I booked a trip for my family via Orbitz with Cathay Pacific (from SFO->HKG round trip) and during the reservation screen it was not clear to me the middle name was required since it was not asterisk, so I forgot to include the middle name for all of us. Would we not be able to board the plane because of this? I spoke with Cathay Pacific and they said because my tickets are not transferable and not refundable, they cannot do anything, other than to rebook my ticket which will be more than double what I already paid. I'm quite stressed out on this, can anyone let me know if they had similar problem recently and what was their outcome? Thanks in advance!

It'll be fine. Matching first & surnames are what really counts. Check-in agents can add info to the secure flight section if they feel it is necessary.

I too was worried about this. However, there was no issue when I checked in to my flight from LAX last month with no middle name on the booking. It wasn't even mentioned.

You will be fine

This becomes rather controversial if you have a two-part Chinese first name and dealing with an ethnic Chinese check-in agent.

So for CHAN, TAI MAN most westerners see "TAI" as the first name and "MAN" as the middle name. So a ticket with CHAN/TAI would be acceptable if the agent is not Chinese (at an out port).

However, if you get one of those over zealous Chinese check-in in HKG, they will deny you boarding as they would consider "TAI MAN" to be the first name and that you are missing the first part of your name. This is akin to "Michael" buying a ticket that shows as "Mike", or "Robert" as "Bob" in the western world.

If your first name is non-Chinese (eg. Robert, John, Donald, Mary, Pierre, Sanjay, Miguel etc.) and you have a middle name, the check-in agents will not bat an eye even if the middle name is missing and still let you fly.

I have an non-Chinese name, and I have never used my middle name for flight bookings (despite it being stated in my passport) - I have never experienced any issues, neither with CX.

Sometimes the check-in agent adds my middle name on the boarding pass but that happens very rarely.

There is no issue; rest assured that you will get on the flights.

Nobody (at the airport) cares about middle names, you'll be fine.

unless u fly Ryanair, where you likely be denied boarding or charged some outrageous amount to undergo a name change at the checkin. Never flew with these clowns again after that... and u are neither! ;-)

Thank you all for your responses, I'm relieved to know that we will be fine.

In actual fact booking with Qatar Airways there is only a field for first name and last name.

I've never flown Ryanair and never will, but I know plenty of people who've successfully managed to fly without including their middle name(s).