“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”― William Shakespeare
I am sure that when Shakespeare penned those words he would have no idea the far reaching power of a name. He was making a noble gesture regarding the last names of the two characters and that it made no difference when it came to true love. In this day and time put them on a plane or any other mode of transportation that requires and ID and/or passport and Dear Bill would be sadly mistaken.
In our world, just as then, people were named in particular to the family and also nicknamed by said family. Many names are shortened or even changed and become the norm when we greet that person, but put little Skippy on the plane and his given name will be the issue if his ID is differing from his ticketing. While it has always mattered, the truth is that since September 11, 2021 names and ID’s have been under greater scrutiny.
Airline ticket name corrections can be frustrating and costly. It is vital that the name on the reservation is an EXACT match to the name that is written on the passport/ID. If not, passengers could experience a significant delay at the airport, be forced to pay high fees for changing the name or be denied boarding altogether. This all because a name was spelled wrong.
As an agency, we do our best to make sure the names are correct. We will often ask for a copy of the passport or the driver’s license especially with complex names. This type of double checking a name helps us to help you at the airport.
Also, the odd part of ticketing is this, there are no symbols. So if you have a last name that has a hyphen, on your ticket the names will be run together. It looks wrong but in the world of travel it is right. So if your last name is Jones-Wright on your ticketing it will be JonesWright. And if your passport has a middle name spelled out, we will have to ticket it that way, if just a middle initial then that will need to be in the ticket. Yes, the carriers are THAT particular.
Once we ticket you, we will send you the copy of the e-tickets. We ask you to check those names immediately and look for errors. If there is an error and we are told within a 24 hour period from the issue, we can cancel or change the name without a penalty. After 24 hours we would have to cancel and rebook in the correct name. At that time there will likely be a fee to cancel and change, fare difference, and a real possibility of not having the same itinerary as initially booked due to being sold out or a variety of other issues at that time.
If you are not booking with our agency (you should be) then the above is a great guideline to avoid these issues. People who often self-book have knowledge of the process however an agency not only has knowledge but also contacts that the general traveler does not have access too. Often we can get a yes quicker than the consumer.
So what is in a name? Everything you need for a successful and easy journey… on board and in life.
Contact us at 800-800-2519