We booked a trip for Mexico. When the travel agent asked the name on my passport, I used my first name, maiden name and married name (which are all on the passport). I did not use my middle initial or my middle name (which IS actually on the passport). It has been awhile since I booked anything and I usually do not use my middle name for anything. The travel agent said the tickets MUST match the passport. I can’t change the tickets because they are nonrefundable. So…what will happen? Will I be taken out of line and summarily executed? Will my children be forced to work as TSA agents until my fine is paid off? Will I not be able to get on the plane? Help!
So you’re something like Jane Mary Doe, née Smith, you told the travel agent your name was Jane Doe Smith, and the passport shows… what exactly? Jane Mary Smith? Do US passports show maiden names? I don’t remember that my wife’s passport does, I’ll have to check.
In my experience, summary execution is how those things are usually handled.
I’d say the worst case scenario is that they let you into Mexico, but not out. Seriously, you are probably OK - see quote from TSA below. To be safe, you could try contacting the airline directly and seeing if they will reissue the ticket for you.
I don’t know about Mexico, but up at the Minnesota-Canada border, the Canadian agents are quite sensible about this. They know about people not always using their middle names, and about people changing their last names at marriage. At most, they ask for some other id, like state drivers license, or even some credit cards, to assure them that you are the person listed. They use their common sense, and don’t make a big deal about it.
Of course, this is for tourists coming into Canada, who will spend money there. They do want this to happen.
Actually, the US Border agents when you’re coming back are more bureaucratic about it. They act much more suspicious and unfriendly. (But maybe it just seems that way, because your are tired and on the way home.)
My name is Lixx Walxxxx Musxx, exactly like it is stated. Walxxx is my maiden name, which I keep for professional purposes; musxx is my married name. On my passport it is Lixx Ann Walxxxx Musxx. I don’t have tickets yet. Apparently I have to go to the airport, put in my confirmation code and the boarding passes pop out of the computer kiosk. Maybe I will try asking one of the desk agents to reissue the boarding pass.
If I’m going back to my previous example (which was slightly wrong in my first post, I got maiden name and married name mixed up)
Jane Mary Doe, née Smith (Doe is married name, Smith is maiden name)
name on boarding pass is Jane Smith Doe
passport shows Jane Mary Smith Doe
I can’t believe any agent is going to complain about the difference between Jane Mary Smith Doe and Jane Smith Doe.
Have you tried calling the airline?
I fly quite a bit for work, and sometimes the folks who book my ticket spell my name slightly differently (think Jon vs John, or Alan vs Allen). I go online to change the TSA flight verification information and just do a correction, it is very easy. If you aren’t used to the airlines’ websites, I’m sure it can be straightened out with one call.
I’ve never had a problem with my ticket not showing my middle name (or initial). My passport, of course, does have my full middle name.
I should have said that also, I have had the same experience, which is why in my previous post I felt confident in stating that the OP’s case would not be an issue.
Thank you for the edit samclem. I didn’t think about that before I posted my reply to arnold.
Constant problem for us. My wife’s foreign passport bears her maiden name. Her permanent residency (“green”) card bears her married name. Tickets always bear her married name. The airline people complain 100% of the time (because their automated machines won’t work in our scenario), and cite “federal law” (yet none exists). She always gets to fly, and we have no problems where it counts: at immigration on either side.
I have a hyphenated last name, which I never use casually, but always use officially (because it’s on all my IDs). Once, we were travelling for work, and the boss arranged for the plane tickets so he used my non-hyphenated name. It messed things up somewhat, in this post-9/11 world, they didn’t let me through the security check, but all I had to do was go back to the desk and get new names on the boarding pass, which only took a couple of minutes.
We have twins who were born on either side of midnight and thus have serial birthdates (4th & 5th March). Most people find this an amusing curiosity. Passport agents, not so much. This has caused me problems on numerous occasions when I’ve tried to explain the relatively simple phenomenon to a relatively simple bureaucrat.
If you’re really worried, just make sure you carry a second form of ID so they can at least verify that you’re really you.
Can’t she just get her passport amended to reflect the name she is actually using on the rest of her documents?
My name is not actually Hilarity N. Suze. The maiden name was More Hilarity N., then I married Suze. However, my parents never actually used the name More, nor did I, except to tell people every year at school to use the middle name, not the first name. And as soon as possible, I dropped the first name, every way but legally.
That is to say, my social security card, driver’s license, marriage license, and the first two houses I bought were all Hilarity. And then came anti-terrorist security.
Suddenly I have had to start using my first name. I’m getting solicitations in the mail addressed to “More Suze.” I don’t know what to do about my passport, which actually does have my first name but doesn’t have my married name. I think I’m going to be in big trouble when I try to renew it.
But so far, I’ve always been let back into the country.
This is highly unusual; every airline ticket I’ve ever booked included, or made me click a ticky box indicating my understanding of, some lengthy “terms of carriage” document which spelled out in precise detail what to do to amend the name on the ticket. Sometimes you’re permitted to change the name completely, so that it’s for a different person; sometimes you can only correct a mistake in your own name. In almost all cases there was an outrageous fee (though still much cheaper than buying a new ticket).
You should tell your travel agent to consult the terms, or ask them for a copy of same so you can do so yourself.
I should also add that, at least for some airports and borders, minor discrepancies between your ticket and passport are unlikely to cause any problems. My fiancée used to work at Domodedovo checking passports and boarding passes. She was instructed to ignore up to a certain number of misspellings and other minor discrepancies in the travel documents. Indeed, her own passport has her name spelled incorrectly, and she’s never had any problem obtaining visas and crossing borders when she reserves tickets or makes the visa applications using the correct spelling.
I don’t know about passports or international travel, but I recently had a travel companion who forgot her ID. I also mispelled her name when I booked the flight. :smack:
So the friendly TSA agent pulls us aside, makes a phone call, and proceeds to ask a series of very detailed questions. Father’s name, street names in the neighborhood, last address in Texas, etc. About fifteen minutes later, the agent signed her boarding pass, and sent us through the x-ray/ metal detectors. She got an extra special frisking, but all in all it was much less painful than I expected.
What do they complain about? That twins have different birthdates? I’m surprised they even notice.