Christian name error in booking AA flight . How to change?

littlerock

They claim correcting his name from nickname to christian name on his ticket cannot be done because that makes it a "completely different name." Only option is to cancel and reissue, and they have given no indication of possible cost of this option.

I have spoken to airline and they say if it had been a direct purchase from them, they would have changed it over the phone. The agency clerk says their ticketing people are adamant it can only be corrected by cancelling ticket and issuing a new one and charging him all relevant airport charges plus airport fees.

Their ts and cs talk ambiguously about changing or amending tickets depending on availability but do not mention name changes specifically. One of the first testimonials on their web site describes how someone unsure about her ticket was told she could cancel at no extra charge if she did so in the first 24 hours. OH did notify them within an hour of issue of ticket.

My feeling is that the desk clerk passed it to ticketing for action and they overlooked it which is why they are now taking the line that it cannot be cancelled or changed. Desk clerk says they are adamant.

Do you think there is potential for complaining to ABTA (they are members and of IATA) - given airline itself says christian name can be changed over phone at no extra charge but agency claims it cannot?.

Heliflyguy

They are correct that it needs to be reissued as per my link but it should be at face value, all the fees and charges will have already be paid on the original ticket.

VS sales will sort out the booking class as per original if its not available now.

However if the payment of these fees and whatever fee the agency charge for doing it is the cheapest option then maybe best to go with it.

Dont know about ABTA complaints and how effective they are.

Thought they said it wasnt possible before...do they know what they are doing?

Wanderingpomm

agrinnall wrote: »

Does your OH really want to go on a holiday with somebody who is so dumb that they can't understand what "name must be the same as on passport" means?

Why are people always so entitled and obnoxious on this forum?

Pollycat

littlerock wrote: »

OK. OH requested name correction to change his first name from "Teddie" to "Edward" on his ticket. He has spoken to the airline direct who confirmed a simple name change (with all other details unchanged) can be made over the phone if flight booked direct with the airline but they said if booked via a travel agency, he had to contact the agency.

He did this, as soon as he received the e-ticket (same day) and they asked for a copy of his entry page on his passport to verify he was same person. He supplied this.

A week later the agency have responded that their "ticketing staff" say a change to his christian name to reflect his full name, in place of his nickname, cannot be made as it constitutes " a complete different name". It is only his christian name everything else is identical.

Is this the ticketing agency pulling a fast one? He let the agency know as soon as he got his ticket (within an hour) that name needed correcting.

I have looked up the airline and in theory he could have got a full refund if cancelled within 24 hours. However it has taken a week for the agency to get back to him to say it cannot be done so chance of refund and rebook has gone. It is ABTA listed so presumably he could make a complaint to them.

I believe this only applies when booking direct with the airline.
Your OH's friend chose to put a 3rd party flight seller between the passengers and the airline.
So your theory is wrong in this scenario.

Re the complaint to ABTA - I'm not sure where you stand (or if ABTA is even the right place to direct a complaint of this sort to) as the error was made by the person booking the ticket.
https://www.abta.com/help-and-complaints/customer-support/complaints-we-can-and-cant-help-with


I don't know how your OH's friend booked the tickets (over the phone or online) but the American Airlines website clearly says this when entering passenger details:

Enter names as printed on each passenger's government-issued photo ID. TSA Secure Flight rules

Heliflyguy

Pollycat wrote: »

I believe this only applies when booking direct with the airline.

With AA its possible for an agency to do this via BSP online using a standard waiver code for a full refund.
The agency will probably charge a fee though.

littlerock

Clearly OH's friend made a mistake initially. But OH reported it to the agency within an hour of the ticket being issued, and their web site says tickets can be cancelled with no penalty in the first 24 hours. Thus did not happen.The booking clerk asked OH for copy of page from his passport to verify full name which clerk says he forwarded to "their ticketing people". It is not clear if this is within agency or a third party. Booking clerk said would confirm correction to OH.

Clearly not processed within 24 hours as Booking clerk got back to OH a week later to say ticketing clerk had insisted his first name could be corrected because it woukd be processing "a completely different name". (Despite surname, age address unchanged .) Yes it is a different first different name but only in that it is accepted nickname for his full name like Teddie for Edward or Mandy for Amanda.

Booking clerk is not native English speaker and said he was not aware OHs daily used name was a common English language abbreviation for his full name. OH sent him Wikipedia entry as proof. Wonders if Ticketing clerk also did not realise. Also Booking clerk calls OH Mr Teddie not Mr Jones (his surname) as though unsure which are first and second names.

OH next phoned the airline direct and queried if his nickname could be corrected and airline ckerk said it was no problem and could do it over phone if had been a direct booking. But OH would have to contact agency for agency bookings. So if airline itself can do it easily, why not agency?

OH phoned back ticket clerk and told him this and emailed him the airline's own regulations which also say it can be done. Booking Clerk told OH ticketer adamant it is a complete name change and will not process it. OH says booking clerk sounds nervous because not native English speaker and not on secure ground arguing about nicknames.

OH also asked cost of cancelling and starting again but booking Clerk has not been able to get a quote for this. Presumably agency now preoccupied with Gatwick fallout. All makes agency sound dodgy but they have good reputation, "WorldAirFares". Sounds like OH's booking clerk nervous when dealing with awkward ticketing staff. Does anyone know how this works for agency bookings?. are they booked via third party firm? Then can identify where to escalate to get it resolved.

photome

I think you are at the mercy of a dodgy OTA. If the good reviews are on trustpilot you can ignore them as companies will delete any poor reviews on there. It seems they are part of crystaltravel who don’t get good reviews.

I couldn’t find anything about tickets being cancellable within 24 hours on their website.

Pollycat

littlerock wrote: »

Clearly OH's friend made a mistake initially. But OH reported it to the agency within an hour of the ticket being issued, and their web site says tickets can be cancelled with no penalty in the first 24 hours. Thus did not happen.The booking clerk asked OH for copy of page from his passport to verify full name which clerk says he forwarded to "their ticketing people". It is not clear if this is within agency or a third party. Booking clerk said would confirm correction to OH.

Clearly not processed within 24 hours as Booking clerk got back to OH a week later to say ticketing clerk had insisted his first name could be corrected because it woukd be processing "a completely different name". (Despite surname, age address unchanged .) Yes it is a different first different name but only in that it is accepted nickname for his full name like Teddie for Edward or Mandy for Amanda.

Booking clerk is not native English speaker and said he was not aware OHs daily used name was a common English language abbreviation for his full name. OH sent him Wikipedia entry as proof. Wonders if Ticketing clerk also did not realise. Also Booking clerk calls OH Mr Teddie not Mr Jones (his surname) as though unsure which are first and second names.

OH next phoned the airline direct and queried if his nickname could be corrected and airline ckerk said it was no problem and could do it over phone if had been a direct booking. But OH would have to contact agency for agency bookings. So if airline itself can do it easily, why not agency?

OH phoned back ticket clerk and told him this and emailed him the airline's own regulations which also say it can be done. Booking Clerk told OH ticketer adamant it is a complete name change and will not process it. OH says booking clerk sounds nervous because not native English speaker and not on secure ground arguing about nicknames.

OH also asked cost of cancelling and starting again but booking Clerk has not been able to get a quote for this. Presumably agency now preoccupied with Gatwick fallout. All makes agency sound dodgy but they have good reputation, "WorldAirFares". Sounds like OH's booking clerk nervous when dealing with awkward ticketing staff. Does anyone know how this works for agency bookings?. are they booked via third party firm? Then can identify where to escalate to get it resolved.

Part of Crystal Travel - which has lots of negative reports on Tripadvisor.


i agree with photome about Trustpilot reviews.

Heliflyguy

The TA might issue tickets or they might have booked and issued via another TA or group it doesnt really matter.

We seem to being going round in circles, as 24 hours have passed then the refund option has now passed so forget that and find out how much to correct the name.

Failing that another option is to get the airline to add a message to the booking detailing the correct first name this should be good enough for the check in staff but is not guaranteed.

You (OH) could persist with the TA and see if you can get the name corrected, create a new booking with the correct name and reissue the ticket you have and its value for the new booking obviously there will be a cost for doing this as the booking class you have might not be available now + TA fees + Airline change fees.

At the end of the day this is all because your OH friend messed up so you really want the TA on your side now matter how useless they are.

littlerock

O,K following a lot of conversations with the travel agency and escalating it to the top, it seems they actually buy their tickets from a third party who has refused point blank to change the christian name on the ticket.

Although only the first name has changed and nothing else, all else as per passport, although OH rang TA within an hour of getting ticket confirmation to say first name needed correcting, although AA have documentation on line which details the cost of changing a first name and AA on phone have confirmed if it was bought direct they would have changed it, apparently the third party ticketing firm who the TA bought it from, have refused point blank to make any changes at all. TA has told OH that this third party company refuse to budge and his only option is to tear up ticket (cost £580) and buy a new one.

Please note it is not American Airlines who have said he must tear up his ticket and buy a new one. AA have procedures for changing name and confirmed it could be done over the phone if booked direct. It is the third party ticketing company the perfectly respectable travel agents bought the tickets from who are refusing to budge.