A passenger name on his or her eticket must match exactly as on their passport travel document, an airline has the right to deny boarding to anyone not having the same name as on their travel document, therefore it is absolutely necessary for passengers to provide their correct name and spellings to their travel agent or airline.
On occasions it may be possible to have the name rectified however in most cases airlines do not allow for name changes at anytime. You may lose all your money if the airline is not willing to accept your request although this can be seen as very unfair to the consumer it is a standard practice among most airline’s these days.
Most people don’t even realize that they have made a mistake until they arrive at the airport, therefore it is imperative that you check these details thoroughly to avoid any mishaps, your travel insurance may not provide cover for this sort of thing either. In cases where a title is incorrect i.e. Mrs, Miss, Mr, Ms, Mstr, etc, would not cause you any problems however if you feel that the mistake in your title will cause you problems at immigration you should advise the airline to either change or rectify your title, however the chances that you will be denied boarding are very rare indeed due to the very nature of the subject.
How to rectify an incorrect name:
A name change may not be possible with most airlines however a request to the airline or your travel agent may suffice. It is recommended that you obtain a provisional booking from your travel adviser prior to finalising any booking or itienrary, check the spelling of the names and ensure that your provisional itinerary is to your requirements, you should check all the details carefully, including any stop over times, departure and arrival times including the airport and country details to ensure there is no mistake whatsoever. Almost all travel companies should be able to provide you with a provisional itinerary to avoid any problems, this is a standard adopted by most reputable travel companies.
In case a mistake has been made contact your airline or travel agent immediately and point out the mistake and provide them with a copy of your passport, in some cases the a name change may be made possible but is discretionary, although an airline or travel agent can insert special remarks in your booking to advise of the spelling mistake this is not a guarantee however if the mistake is very minor it should not be a problem and the airline is very unlikely to deny you boarding, where the mistake is significant i.e. wrong surname or first name, it may not be possible to make any changes. However you should always contact the airline or travel agent to escalate the matter to a senior airline representative or department for their consideration, a copy of your invoice or confirmation of your payment should also be sent along with a copy of your passport so that they may be prepared to make such changes and or exercise their discretion.
If you noticed the mistake at the very last minute, we suggest you contact the airline by telephone or arrive very early at the airport and visit the airline desk / counter and provide them with your passport, eticket confirmation and proof of purchase. They may be able to help although this very much depends on the airline.