A very very expensive lesson

leylandsunaddict

If I were you, just turn up to the airport, this can be fixed with a keystoke. Just bring some additional ID's to prove who you say you are on the passport. In my opinion, this sort of thing should work both ways at least under a time limit after the transaction. Maybe mention you'll take it up with the CAA and their tune might change.

The CAA has nothing to do with airline policy or agents. They certainly can't do anything about what a Chinese airline does or doesn't do with regards to with a change of passenger or name changes.

The majority of airlines do not allow a change of passenger, and if CS are saying it can't be changed then I presume it's because they see this as a change of passenger. It's not as simplistic as saying it can be fixed with a keystroke. It's all about fare rules and conditions of carriage.

DigForVictory

It has to be Worth A Try?

I managed to get into the just-escaped-the-Soviet-jackboot Estonia with an unsigned newly married passport. It took a few minutes for me to realise, but I then blushed the colour of the passport & when handed a pen, signed it right there.
After that, it as a very happy holiday.

Best of luck & hope your friend manages to board. Once off the ground, the odds improve notably, although ID & slush for "admin" may be advisable.

Lorian

Presumably these are class X tickets?

http://www.csair.com/au/en/faq/shiyongtiaojian.shtml

MrsTinks

Seriously be cheaper to change name by deedpoll and get a passport and then change back on return I know it sounds daft, but worth considering!

Voyager2002

This is a passenger travelling from China to France and back, so mention of the CAA and "deed poll" is not helpful. The advice to explore changing the name shown in passport is helpful, but none of us know how easy this is, and whether China has anything similar to our "deed poll". Then there is the question of getting a new French visa in the new passport, so this would not be a simple process...

As for simply using the ticket, none of us know how carefully passports are checked against boarding passes at the airports in China and in Paris. My guess is that the passenger would probably get away with it in Beijing (there are so many other checks before a Chinese person gets to the airport to leave the country) but might not at Paris (where I have found officials to be obsessively thorough and not in a very pleasant way).

glentoran99

Sagz wrote: »

Cheaper to change their name by deed poll and get a new passport!

like this guy


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/ryanair/Ryanair-booking-error-man-claims-it-was-cheaper-to-change-his-name/

Pollycat

yddraig wrote: »

I recently booked a flight for a friend via omegaflightstore.com, flying in April 2017 via China Southern Airlines on a return flight between China and France.

My friend, I've always known by a particular forename, (their middle name, "M"), as they don't like their actual forename "P". So, when booking the flight, I used "M" as that's what I've always called them.

I paid online £670 and the confirmation email arrived but as I went to click the link and enter their Advanced Passenger Information I realized that I had used the wrong forename. I contacted Omega the following morning and advised them of my mistake and was instructed to send their customer services an email with a scan of the passport which I did that evening.

The following day I received an email in reply stating that China Southern wouldn't change the name and as the ticket was non-refundable and non-changeable my only option was to cancel the ticket and have a refund of the service tax, which after deducting Omega's "admin fee" of £50 gives me refund of "approx" £6.

I contacted China Southern's London office direct who said they wouldn't change the ticket.
After a little research it appears that other airlines, will, particularly if notified quickly.

So, a cautionary tale - a stupid mistake costs me £670, China Southern should have an empty seat, and my friend doesn't get their return trip to Paris.

Be warned - make sure you check the details entered very very carefully before clicking, "pay now"

:mad:

I wonder if the OP would have had more luck effecting this simple name change if they had booked direct with the airline instead of through a 3rd party.

Voyager2002

Pollycat wrote: »

I wonder if the OP would have had more luck effecting this simple name change if they had booked direct with the airline instead of through a 3rd party.

An obvious thought, but reading the OP carefully it sounds as if the agent did do things properly and consulted the airline. Doubtless if the airline had agreed the agent would have slapped on their own charge...

Pollycat

Voyager2002 wrote: »

An obvious thought, but reading the OP carefully it sounds as if the agent did do things properly and consulted the airline. Doubtless if the airline had agreed the agent would have slapped on their own charge...

Or maybe they just said they did.

This company has some dire reviews on Tripadvisor.

fifeken

Voyager2002 wrote: »

This is a passenger travelling from China to France and back, so mention of the CAA and "deed poll" is not helpful. The advice to explore changing the name shown in passport is helpful, but none of us know how easy this is, and whether China has anything similar to our "deed poll". Then there is the question of getting a new French visa in the new passport, so this would not be a simple process...

It would if the person was British, and there's nothing I can see in the OP to say otherwise.