Flight Booking Middle Names Vs Passport Name

Lboomtower14 on 26/03/2024 - 13:19

So my wife sent me into a panic by telling me that at her consulate where she was applying for a new passport, that she cannot have her current legal name, let's call it Mary Smith, instead she has to have her full name how it works in her country, let's call it Mary Beth Jane Betty de Smith. We have booked plane tickets as Mary Smith as that is her legal name now. So into a panic I go with worrying about the cost of a name change on plane tickets etc.

But then I thought, it should be ok, those other names are just middle names, I didn't put my own middle name on the booking.

So as far as the plane tickets go she should be fine?

Thanks!

Travel

Comments

  • resubaehtgnolhcs on 26/03/2024 - 13:29
    +7

    international flights will need your name exactly as it appears in your passport

  • Xyzzy on 26/03/2024 - 13:29
    +17

    Not again :-(

  • Dumax on 26/03/2024 - 13:30
    +5

    Starting reading here OP.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 26/03/2024 - 13:33

    damn who would have thought middle name inclusion/exclusion would cause such huge dramas

    • Gunnar on 26/03/2024 - 19:46
      +1

      Remember when you found that J. In your middle name was short for Jay?

  • 1st-Amendment on 26/03/2024 - 13:36
    +1

    she has to have her full name how it works in her country

    That is how laws work. Each country has their own.

    as Mary Smith as that is her legal name now

    In this country, which sounds like it isn't recognised in the other country.

    So as far as the plane tickets go she should be fine

    Nope. The ticket name has to match the full passport name letter for letter, regardless of what name legal or otherwise you use in Australia. This is always spelled out clearly when buying tickets.

  • Paul Atreides on 26/03/2024 - 13:37
    +8

    ADAPMNHS

    • videlity on 26/03/2024 - 13:48
      +11

      another day another passport middle name horror story

    • Muzeeb on 26/03/2024 - 13:52
      +6

      @mapax - can you arrange a quick board meeting and get this motion carried please.

      • mapax on 26/03/2024 - 16:37
        +3

        I’ve had a chat with the board and it has been granted emergency approval.
        One of them mentioned that it is generally preferred for horror story acronyms to adhere with the convention of using 7 letters…

        The board also wanted me to remind everyone that as an acronym the word is to be pronounced as a single word and not treated like an initialism…

  • Brian McGee on 26/03/2024 - 13:47

    let's call it Mary Beth Jane Betty de Smith.

    Damned Spanish speakers. Why not get a passport from Australia? They'd still require Mary Beth Smith on the ticket though.

  • foursaken on 26/03/2024 - 13:57
    -2

    Yet another bizarre post..

    • jv on 26/03/2024 - 14:43

      😂

  • jv on 26/03/2024 - 14:41
    +3

    So as far as the plane tickets go she should be fine?

    As long as the ticket name is the same as the passport name, it will be fine.

    Some airlines don't check for middle name on the ticket, others do… Don't risk it.

    • boomramada on 26/03/2024 - 14:42

      beat me by 37secs lol

      • jv on 26/03/2024 - 14:44
        +5

        That's what my wife said too…

  • boomramada on 26/03/2024 - 14:41
    +2

    So as far as the plane tickets go she should be fine?

    Depend on the airline, some airline doesn't even take middle name and some does. Otherwise talk to the airline, not us, pay a fee and fix the panic :)

  • Dollar General on 26/03/2024 - 14:43
    +4

    Time to get a new wife

    • boomramada on 26/03/2024 - 14:44

      one that don't panic?

    • Muzeeb on 26/03/2024 - 14:44
      +2

      Probably easier than dealing with airlines, passport office or aunt Betty.

    • jv on 26/03/2024 - 14:45
      +2

      Time to get a new wife

      That would be easier than changing names on a ticket.

    • boomtower14 on 26/03/2024 - 15:28

      And miss out on all this extra stress!? She's just started to mess with my long weekend too.

      • Msfrugal on 27/03/2024 - 10:05

        Check my post below ! Funny 😄
        It’ll be fine . Airline should understand this happens and not issue.

  • pharkurnell on 26/03/2024 - 15:56
    +1

    Isnt this the second time this week for one of these threads?

  • JimmyF on 26/03/2024 - 17:34

    But then I thought, it should be ok, those other names are just middle names, I didn't put my own middle name on the booking.

    Didn't we just have this like a few days? See here, basically name on tickets needs to match passport, unless you have some change of name document that the airline will accept.

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/837107

  • st1ng on 26/03/2024 - 19:31
    +1

    If Mary Smith is her legal name, how can the other country dictate that she cannot use that in her passport?

    • Nillionaire on 26/03/2024 - 20:01

      It's her legal name here. She likely didn't bother changing her legal name in the other country.

      • st1ng on 26/03/2024 - 20:05

        My understand - and I am probably wrong - you only have one legal name. For example if you change your name due to marriage or deed poll, you do it in the country you were married / living in. You don't need to register that change with every country you visit.

        • paaj on 26/03/2024 - 20:18

          But she should have updated her passport with her new legal name so it all lines up. And then use that name for everything

          • boomtower14 on 26/03/2024 - 21:24

            @paaj: That's what's she is trying to do. But they said she can only have this crazy long name.

            • kiitos on 27/03/2024 - 07:47

              @boomtower14: What did she do for previous travel on that passport? Why did she change the name she used this time?

  • meowsers on 26/03/2024 - 20:11
    +2

    IATA does not mandate middle names on bookings, and different airlines have different policies.

    Source: Travel Agency Owner

    For example this is Qantas' policy: https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/au/en/policies/book/req…

    Are Middle Names Required?

    Qantas does not require a middle name to be included when making a booking and issuing your customer's ticket. If other airlines are included in the booking, we recommend you check their policy.

    If your customer’s itinerary includes the USA, it is mandatory for you to add Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) and Secure Flight Passenger Data to their booking before you can issue the ticket. The added name details must match the passport and include any middle names. Middle names are not required for ESTA applications.

    For further information refer to Travel to the USA Requirements.

  • His_Holiness on 26/03/2024 - 23:26
    +1

    It depends on the airline. Singapore Airlines don't check / don't care.

  • capslock on 27/03/2024 - 08:49

    I would only be concerned about the last name as indicated in the passport - is it "Smith" or "De Smith". I wouldn't worry about the middle names.

  • Msfrugal on 27/03/2024 - 10:02
    +1

    Hi. Call the airline. You are not doing a name change to another person.
    They understand that you can’t travel unless ticket name and passport name match.
    That’s kind of universal rule these days AFAIK.

    As a FYI re travelling things I learned through personal and friends recent experiences.

    PASSPORTS ! If there is the slightest- I mean SLIGHEST thing not perfect with your passport you can/will (?) be denied boarding.
    Real life situation . Friend departing BNE - denied at checkin due small tear on a page. Had to overnight and go post office and then get new passport that day. Very stressful however I understand they changed her flight without charge. VIRGIN

    second real life situation . This time from Canada
    Allowed checkin . Agent at boarding gate rejected due something not quite right-seems petty (will find out the issue and update). Again they had to get new passport BUT had to buy new ticket.

    SINGAPORE you can’t even transit through singapore unless have 6 months left on passport

    Dual citizenship. Left Oz on Aussie passport and went to EU passport desk in Dublin, showed expired Irish and Aussie one. He said not an issue ever to arrive Ireland with our if date passport as shows I was born there .

    USA - this was very interesting. They have USA passport desks in both Dublin And Shannon airports so it’s all done before you get in the plane ( huge bonus to avoid long queues on arrival as just go straight through).
    Out of curiosity I asked how much validity on passport had to be there to be allowed fly USA . It was the SIN 6 months rule that prompted this enquiry . (Obvs VISA compulsory). But it surprised me that even if your passport was valid eg even 3 days left, np to go.

    Tip for travelling.
    Leave a photocopy or email someone (yourself) copies of your passport. Very helpful when travelling if stolen to assist with issuing a new one.
    Also have in your Notes (iPhone).
    Depending on need there are some situations you need passport id (real life situation during covid my brother and wife had to pay to get negative PCR test done and had forgotten his passport but photos saved in notes on ph was accepted . Maybe because common sense prevailed ! AND it was a common occurrence- people forgot to bring passports.

    Ps. Also very handy to type passport information into notes. No need to go find it when need that data for form filling.

    *it was the SIN 6 months rule even for transit that makes me check every new country I travel through/to .

    BALI - get the EVisa. Saves paying to go office and an agent if you decide to extend!!!! Persevere as I had tried online and unsuccessful but friend then said no need can get airport…. Yes you can but I decided to extend by 4 days. Ahhhh would’ve be so simple if I’d googled about problems getting it online…. I did AFTER I came back for my NEXT Bali trip .

    I hope this post may assist someone.
    Travel can be very stressful especially if unfamiliar with process and anxiety.

    OP please let us know how you solve .

  • Msfrugal on 27/03/2024 - 11:10
    -1

    Went to add a ps about coming back to Oz with expired passport as was done during covid .
    Decided I’d call border control.

    Geez…. What a process.
    Passed to border “specialist” who quoted the website rule. Twice - despite my explanation it HAPPENED a lot during covid and the &@$ website NEVER showed that option but it HAPPENED so could I please find out IF that was only an exception during covid or is still a possibility for extraordinary circumstances.

    Ok. Here’s the outcome of that call.

    Border Specialist
    DEPT of HOME AFFAIRS

    Btw VACCINATION NOT REQUIRED from 6 July 2022 BUT the recording on BORDER control is still saying MUST have proof of Oz acceptable 2 covid shots.

    When I enquired about vaccination and confirmed not required, and said recording still says it’s needed. I was told are “aware” of this ….. great job . govt department .

    Nearly TWO years it’s changed and no update to an automated voice recording????????? Ffs

    The arrogant “young” agent came back to me with the following information. When I said that she’d learned something new as she’d persisted in giving me the rules as per website and only because I persisted I did she bother to ask. She wasn’t willing to acknowledge that she now knew something she’d never er known and that the ONLY way for someone to EVER find out that information independently would be by phoning.

    I responded that as SHE didn’t know then a person call HER would also then be unaware it IS ALLOWED.

    I’m so frustrated- p’d off tbh
    No initiative. Robots. Millennials.
    Who do t even KNOW the correct information as part of their job. Didn’t bother t say , hold on - I’ll go check. Nah, just read the rules as per public info.

    YES there is a possibility of being allowed fly to Oz with expired passport.

    Each Airlines can contact
    BOC - border operations centre in Australia
    Every airline will their own internal border division that SHOULD have the number to call in Oz.

    BUT she said the airline may still not allow you to board.
    SO. If this situation occurs I would suggest going to airport or have some go to airport and ask all airlines if they CAN /WILL
    CONTACT BORDER force Oz and allow them passage.

    I apologize in advance but she was someone who has no clue about covid times and like most Aussies don’t give a flying fig about the people affected. I will NEVER forget nor forgive….. I was blessed. I got stuck with my parents .

    TLDR yes it’s possible to fly to Aus on your expired Aus passport but you will have to read post for the HOW.

    I am tenacious and need to know answer when I have specifically posed my enquiry. The correct confirmed answer . Some aspie traits apparently 😃

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