Remember: Spelling Counts

You just booked a ticket, but you notice that your name is misspelled and doesn’t match your government-issued ID, such as your drivers license for domestic flights or your passport for international flights. Hopefully, you notice before your trip takes place, and in that case, you need to immediately contact your travel agent or the airline with whom you are traveling.

Airlines have strict policies about the name on your ID matching the name on your ticket, and they may deny boarding if there are discrepancies. But the good news is that in most cases, a name correction can be obtained prior to your trip, preventing headaches at the airport the day you fly.

Why does it matter if my name matches or not?

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) enacted heightened security in 2009, and now airlines must collect “Secure Flight data”, meaning a passenger’s name, date of birth and gender. You provide this information at the time of booking your ticket. This information is then matched against the official no-fly list.

So, what can I do about a correction?

In general, major name changes, where it seems like the ticket might be transferred from one passenger to another, are prohibited. If you’re trying to change your ticket name from Susan to Jessica, that probably is not going to fly. Remember, most airline tickets are sold as nonrefundable and nontransferable and tend to have strict guidelines about what can be changed.

But, not all is lost. Airlines tend to allow name corrections to obvious typos like nicknames such as Liz to Elizabeth or Jim to James, or adding middle name. Most airlines—with proof, of course—may allow corrections if the name changed legally, i.e. in the case of marriage.

Things to keep in mind

The correction procedures sometimes require a reissue fee, and it can be especially stressful when multiple airlines are involved as they all need to agree on the change. Fees to change tickets can average $200-250 for domestic flights and $250-300 for international flights. Recently, ticket changes for international flights have been as high as $400. If the tickets have to be reissued, there is also the difference in airfare, which also is often significantly higher. And there are also cases where airlines will refuse name alterations altogether.

Of course, the best solution is to prevent a name change from being necessary altogether. Always carefully review the names on your itineraries prior to purchase. If you book tickets for someone else, be precise and ask how their name appears on their ID. Don’t be afraid to have them spell it out to ensure its right.