Peter Greenberg: Misspelled Name on Plane Ticket

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2009-03-23

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I have booked a flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Munich, Germany for one of my friends. Expedia, the company I booked the airfare with over the phone, misunderstood the first name of one of the passengers. The name of the passenger is EDWARD, not "Edouard." Expedia refused to correct the name. Do I have a chance for correction? What are my rights? Can you help me, please?

–Heinz, Wrightwood, Calif.
 
It's always a good idea when making reservations over the phone to have the agent confirm each person's name by spelling it back to you. And if you book online, you've got to be extremely careful and double-check this type of information, too.
 
We contacted Expedia, and the company promised to help you in this situation. According to Expedia spokesperson Francene Charette, "We will work with [Heinz] to see his situation through. I can also say that name changes tend to be particularly sensitive in the context of air-travel security. Expedia is subject to the policies set forth by our airline partners, as well as by the FAA and TSA."
 
In other words, it's not just Expedia that's sensitive about names, so it's quite important that you get the names on the tickets correct.

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