Passport name must match airline ticket

[waynel]

Gordon, thanks for Christi's site, I should have know about the prohibition. I'll contact her. Web, we already have our passports. We got the expedited service and it ended up costing $200 per passport, with overnight charges, etc. The government site says 6 weeks regular delivery, but the Post Office here told me it's really 8-10 weeks, so we paid up. I agree with you Howard. Lisa's photo is on the passport, as well as her drivers license, and it will be obvious the person standing in front of them is the same as in the photos. I don't think having a different middle initial between passport and airline ticket would overide photo identification. I think don't anyone would have plastic surgery to get into this country when you could simply pay the airline a fee to change the initial on the ticket. Maybe I'm just being too cautious and perhaps it's a sign of the times, The age of Big Brother (for anyone who read Orwell).

 

[Fordan]

Talk to the airline; they're the only ones who will care about their ticket matching your passport. When you go through immigration/passport control/customs/etc, they'll only care about your passport, they're not going to care about your boarding pass.

I'd probably see if I could just get them to remove the middle initial from the ticket. That way it doesn't really matter what the initial is.

 

[ggunn]

Talk to the airline; they're the only ones who will care about their ticket matching your passport. When you go through immigration/passport control/customs/etc, they'll only care about your passport, they're not going to care about your boarding pass.

I'd probably see if I could just get them to remove the middle initial from the ticket. That way it doesn't really matter what the initial is.

FWIW, a few years ago, I mistakenly booked a Coz ticket for my daughter Annie when it was supposed to have been for my wife Carol. Since it was a non-refundable (and non-transferable) ticket, the airline wanted to bank the "Annie" ticket and charge me the fare again to book a "Carol" ticket.

Carol's middle name is Ann, so we just went with that. Carol had "Ann" as her middle name on her ID, and the ticket was booked for "Annie", last names the same. There was no problem.

But that was before 9/11; things are tighter now, so it might not have worked that way if it had been more recent.

 

[DandyDon]

This is clearly an airline issue, as the Immigration & Customs ppl don't care what your ticket had on it.

My Passport has had Donald W. on it since 1988, but I've flown Delta, Aer Lingus, Groupo Taca, Sol, and Continental as Don W. on the tickets several times - a few since Sept 11, 01.

I would get a new passport for a change in the last name, tho - and that is covered in the Passport web site.

 

[judydivescoz]

Last year we went to Cozumel with a friend who had divorced a few years back. She changed her name back to her maiden name. Her passport had her married name. She did anticipate that there might be a problem and she was thankful that she had a copy of her divorce decree with her. She had a very anal USair ticket agent who wanted the names to match perfectly. I do not think she would have been able to get on the flight without the supporting documentation. The amazing part is that on the return nobody questioned her at all. I would always be as cautious as possible when it comes to passports, tickets and the airlines. My friend now has a passport with her correct name!

 

[chrisc]

I've never had a problem, the airline has spelled my daughter's name wrong on tickets before, and I use Chris instead of Christopher on my tickets and never have been question by TSA or the airlines (AA, Delta, KLM, United, TACA etc).

 

[Diver Dennis]

I just talked to AA and they said no big deal, will not be a problem. I always carry another photo ID though.

 

[DennisS]

It probably has something to do with the no fly list, your tickets checked against it. A congressman had his name on the list and he kept running into problems. He had his secretary start booking his flights including his middle initial. The problems stopped. All Osamah bin Laden has to do is book as, Osama B Ladon and he's good to go if his passport matches.

.

 

[joewr]

Hi, Gang,

Actually, it is not just the airlines that can cause you to "Pass Go, Do Not Collect $100, and Go Directly to Jail": just before you head into the metal detection area, there is a TSA person who inspects your documents. He or she can send you packing...or unpacking...

Again, though, small variations do not seem to be a problem. Just like Dandy Don, my name on tickets is not EXACTLY like that in my passport. I just returned from a trip and not a single time was it brought up...by the airlines, TSA or anyone else. However, to be completely unburdened by heartburn, ulcers, etc., it is probably a good idea to have everything match....


joewr

 

[Christi]

http://bluextseadiving.com/ is Christi's website. She doesn't do business on ScubaBoard, as per the board regs.

Thank you Gordon. Not only do I respect the board regs, but the intent of this board is not to conduct business and thus is not conducive as such. I actually cringe when someone addresses me on the board about diving reservations with my shop. It makes me very uncomfortable, and it's just not appropriate. This applies to the PM function as well...I don't answer reservation inquires or provide information on my shop by PM. My e-mail and website can be found by clicking on my name...it's all in my profile. Thanks in advance for not PM'ing me for business related stuff. I love participating on this board to provide a local's perspective, but anything specific to my shop...e-mail me