friend bought 2 tix- one for me and one for himself for a future flight we're on.

He used his "informal name" which, for some people, like many Asians I know, is common. But his passport would say something else--the full Asian first name he really goes by legally. The last name is the same, and so is everything else about him (address, etc).

He paid with the credit card of the Asian full name. Of course they had no problem taking the money. But he mistakenly entered his less-than-formal name and I think if this is REALLY a big deal, the airlines should make it a really big deal in the online screens where you enter names, etc! I mean, they can make such mistakes too but either way they shouldnt cost so much!

Now the airline is saying they have to completely RE-ISSUE and make him pay the new full amount!

Bogus. Maybe a fee, but the whole thing? Nahhhhhh...

Any tips, notices, standards, etc?

If he does fly, how would they credit the miles and who gets em? I know with Idine, names matter less: It's all by FF number. SO if he sets up an FF account and gives details that include both his full and his informal name, maybe as his middle name or something, would this not help?

thanks.
MM

I can give more details if nec.

The airlines DO make it a "big deal", and you'll find it detailed in the booking process, the ticket rules, and the fare basis - NO NAME CHANGES ARE ALLOWED.

The name must match the passport exactly. It's got a lot more strict since 9/11, but basically, your friend has no choice other than to buy a new ticket.

Sorry if that's not the news you wanted to hear, but there is no way an airline will allow a name change on a ticket at present.

... maybe you should have just bought the ticket for the right name to start with...?!?! (sorry if that seems like a flippant comment, but why on earth would you buy a ticket in a name that doesn't match your passport?!?!)

Call back and asked to talk to the manager. My friend once bought me a ticket using my familiar firstname, instead of the formal one in my passport. The first rep I talked to said I must re-issue. The manager later allowed me to pay $50 to change to my formal firstname, and move my familiar name as middle initials. I also carried tons of other documentations with me to the airport (like pay stub, work ID...etc) to prove that that's my familiar name. Just in case. Hope this will work for you.



[This message has been edited by adamak (edited 06-19-2003).]

It's their fault that they didn't get the info from the passport. Every agent makes me go through this. Try going to the airport on the day of departure. I don't think that they will make you pay at that time. However, they may, but you don't lose anything by trying it this way.

... maybe you should have just bought the ticket for the right name to start with...?!?! (sorry if that seems like a flippant comment, but why on earth would you buy a ticket in a name that doesn't match your passport?!?!)[/B][/QUOTE]

True, he should have done what we all take for granted--I mean, for us seasoned travelers it is a no brainer to have things match exactly. We could never imagine another way. In fact, when buying online, it is true that 99% of all transactions must match your credit card exactly as well--but not all. I even learned that with some e-commerce and tel-purchase systems, this matters not at all, but it is in place to make US THINK there is an extra level of security!

Anyway, like I think I said, he typed in what he always does--and what he basically goes by alllll the time. He is NOT a traveler and for him this is a first. HE knows how to use the net and that is where it was booked.

Now, many many people make many many transactions online like this every day, but dont you think that maybe the airlines (especially post 911) should make it REAL CLEAR in every way possible--even with BOLD and warnings that when you enter your name here, THIS MATTERS A TON?!?!?!?!??!

they do not.

Casually, as if to be like nearly every other online credit card or other transaction out there, we can just type in anything we want!

How many times have people AND yourself spelt yer own name wwwrong?>??? by typing in the coputer even whenn you are tryiiing to looka t waht you are doingk??!?!?!?

You see?
It is possible and for that I think its bull that we get charged for a typo or two no matter how it worked.

If he can prove there is no othere Harold Kim who he bough the ticket for (for example, if they think he bought it for another family member who is now tryin to not go) then that should help.

If he can proove that his reason for making the error is legit, that should help too.

WHy they worry so much over name stuff baffles me.

WHat if he only knows me as JEFF and yet, my real name is JEFFREY?? My passport says JEffrey Thomas (and then the last name).

SO.... what are we saying? I can never fly as JEFF?
Hmmm...

he actually has credit cards in both his long name and the other one. He used one and named the ticket the other. mistakes happen!

I have NEVER used my full name as it appears on my passport. I ALWAYS use my common/popular name, and I've never been charged extra, or had any problem at all. I have also misspelled the names of people I was booking tickets for since 9/11, & they also had no problem.

The airline is not at fault here, your friend is. If he is able to convince them to make the change without re-issuing the ticket, he should be very, very thankful.

As for this rule not being made clear enough ... sorry but it is. There is usually a reminder when you are booking that names cannot be changed after purchses. My guess is your friend was so anxious to buy the tickets at the discounted rate that he didn't even read the rules or pay attention to the instructions during the booking process.

He might be able to get a notarized affidavit that states that "Harold" is the same person. He should check with the airline and see if this would be acceptable.

------------------
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin

[This message has been edited by tazi (edited 06-19-2003).]

He booked online. It is not their fault, it is his fault for entering the wrong information. He has a lot to lose taking your advice. They very likely will not let him fly.



------------------
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin

Wow...Harsh crowd! Seems like more and more, the standard FT response is "You didn't pay full Y so I have no sympathy for you." You guys all stockholders or what?

If this is a case where your friend used a legit name, but one that doesn't exactly match the passport, then he should bring ID that has the ticketed name. If he can produce a couple forms of ID and a passport that clearly show him to be the correct passenger, he will be fine. This happened to my wife last year: ticketed in married name, passport in maiden name. We brought 2 driver's licenses and a copy of the marraige license, and the airlines were fine with it.

If your friend ticketed in a totally bogus name (like a nickname), then I have less sympathy. At that point, you probably either need to beg for a forgiving agent, or get your friend to acquire ID in that name to bring to the airport along with other ID. (I won't speculate how one would "acquire" that ID. I don't want to konw. )

I suspect this would depend on how obviously (in the perception of the checki-in agent) the name on the ticket was a shortening or familiar form of the name on the passport.

Mike / Michael or Dave / David you would probably get away with.

Dick / Richard or Bob / Robert is a bit less likely.

Sasha / Alexander (as it is in Russian) is fairly unlikely unless you are in Russia.

The Body Ventura (for Jesse Ventura) is a big no-no unless you are in Illinois

I think so much depends on the airline, the TSA at the airports you are flying to/from and if the itn is domestic or international that you must rely on the airlines information of what to do.

Personal opinions at different locations may do you no good at your airport and your airline on day of departure.

They MAY be able to do a reissue for $50 if the airline allows it or they MAY even do an even exchange for the name if it can be shown to be an honest error. Only the airline can tell you for sure.

Good luck.

no its not the airline's fault or the booking service he did this on, and yes, he did read rules but COULD have still missed things, as most humans tend to do on at least one occasion in their lives...

I told him to buy a bus ticket and go travel on the other name, which HAS been used by him since birth for many things, including the strange fact that he has been able to obtain a credit card with it! How, who knows, but he has great credit too and has several cards--one in one name and one in the other at least!

He has other docs and info and can get affidavits or stuff saying he is who he is.

Yes he booked it with this name. BUT, other than trying to find ways to bust one's balls just for making what is TOTALLY a clerical error, why else would the airline be sooooo against helping to resolve this one?

Security??? well, if he writes em and explains like EVERYTHING, and then brings a packet of everything about himself in both names, then the only reason they WOULDNT let him board would be to bust his balls. That, my friends, is NOT a rule... it is as corrupt as one gets.

I would hope the airline is less than corrupt here.

I think we will be ok. I told him to talk to the state about getting maybe an ID to say his other name on it. I told him to join the airline's FFp and make it so this name is in there somehow--like a middle name.

My wife had probs on United (hyphenated last name things) and she LEFT the USA to take a short trip to her home country of Holland on her old passort. She had no troubles once flying.

I think the rules are there because of security but also because they want to find ways to make money.

Ok, so maybe it all started because they dont want some terrorist to fly using a ticket in someone else's name. Maybe it's because you get to know who died in the crashes... Maybe it is to better match people with other needed stuff in the world. Or maybe it is so a person does not go buying tickets and then selling them to people with CLOSE enough names...

Who knows.

BUT the fact is that he simply typed in his own name wrong and that's that. yep, his mistake, but should it cost $600?

NO!

Get on a train or bus... go buy tickets, or something online. Do Idine, set up a phone service, charge something with your card at a store or sign a receipt.

Other than airlines, the hurting, ball busting business, no one else really cares!

911 you say?
Well, my dad was on one of the flights. The airline and soon after, all news agencies who picked up name listings later on listed him as ALEX and his first name was ALEXANDER.

Alex it is! No one wants to belive even my mother when she tries to change thier error in nearly everything we do! We hate hearing about everybody's 911 excuses anyway. Gimme a break! Airlines did mess that one up and now, WE have to pay for their new ways of administering things around it? NOPE!

Hmmm... I'm going to help him write the long letter and bring that stuff up./
I wonder what the NYC memorials will inscribe in the stone?

MM

BTW, it's Minnesota, not Illinois.

MM: I don't think the airlines are being corrupt. They see that they have your friend in a possible position of weakness, so they are seizing the opportunity to kick him in the teeth. It's that simple. They are in the business to make as much money as possible, not make friends. It's perfectly legal.

This has absolutely nothing to do with security, although the airlines like to hide behind that, don't they? Regardless of whether the airline makes your friend buy another ticket, he and his baggage still have to pass through the same security, immigration, and customs regimen that everyone else does.

If this was about security, they would simply change his name in the sytem and perhaps put him on the "special" list for a little bonus treatment from TSA at the airport.

But it's not: It's PURELY about the airline stepping on your friend's neck for a few extra bucks. Unfortunately, that's perfectly legal. You are left to try and "work the system" as best you can.