason some paperwork wasn't completed properly, and she wasn't allowed to embark. She was abandoned by the airline's representatives at the airport with no guidance or help. Luckily the grandparents had remained at the airport and were able to pick her up, but the airline insisted the 'next available' flight was more than a week later - unless the child was willing to stump up several thousand euros for a business class fare that day. A swift public tweet tagging the airline later, highlighting the unacceptability of leaving a 13-year-old at an airport on the other side of the world when UM status had been arranged and the failure of paperwork was due to the airline's neglect, and all was magically resolved…
Mar 14, 2018, 5:17 am
#43
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2016
Programs: BA Silver, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 174
Quick update - I've been assigned to a Priority Customer Escalations Agent based on the email to the senior management listed on ceoemail.com. Hopefully they sort it.
I know a few posters are saying the name won't be an issue, which it may or may not be. But this is the first time myself and my wife are travelling with our newborn son. Personally I'll prefer they fix his name to avoid issues on the outbound and inbound journey. It's something that really should be a 5 minute phone call and I don't think it's a tough ask for me to expect them to do it.
I know a few posters are saying the name won't be an issue, which it may or may not be. But this is the first time myself and my wife are travelling with our newborn son. Personally I'll prefer they fix his name to avoid issues on the outbound and inbound journey. It's something that really should be a 5 minute phone call and I don't think it's a tough ask for me to expect them to do it.
Mar 14, 2018, 5:26 am
#44
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: London
Posts: 3,500
Quick update - I've been assigned to a Priority Customer Escalations Agent based on the email to the senior management listed on ceoemail.com. Hopefully they sort it.
I know a few posters are saying the name won't be an issue, which it may or may not be. But this is the first time myself and my wife are travelling with our newborn son. Personally I'll prefer they fix his name to avoid issues on the outbound and inbound journey. It's something that really should be a 5 minute phone call and I don't think it's a tough ask for me to expect them to do it.
I know a few posters are saying the name won't be an issue, which it may or may not be. But this is the first time myself and my wife are travelling with our newborn son. Personally I'll prefer they fix his name to avoid issues on the outbound and inbound journey. It's something that really should be a 5 minute phone call and I don't think it's a tough ask for me to expect them to do it.
Mar 15, 2018, 6:36 am
#45
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2016
Programs: BA Silver, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 174
Ok, so Expedia have finally got to the bottom of the issue. But, I'm now confused. They have put the child on a different record locator.
So, from what I can see record locator ABCDEF (original without infant) has the three of us (myself, wife and baby but with incorrect name) and the second record locator XYZ123 has myself and the baby (correct name) but no wife.
Seeing as I can select a different seat on record locator XYZ123 for myself, it looks like they aren't linked. I assume BA would link these?
How do I know what seats we have booked as we want to sit together? Confused to say the least.
So, from what I can see record locator ABCDEF (original without infant) has the three of us (myself, wife and baby but with incorrect name) and the second record locator XYZ123 has myself and the baby (correct name) but no wife.
Seeing as I can select a different seat on record locator XYZ123 for myself, it looks like they aren't linked. I assume BA would link these?
How do I know what seats we have booked as we want to sit together? Confused to say the least.