Name on Passport VS Airline Ticket
 

Hello!

I am flying from the Chicago to Toronto, then transferring planes to go to Ethiopia and then transferring in Ethiopia to Dubai (Final destination). Then when I leave from Dubai, I will go to Cairo Egypt, then Austria (where I will leave the airport to spend the night) and then come back through the airport and then from there fly back to Chicago.

Anyway, so I booked my flights with my full first name, middle initial and last name....... Here is my concerns.

I am using a fake name here, obviously. But it should show the example.

My passport reads Johnathan Baker Fields -- being my first, middle and last.

My reservation I made under Johnathan B. Fields -- I didn't write out my FULL middle name, just the initial

My tickets read this: JohnathanB Fields so now it looks like there is a B on the end of my name.

Should this be of any worry? Seriously answers only, please. It's EXTREMELY expensive, if I actually need to change my name, to do it.


Thanks,

It’s fine. No one will bat an eyelid. Remember that some people have only a single name, others have five or more. No one really cares about middle names.

All airlines do that. They concatenate the first and middle names, or the first name and the middle initial if you only use the middle initial. Assume my name Sam David Anderson. I have had reservations list my name as SAMDAVID ANDERSON. I have also had reservations list my name as SAMD ANDERSON. In both cases I have not had an issue.

My name has been messed up much worse than that. The worst was on an international trip that included departures from the U.S., Japan, India (three departures, two domestic and one international) and Singapore. It was never an issue.

It is IATA standard to use two name field: FIRST NAME + MIDDLE NAME followed by LAST NAME. Thus, if your name is JONATHAN BAKER FIELDS, your ticket will read JONATHANB FIELDS or JONATHANBANKER FIELDS. In fact, in your case, the field length is probably exceeded and thus, the first & middle names are concatenated and then shortened.

If you used a title, you will even see the title concatenated and your ticket will then read JONATHANBMR BAKER or JONATHANB BAKERMR.

You don't have an issue.

It's perfectly fine to leave out the middle name altogether.

While that is fine for some, for those with access to a US trusted traveler program such as GE or Pre-Check (included in GE), an exact name match to the official identification document, e.g. passport, increases the likelihood of selection for expedited security screening. When there is an exact name match, passengers ought to experience close to a 100% selection rate.

It is certainly true that as a matter of convenience, one ought to book air tickets as First Name + Last Name and omit a title and any other names, if one plans on doing this and has one of the above TTP's, one ought to have one's passport and drivers license as well as TTP program information updated to the same.

Generally speaking, I avoid middle name, because I just don't have (or it's my patronymic one)... I don't know. Generally speaking, wherever on web, I fulfil only the necessary ones (with *).

Thoughts on Passport name being Melissa J Britton but the airline ticket showing Melissa Jo Angelina Britton? (not a real persons name changed it for privacy)

Unlikely to cause any issues at check-in.

Next time use the names stated in your passport.

I once had an issue with a check in agent at HND because instead of my full name as shown on my passport I was only using my first and last name as I always have done over the years (also to match my FFP)

She was insisting it was wrong and wanted to refuse check-in called supervisor and he said it wasn't an issue