Urgent help please - incorrect name on air ticket

Options
warthog2
warthog2 Posts: 37 Forumite
in Overseas holidays & travel planning
On Monday morning I booked a flight + hotel to Paris this Friday 29 Feb with Lastminute.com for me and my husband. Total cost £372

I have realised that I gave a shortened version of my CHRISTIAN name in the flight details. The flight is with Air France. My passport has my full name.

Tonight we phoned customer service at Lastminute.com and have been told it will cost £75 to change/cancel my ticket (this is admin fees for both Air France and Lastminute.com) plus I will need to buy a new ticket which is currently £200 (seats going fast apparently)

Anyone had experience of incorrectly named flight tickets?

Any info or advice will be much appreciated. Thanks.
«134

Comments

  • bagand96
    bagand96 Posts: 6,102 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Options
    That seems expensive, have you tried contacting Air France direct? Or tried the manage my reservations section of their website? just thinking you may at least be able to bypass the lastminute.com charge?

    OR.. you could just chance it, it may work. When they print boarding cards at the airport they quite often only show surname and initial, so you would have no problem. It just depends how fussy they are at check in, some may let it go, others may not. At worst you may have to pay a fee at the airport, but it MIGHT be worth a chance. just depends on what sort of risk you are prepared to take....

    Recently I travelled on a charter airline and one of the parties ticket had their name spelled wrong. To be honest nobody had noticed untilt he airport, we pointed it out to the check in who just ammended it on the computer, no hassle, no charge, off we went (I know for a fact if we'd rang the tour op beforehand we'd have been charged). Guess it depends on different airline policies and check in agents attitudes....
  • Gavioli_UK
    Gavioli_UK Posts: 183 Forumite
    Options
    warthog2 wrote: »
    On Monday morning I booked a flight + hotel to Paris this Friday 29 Feb with Lastminute.com for me and my husband. Total cost £372

    I have realised that I gave a shortened version of my CHRISTIAN name in the flight details. The flight is with Air France. My passport has my full name.

    Tonight we phoned customer service at Lastminute.com and have been told it will cost £75 to change/cancel my ticket (this is admin fees for both Air France and Lastminute.com) plus I will need to buy a new ticket which is currently £200 (seats going fast apparently)

    Anyone had experience of incorrectly named flight tickets?

    Any info or advice will be much appreciated. Thanks.

    Last year a friend booked a group of us with Jet2.com from Leeds/Bradford, and he quoted my second christian name, not my first. I arrived at the airport with plenty of time, went to their sales desk, explained the situation, and they said no problem went to the computer and changed it there and then.

    So a change of name can be made without extra expense. I suppose it depends how the agent feels.
  • hook
    hook Posts: 236 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Options
    i dont think you have much to worry about what they are try to charge you is way to much. personally i would go to the checkout and not say nothing if they do notice it act dumb and blame last minute for the mistake its not like they cant see its a short version of your name
  • Finnemore
    Finnemore Posts: 2 Newbie
    Options
    I was charged £50 by Jet2 recently to have the name on my ticket changed from my short name (e.g. Bob to Robert) when I forgot it needs to read the same as your passport. I decided to sue via the small claims court under the legislation dealing with unfair terms and conditions in a consumer contract. For all of you claiming back bank charges it is the same legislation and all the good advice around on how to do that applied here as far as I could see. Jet2 initially said they were going to defend the claim but I have now heard they have changed their position, and decided that any change from a shortened to a full version of a name will now be done free of charge - in the light of which they have sent me the £50 plus the £25 it cost to issue the claim. PLEASE TELL ANYONE YOU KNOW WHO HAS BEEN STUNG LIKE THIS AND GET THEM TO PRESS FOR THEIR MONEY BACK!!
  • Voyager2002
    Voyager2002 Posts: 15,285 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Options
    Air France are pretty good about this kind of situation. Provided that the initial is correct, I doubt if they will give you any difficulty. To check, visit their website (and read the small print) or even telephone them to ask for advice. Do not, however, ask them to change the name: since you bought through Lastminute then Lastminute would have to do any name change, and you know exactly what that would cost you! And asking Air France to do it for you would simply highlight the problem and make it more likely that you would have difficulties at check in.
  • MrsE_2
    MrsE_2 Posts: 24,162 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post
    Options
    My mother once flew on a ticket that said MR S ******
    Instead of MRS ******
    It was their mistake, but we didn't notice it till the airport, she explained & they were fine.
  • Sam_Bee
    Sam_Bee Posts: 1,393 Forumite
    Options
    Personally, I would just turn up and act dumb.

    Knowing that potentially you could be dumped off the plane. But i've never actually heard of it happening for a case like you.
  • jallu
    jallu Posts: 3 Newbie
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Options
    Finnemore wrote: »
    I was charged £50 by Jet2 recently to have the name on my ticket changed from my short name (e.g. Bob to Robert) when I forgot it needs to read the same as your passport. I decided to sue via the small claims court under the legislation dealing with unfair terms and conditions in a consumer contract. . PLEASE TELL ANYONE YOU KNOW WHO HAS BEEN STUNG LIKE THIS AND GET THEM TO PRESS FOR THEIR MONEY BACK!!

    Last week at Manchester airport my mother was charged £56 by Jet2 because the name on her passport didn't exactly match that on the booking. All her life she has been known as Christine although she was christened Emily Christine which is the name shown on her passport. Even though she produced credit cards and bank cards with the name Christine Jet2 wouldn't give way and enforced the £56 charge to change the name on their booking form. She has travelled many times before and never had this problem.
  • stoneman
    stoneman Posts: 4,521 Forumite
    Photogenic Name Dropper First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Options
    I sometimes book flights in the name Andy, and my passport says Andrew, once a Virgin security clerk had a bit of a moan about it but there has never been a problem really. Last week we noticed that a ticket we bought had my wife as Ms. instead of Mrs. but her passport doesn't have either of these showing, just her Christian name, my advice, just show up, all will be fine IMHO
    The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.
  • callum9999
    callum9999 Posts: 4,392 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    Options
    I know this is an old thread but I didn't really want to start a new one.

    Does anyone know how Royal Brunei or the Flight Centre will handle an error? It was obviously a mistake made by the Flight Centre but I had to confirm it was correct before payment so they might blame me for it? They've merged my forename and title so I am listed as being Callummr - I'm just waiting to call them now but does anyone know they are likely to deal with this?
This discussion has been closed.
★ ★ ★ Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 343.2K Banking & Borrowing
  • 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.7K Spending & Discounts
  • 235.3K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 608K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 173.1K Life & Family
  • 247.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards