Flight booked in wrong name

JailhouseBabe

I've just had a call from a friend who has booked flights with a budget airline for herself and a group of friends. One of the tickets has been booked under the wrong name - everyone calls him Harry but the name on his passport is Henry.

The budget airline wants to charge £100 to change the name on the ticket (original ticket price was £40), or £150 if changed on the day at the airport. Tickets for this flight now cost approx. £98 (flying within the United Kingdom).

My question is: if they do an online check-in, what are the odds that this mistake would actually be spotted? Is it worth taking a chance and not changing it?

richardw

Highly likely it'll get spotted.

martindow

Did you give your name or other information to identify the booking when you found out what the charges would be? If so it it is possible that they have flagged it up and will be looking out for Harry/Henry.

steve1980

Who booked the tickets? Was the correct name used? If the incorrect name was used then I would just pay up and learn the lesson.

pinkstarsx

You must change the name.. it will have to match the passport details (unless they just take the first initial but all budget flights take the first name usually) when you check in etc.
Try calling the airline and pleading with them over the phone - as it's only afew letters they may be able to amend it without charging you a fortune (have had one of mine amended free beforehand but obviously depends who you speak to, when it's travelling and which airline!)

JailhouseBabe

I would guess that when they phoned they would have identified themselves, so possibly have flagged it already. Apparently they've already done online check-in and have a boarding pass printed out. Would that make a difference?
I've had one before where I've made a spelling mistake and spotted it as soon as I got the confirmation, and had it changed free of charge. I think they booked these flights a couple of weeks ago though. The budget airline in this case is notoriously difficult to get anything for free/refunded!

ferf1223

JailhouseBabe wrote: »

I would guess that when they phoned they would have identified themselves, so possibly have flagged it already. Apparently they've already done online check-in and have a boarding pass printed out. Would that make a difference?
I've had one before where I've made a spelling mistake and spotted it as soon as I got the confirmation, and had it changed free of charge. I think they booked these flights a couple of weeks ago though. The budget airline in this case is notoriously difficult to get anything for free/refunded!

they will have to present their boarding passes and passports at security and possibly again before getting on the plane - so it's likely that it will be spotted...until recently I travelled with a passport in my maiden name on the main/photo page but had changed my name to my married name and was flying in my married name (US Passports are amended with the name change noted on a page in the passport which has a seal over it) and every. single. time. I went through security or to board a plane I had to say 'name change page 23' when they started to look back and forth between the passport and ticket when the names didn't match.

HXDave

which airline are you travelling with?

with the charge to change the name, i would bet Ryanair, but i may be wrong.

JailhouseBabe

Yep, Ryanair. I've passed on the advice about not risking it. I think they're going to try calling again and hope for a more sympathetic operator - don't rate their chances though!!

HXDave

Ryanair - FORGET IT.

pay up and save your phone bill.

alternatively, have you looked at the cost of re-booking a new flight just for the person affected? might work out cheaper than paying the admin fee.

glenderg

For what it's worth the last two times i've used Ryanair in the last 6 weeks,
First one my Passport wasn't checked.
Second one a very brief glance at my picture while still in my hand