Ticketing name not matching passport

[supa007]

Hi all,

Need some advice. Recently made an award booking BNE-SIN-SFO for June 17' on SQ32 A350 in J with Velocity. Didn't realise that I didn't enter my middle name when I registered my velocity account 10 yrs ago. So, now the problem is that the booking name doesn't match my passport (missing middle name).

Velocity agent said that they can't just add my middle name to the booking and will have to cancel, then rebook the flight. As can be expected, SIN-SFO award availability is non-existent. So there's a great risk that once my existing booking is cancelled and the award seat released, they can't guarantee that they'll be able to get the seat back.

I've tried contacting SQ directly and their agent was initially very happy to change the booking name for me, until they realised that Velocity holds the booking... Then they dumped me back to Velocity agent again...

What can/should I do in this case?
Leave it and take the chance that I'll come across a nice check-in agent whom'll let me continue with my journey?
Or persist with cancelling then rebook, with risk I won't get SIN-SFO sector back and end up cancelling my trip entirely...

Any suggestion / help appreciated.

Kevin

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'd suggest you need do nothing. Passengers travel without middle names frequently and it won't matter. Yours is a common issue which causes lots of angst prior to departure, but rarely, if ever, actually causes problems. (I can't think of a case where it's been reported as a problem or boarding has been denied.) It is likely the check-in agent won't even notice it.

For security purposes, your passport is scanned at check-in and the exact name and details on the passport are transmitted to whichever authorities require it (if any). But that's a separate process from your boarding pass or being allowed to fly.

 

[Dr Ralph]

I'd do nothing. Everything should be fine.

 

[supa007]

Thanks for the reassurance MEL.

But there seem to be 2 vastly different opinions on the forums about this matter of booking-passport name mis-match. One camp suggesting that honest mistakes like minor typos / shortened names / wrong ordered names / missing middle names etc. are so common that it won't stop people from flying, and the other camp demands full and complete match or else all hell breaks loose!

I am inclined to believe check-in agents aren't there to ruin peoples' holidays over missing middle names, but it may be a very different story now that security is taken absolutely seriously in this era of heightened awareness to risks. And no, I don't have an Arabic / Middle Eastern name.

If Velocity can't resolve the issue without cancelling my booking first, then I'll just leave it to the hopefully sensible check-in agent.

 

[supa007]

Thanks Dr Ralph.

By the way, which check-in counter do I turn up at? Virgin or SQ?

 

[mannej]

Thanks Dr Ralph.

By the way, which check-in counter do I turn up at? Virgin or SQ?

At the checkin counter of the operating carrier.

 

[Meggsy]

Provided the spelling of your first/last names on your booking is identical to that in your passport you will be fine. I have never had my middle name on a ticket for any international travel and have never had an issue.

Check in is at the SQ counter in BNE.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks for the reassurance MEL.

But there seem to be 2 vastly different opinions on the forums about this matter of booking-passport name mis-match. One camp suggesting that honest mistakes like minor typos / shortened names / wrong ordered names / missing middle names etc. are so common that it won't stop people from flying, and the other camp demands full and complete match or else all hell breaks loose!

I am inclined to believe check-in agents aren't there to ruin peoples' holidays over missing middle names, but it may be a very different story now that security is taken absolutely seriously in this era of heightened awareness to risks. And no, I don't have an Arabic / Middle Eastern name.

If Velocity can't resolve the issue without cancelling my booking first, then I'll just leave it to the hopefully sensible check-in agent.

As I said... this is a common issue and causes a lot of angst prior to departure. Once at the airport nothing happens, the passenger gets their boarding pass and off they go. You don't have to rely on the check-in agent to do anything... in fact don't even mention it. The check-in agent can't change your booking, and if you make a big deal out if it the check-in agent may decide to send you off for re-ticketing.

I'd estimate 100% of my tickets don't include my middle name. It's considered a non-issue. [touches wood!] That includes flights to the USA.

 

[N860CR]

I stuffed one up recently where I was booking an intl flight in the back of the taxi on the way to the airport.

Either through my error or a mobile website error, the ticket was issued with my first and last name reversed.

It took the agent 15 seconds longer to print the boarding pass but he couldn't have cared less. Hardest part was getting frequent flyer points to post.

 

[DC3]

... Didn't realise that I didn't enter my middle name when I registered my velocity account 10 yrs ago. So, now the problem is that the booking name doesn't match my passport (missing middle name).

All I can add is that flying a number of times to/from the USA and into parts of Asia and Europe, I have never used my middle name on any of the tickets (first name, family name, only), whereas my middle name appears in my passport. Nothing has ever been said by anyone.

 

[deejo77]

Don't recall my middle name on my tickets........however most of the time the airlines can't put my first name in with the correct spelling due to system limitations......hyphen is not good do not do it to your kids!!! I would leave the ticket alone.

 

[I love to travel]

Agree with comments above no middle name is fine as long as last and first names are correct

 

[supa007]

Thank you all. I feel much better now.

Lesson learnt. All frequent flyer membership details now updated.

 

[Cynicor]

Never use a middle name in bookings, it just adds something else that can go wrong!

 

[RooFlyer]

Thank you all. I feel much better now.
Lesson learnt. All frequent flyer membership details now updated.

You can take even more comfort by the fact that a reply to a question, where everyone (so far!) agrees, is almost unheard of here.

 

[supa007]

Good bunch of knowledgable ppl here.

 

[JohnM]

You can take even more comfort by the fact that a reply to a question, where everyone (so far!) agrees, is almost unheard of here.

And if RF agrees, you can be assured you're on a winner :mrgreen:.

 

[JohnM]

I recently booked some QFF redemption flights on QR over the phone through QF as online booking wouldn't work. I was informed that QR requires the middle name and DOB.

That's the only time I've encountered such a requirement that I can recall. I'll bet that when it comes to flying it will make no difference...

 

[get me outta here]

Agreed. I already have 'problem' first and last names, no need to bring the middle one in too.

Never use a middle name in bookings, it just adds something else that can go wrong!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Do not worry in the slightest as your first and last names are correct.

The ground handler doing your checkin at BNE Intl for SQ is Menzies Aviation and they would be used to seeing pax with Singaporean passports who won't always have names in the passports identical to than of the booking.

Some pax will have an English first name tacked on to the end of their Chinese name.

Some Singaporean passports also have two versions of an Asian name like a Chinese one and/or a Malay or Singaporean one. Someone from Singapore may be able to add further to that.

Again, no need to worry. Just make sure than if stopping in SIN your passport needs to be valid for at least 6 months.