eticket: lastname switched for middle name
Nov 28, 2011, 2:47 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 2
eticket: lastname switched for middle name
Hi there,
I bought a ticket for a friend with egyptair to New York. I have spend all my money on it, but after booking it on expedia i found out that i had used the first and middle name of my friend instead of firstname + lastname. This means that there is no spelling error, though i am worried about the missing lastname. All names are mentioned on his passport and he DOES have a visa to enter the USA (no ESTA visawaiverprogram).
Expedia just tells me to cancel the ticket and re-issue a new one, which means i basically lose the whole ticket fare price!!!! Egyptair is not really consistent with their answers since they first said it isnt any problem at all as long as his firstname and middle name are at least spelled correctly. A second person from Egyptair told me that he would not be allowed to travel if his ticket does not exactly match his passport...
By the way, is it true that for security purpose (including TSA) that the airline actually stores his personal information in another database than the information that is actually reflected on the eticket/boardingpass??
Could anyone help me and advise me what I should do? I dont want my friend to be stuck at the airport, but i cant really afford to pay for a whole new ticket! Please help me and thank you so very much for your response!!!
I bought a ticket for a friend with egyptair to New York. I have spend all my money on it, but after booking it on expedia i found out that i had used the first and middle name of my friend instead of firstname + lastname. This means that there is no spelling error, though i am worried about the missing lastname. All names are mentioned on his passport and he DOES have a visa to enter the USA (no ESTA visawaiverprogram).
Expedia just tells me to cancel the ticket and re-issue a new one, which means i basically lose the whole ticket fare price!!!! Egyptair is not really consistent with their answers since they first said it isnt any problem at all as long as his firstname and middle name are at least spelled correctly. A second person from Egyptair told me that he would not be allowed to travel if his ticket does not exactly match his passport...
By the way, is it true that for security purpose (including TSA) that the airline actually stores his personal information in another database than the information that is actually reflected on the eticket/boardingpass??
Could anyone help me and advise me what I should do? I dont want my friend to be stuck at the airport, but i cant really afford to pay for a whole new ticket! Please help me and thank you so very much for your response!!!
Nov 28, 2011, 8:56 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: YOW
Programs: AC SE, SPG Plat, FPC Plat, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 553
I had issues like this in the past and it was not a big deal since my name was stillr ather unique, however you never know with the US...plus if the pax name is generic like John Edward Smith. 
Nov 28, 2011, 11:42 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 2
hi thanks for your response!
i made the reservation via expedia in france and i dont think they have that 24hours refund policy here... plus i made the booking last friday and i called them like 10 minutes later but that annoying company was closed up to monday...
i hope they will just allow him to travel with just his first and middle name...
thanks!
i made the reservation via expedia in france and i dont think they have that 24hours refund policy here... plus i made the booking last friday and i called them like 10 minutes later but that annoying company was closed up to monday...
i hope they will just allow him to travel with just his first and middle name...
thanks!
Nov 29, 2011, 12:15 am
#5
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AS
Posts: 406
The rule is that everything must matched and that can be enforced at any point from airport security to the airline to customs. However, the rule and reality differ...
It's not unheard of for last names to get put before the middle name on forms and I'm fairly sure I've seen airlines do this intentionally in the past, although not on a ticket. However it's still violates the rule which means you have to decide how much risk you want to take -- push for a change / reissue and lose a few bucks or take a gamble.
It's not unheard of for last names to get put before the middle name on forms and I'm fairly sure I've seen airlines do this intentionally in the past, although not on a ticket. However it's still violates the rule which means you have to decide how much risk you want to take -- push for a change / reissue and lose a few bucks or take a gamble.
Nov 29, 2011, 6:13 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 13,573
I'd call expedia and the airline and see if the can make a change somehow. The US can be really strict about names, I've been summoned while in the airport (flying from a US airport) because my middle name wasn't on my ticket (but is on my passport). They told me it flagged as a non matching name - fortunately with a few minutes of my time and a sensible supervisor it was resolved, but I can only imagine the problems a 'different' last name would cause, especially trying to enter the US (I was leaving to a country that really doesn't seem to mind middle names at all!)