Middle Name... Again
Nov 20, 2018, 4:42 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 4
Middle Name... Again
Hi, I’ll be flying with CX for the first time shortly to HK and a few days later to China and did not specify my western/arabic middle name at booking even though it is in the passport. I’ve traveled like this all my life and never had an issue. Now, When checking in online and providing API, the system warned me that the information is inconsistent upon which I dropped the middle name also for API.
Do you foresee any issue or would you re-enter the middle name for API and living with the inconcsistency? I want to minimize risk of any issues.
thx for your help.
Do you foresee any issue or would you re-enter the middle name for API and living with the inconcsistency? I want to minimize risk of any issues.
thx for your help.
Nov 20, 2018, 7:29 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: DC
Posts: 189
I got the same thing with a flight tonight. For me, it was an AA award reservation and it shows my middle name on the AA site.
I put in my middle name for the passport when doing the OLCI for CX with the same error. We will see...
I put in my middle name for the passport when doing the OLCI for CX with the same error. We will see...
Nov 20, 2018, 8:55 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 4
Nov 20, 2018, 4:41 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,674
This is an interesting one. For most of my life I have travelled without using my middle name. However, my corporate travel agent insists on using it as they say it will cause problems with immigration.
Either way, I have never had any trouble with immigration in various, N America, European, African, Middle Eastern, Asian countries through which I have passed through immigration. The only continent I can't speak for is South America (and Antarctica).
Would be interested to hear if others have had experiences that contradict mine.
Either way, I have never had any trouble with immigration in various, N America, European, African, Middle Eastern, Asian countries through which I have passed through immigration. The only continent I can't speak for is South America (and Antarctica).
Would be interested to hear if others have had experiences that contradict mine.
Nov 20, 2018, 6:07 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QR GLD; Bonvoy LT TIT
Posts: 12,744
There's a very simple rule to follow which will eliminate this and all similar problems permanently. Your ticket name should match your passport. Not to pick on you, x3posse, but why would you knowingly and intentionally omit your middle name from your ticket when you know that it's in your passport? Don't you see that as just asking for trouble?
Nov 20, 2018, 6:35 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 4
There's a very simple rule to follow which will eliminate this and all similar problems permanently. Your ticket name should match your passport. Not to pick on you, x3posse, but why would you knowingly and intentionally omit your middle name from your ticket when you know that it's in your passport? Don't you see that as just asking for trouble?
I was probably in a hurry when booking this flight and did not see a middle name field and hence omitted it. Had I known it might be an issue I would def have specified it.
Nov 21, 2018, 3:36 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QR GLD; Bonvoy LT TIT
Posts: 12,744
I believe that there are a couple of airline systems without middle name fields. I've used them by putting my first and middle names together, either "FIRSTMIDDLE" or "FIRST MIDDLE". My middle name is in my passport. That seems to work.
Nov 21, 2018, 3:42 am
#8
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: HKG
Programs: BA(GGL) QF LTS CX AM, Hilton Diamond, PPL(A)
Posts: 1,654
i personally dont feel there is a need to put your full name in the ticket
airlines systems are crap
they cant capture
william arthur horatius sextus lewis williams properly
airlines systems are crap
they cant capture
william arthur horatius sextus lewis williams properly
Nov 21, 2018, 7:47 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QR GLD; Bonvoy LT TIT
Posts: 12,744
Nov 22, 2018, 6:49 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX Diamond (OW Emerald), former SQ Krisflyer Gold
Posts: 2,527
No issues with middle name. I don't use mine.
Yes, CX online check in complains of name mismatch, it doesn't matter, it still works fine anyway and nobody has ever complained.
Yes, CX online check in complains of name mismatch, it doesn't matter, it still works fine anyway and nobody has ever complained.
Nov 22, 2018, 9:22 pm
#13
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Singapore
Programs: HHonors Diamond; A3 *Nothing ; BA Exec. Club Gold
Posts: 1,688
Generally a western middle name does not have an issue, however the names in Chinese language generally are 3 names and if you miss one it can be a serious problem.
My partner has a mix of a western and Chinese name showing in the passport as <last name> <2nd name> <Western name> so when the ticket showed John Yip he check in agent had to refer it back to the manager under the threat of not allowing him to travel and told us it would be an issue in the future. (we have been flying for years and it never was an issue). We changed the BAEC member name to exactly what it is in the passport to avoid these nonsensical discussions. So now it is Yip Ji John.
Sometimes middle name is not always such a simple issue. Especially with Asian airlines. Even though this time it was on BA, In Singapore and my partner made it to silver without ever experiencing the issue before.
Globalist
My partner has a mix of a western and Chinese name showing in the passport as <last name> <2nd name> <Western name> so when the ticket showed John Yip he check in agent had to refer it back to the manager under the threat of not allowing him to travel and told us it would be an issue in the future. (we have been flying for years and it never was an issue). We changed the BAEC member name to exactly what it is in the passport to avoid these nonsensical discussions. So now it is Yip Ji John.
Sometimes middle name is not always such a simple issue. Especially with Asian airlines. Even though this time it was on BA, In Singapore and my partner made it to silver without ever experiencing the issue before.
Globalist
Last edited by Globalist; Nov 22, 2018 at 9:27 pm
Nov 25, 2018, 8:22 pm
#15
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Seat 1A
Programs: Non-status paid F/J (best value for $$$)
Posts: 4,124
As long as you are not travelling to/from Mainland China using a Home Return Permit or to/from Taiwan using a Taiwan travel permit, then you'll have no problems.
When travelling to/from Mainland China or to/from Taiwan and using the above mentioned documents, you need to make sure that the English equivalent of all the Chinese characters on your travel document is reflected on your ticket.
If one of these components is missing, then your "Chinese name" is not complete.
No need to worry about missing a middle name if you are not using a HKSAR, Macau SAR, ROC or PRC travel document where there is a Chinese character equivalent to your name.
When travelling to/from Mainland China or to/from Taiwan and using the above mentioned documents, you need to make sure that the English equivalent of all the Chinese characters on your travel document is reflected on your ticket.
If one of these components is missing, then your "Chinese name" is not complete.
No need to worry about missing a middle name if you are not using a HKSAR, Macau SAR, ROC or PRC travel document where there is a Chinese character equivalent to your name.