No middle name on ticket

[petunia]

My husband and I due to fly out on a 5 stop oneworld QFF business class award flight. On going to online check in for our first flight to Tokyo via HK with CX, message 'there seems to be a discrepancy between the passenger name(s) and the name(s) on the document(s).' As our passports show our middle names, while the QFF booking is issued in our first name and surname only.
Have read several other threads on the subject and are now thoroughly confused. But are worried as we are flying through USA particularly. Qantas won't reissue tickets with our middle names added. It hasn't been a problem on previous trips but our last was several years ago and things must have changed. We're flying CX, JAL and BA.
Not sure whether to go ahead with online check in or go early to the airport to see if how much of a problem it might be. Any others' recent experiences?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I fly via the USA frequently and have never had an issue with the missing name(s). TSA don't seem to care, check-in doesn't care.

Advance passenger information is picked up when your passport is swiped at check-in. They get the full details then.

Personally i wouldn't worry about it. There's nothing you can do at this stage (you tried to change but were unsuccessful).

Your only option, potentially, would be to cancel your current booking and rebook it - but that would be dependent on award seats all being available. Which is far from guaranteed (your seats would be released, however briefly, back into main inventory and could get snapped up in a second).

If you were flying low cost airlines you might be in more of a pickle. Have heard plenty of stories of low cost carriers refusing travel because of a missing middle name... but the speculation is that the flights were oversold, and so they picked on missing names as a way to bump passengers without having to pay compensation.

 

[Steveinparadise]

Hi Petunia, my wife and I had this issue when we flew CX last year. Both my wife and my middle names were missing from our booking. I spent some time trying to add them on both the QF site and the CX site, but the change would never “stick”, so I gave up trying.
When we were due to fly, the system would let her check in online but not me (go figure). Went to the check in counter at the airport and it was no problem at all.
So if I were you I wouldn’t panic, and I certainly wouldn’t cancel and re-book, you’ll potentially create far more problems for yourself.

 

[petunia]

That's very reassurin,g MEL_Traveller. I am freaking about USA in particular. We booked this award flight combo months ago and would never be able to get another one at such short notice.
I've learnt that it is to do with the QFF site not allowing a field for middle names. Causing me a lot of angst in the lead up to a bucketlist trip.

 

[petunia]

Steveinparadise, thank you so much for your calming words. Two days out from our three month long trip, I just want everything to run smoothly!! Will turn up nice and early to the airport and pray there's no complications. Our next leg is with JAL from Tokyo to New York, and then BA to London, so fingers crossed!
This must happen all the time with QFF award tickets, surely the other airlines will understand.

 

[DC3]

Have not heard of the middle name being an issue. With QF, they only ever show my first name, middle initial and family name on documentation. Never whole middle name. AA never uses my middle name. Can’t recall what CX did.

Edit: I’ve JAL mid-2020, but they get their information from QF, as it’s a QF eticket.

 

[petunia]

Thanks DC3. On a previous trip several years ago, never had a problem either. But have read a few stories of passengers being turned away in recent times with the tightening of security measures around the world.

 

[woodyren]

I had exactly the same issue on a recent flight to the USA booked with Qantas points on Fiji Airlines. I received info that names didn't match. Called Fiji who told me it wasn't a problem at Nadi but would be on entering the USA. Called Qantas and they said they couldn't add the name but it shouldn't be a problem

Posted on here and Facebook and was reassured it would be fine. It was fine so I'll add a little more comforting anecdotal advice to the previous posts.

 

[Silvia]

I flew to the US without middle name on my ticket. A few times even without my second surname (which was a rookie error, but never had issues- in fact that time I went through with no hassles whilst my husband went through a secondary screening). I think with the middle name as long you have your ID with first name and surname you will be totally fine.

 

[petunia]

Bless you Woodyren, as that is indeed our same scenario.
And Silvia, thanks for sharing your experience.
Oh I feel much better now. We are at the start of a three month long house swap experience to London, so it would be very heartbreaking if we weren't allowed on the flights.

 

[ellen10]

We had a missing middle name on our recent 5 stop trip. And like you I stressed about it and the more I googled the more I stressed.
A travel agent here on this forum reassured me it would not be a problem as I was flying premium airlines.
I too could not do the online checkin, so got to the airport early. There were absolutely no problems with all flights. We flew CX, BA, IB, QR & QF.

So relax and have a great trip.

 

[petunia]

ellen 10, thank you for your reassurance. It feels so silly, but we fly so rarely I cannot relax knowing there is potential for a problem.
Thank goodness for the kindness of folk on this forum for sharing their experience!

 

[ftm]

Glad you asked the question and are now feeling more comfortable and can relax and can get back to looking forward to the trip!

Cathay's policy is to book flights including middle names, but Qantas ignore that when they do redemption bookings. They should know it causes problems and book it the way Cathay asks for it to be booked. But they don't.

It is frustrating that different airlines have different policies for something that really could/should be standard, but I dare say that will never change!

 

[kpc]

Cx unlike other airlines insist that you include your middle name if it is in your passport...not sure why but it does not seem to stop you from flying....so I add it to all my flights now to save the hassle.

 

[JavierCus]

Hi,

Don't worry about Middle name in Oneworld.! (as of today, rules might be enforced in the future though)
I was also worried, Qantas advised me to cancel bookings but they just want you to pay the cancellation fees (Qantas Classic award RTW 6 stops).
As long as First name and Surname is exact as your passport it is not a problem.
If middle name is not on ticket they don't care,
but if your middle name is in the ticket and not on your passport then you will have issues.

I have done 2 around the world 2019 trips without my middle name on the booking/ticket (no even in my qantas ff) and no issues. To USA, Europe and Asia.
March 2019 (Melbourne, Japan, Finland, Iceland, UK, France, Hong kong))
and November 2019 (Melbourne, Japan, New York, Rome, Bangkok, Perth).
No issues with Japan airlines, Cathay, British, Qantas, Qatar, Finnair all traveled October November 2019.

So don't stress!

 

[petunia]

Thanks JavierCus. I am greatly reassured by your comments and the fact that you had no problems in your recent travels.
I have asked to have our middle names added to our QFF profiles to avoid any future problems.

 

[DC3]

... Two days out from our three month long trip, I just want everything to run smoothly!! Will turn up nice and early to the airport and pray there's no complications. Our next leg is with JAL from Tokyo to New York, and then BA to London, so fingers crossed! ...

You are probably well into the trip by now, petunia. No middle name = no issues I guess?

 

[petunia]

Yes, DC3, no problems whatsoever. Never even been mentioned with CX, JAL or BA.
Mind you, the advice from Qantas chat was to cancel tickets and get them reissued. That would have meant the end of our J award trip, so I’m very grateful to the members here for their commonsense advice not to panic.
But have added our muddle names to QFF membership.

 

[Hvr]

But have added our muddle names to QFF membership.

A little slip that reveals the truth.
I don't put my middle name or initial on my tickets and have never had a problem.

I flew CX earlier this year and they didn't have any problems at all.

 

[ellen10]

Yes, DC3, no problems whatsoever. Never even been mentioned with CX, JAL or BA.
Mind you, the advice from Qantas chat was to cancel tickets and get them reissued. That would have meant the end of our J award trip, so I’m very grateful to the members here for their commonsense advice not to panic.
But have added our muddle names to QFF membership.

Yes I had a similar experience last year. I read so much information most suggesting cancelling the ticket (it was an award flight and I wasn't going to do that) But I was reassured by people on AFF especially thanks to @madrooster that all would be fine and it was. But I must admit it was stressful each time checking in for a flight.