When booking air tickets there was a mistake in the last name. There was an error in the air ticket. What to do? How to fix? How many mistakes are allowed on an airline ticket?

The wonderful opportunity to buy air tickets without leaving home imposes additional responsibility for the correct execution of the document. Statistics show that users who type their own name into a field on a website make more mistakes than cashiers who work with foreign, sometimes complex, unusual-sounding last names, first names and patronymics. Is inattention when filling out an electronic form so dangerous? Here, as in any document, there are a lot of subtleties. Let's try to figure out what to do if an error crept into the air ticket.

What should you do if there is an error on your e-ticket?

Formally, all information indicated on the ticket must be correct, i.e. current and free of errors. Therefore, the easiest way to avoid possible unpleasant consequences is to double-click on the “make changes to the ticket” tab, but in most cases this operation is paid. Is it really necessary?
After all, everyone around is talking about the “rule of 3 typos.” Yes, such a rule exists, however, it is impossible to see documentary evidence of this rule, since the rule is unspoken. Whether it will be applied in practice depends on the airline, as well as on what kind of mistake was made. Each carrier sets its own procedure for correcting certain errors in tickets.

On the other hand, if the “rule of 3 typos” is not documented, what should the Chinese do, whose surnames from hieroglyphs can be written in Latin in at least ten variants? But somehow they fly.

In any case, having identified an inaccuracy, you must contact the operators of the electronic ticket office where the ticket was purchased, or directly the airline to resolve this issue. If the detected errors are minor, then a decision can be made in favor of the client without additional payment, but you may have to pay a fine, the amount of which depends on the carrier.

Possible consequences of mistakes made on an air ticket

If a mistake is made in the first or last name, then most air carriers will use the same “three mistakes” rule, but only if the sound of the name does not change. A typo in the first, capital letters can turn into a problem. All this, of course, applies mainly to international flights, where passenger data is indicated in transcription. Three errors on a ticket intended for a domestic flight, when the name is written in the native language (Russian), are unlikely to seem insignificant to the air carrier. Please note that airline software often limits the last name field to twelve characters, which is not an error and does not require correction. Separately, it should be mentioned that not all carriers indicate passport data on tickets, which makes it difficult to identify passengers in case of errors.

Typos made in passport data or date of birth are usually quite correctable, but they should be taken seriously. The passport number and series are the information on the basis of which personal identification occurs, therefore, any document replacement or typographical errors must be reported to the airline so that changes can be made to the database.

As for status designations, they are indicated only for ease of reference. Therefore, if instead of “Mr” there is “Miss” in this field, then it’s okay. These records have no legal force.

Refund of electronic air ticket

In case of a typo in the date and time of departure, as well as in the presence of other significant errors, the ticket will be returned and another one will be purchased. This operation is carried out on the basis of the carrier’s internal rules. The exchange mechanism and penalties depend on the booking class and fare. As a rule, additional costs will be required, and some rates are not refundable at all. Moreover, the cheapest tickets have the most stringent requirements. You should begin to resolve the current problem in advance.

It should be understood that the strictness of air carriers, which involves changing tickets, is not dictated by self-interest. It’s just that the check-in procedure is carried out by airport staff, and not by airline staff. In this connection, there is a possibility of not getting on board, even if verbal assurances are received that the error is insignificant.

Let's look at different cases one by one. First of all, let's find out:

How many mistakes are allowed on an airline ticket?

This question arises for many people. As practice has shown, people manage to make a large number of mistakes with a small amount of data. (I’ll tell you how to avoid making mistakes on an air ticket at the bottom of this article)

If you have flights within the Russian Federation, there is no need to worry too much. (If you have to fly within the Russian Federation, then you will be put on the plane using any identification document with a number and photo (except for a driver’s license). If you have to fly across the border, it is better to make changes, since the uniform IATA standards (International Air Transport Association ), there are no typos in the passenger’s first and last name.

There are many rumors on the Internet that allegedly up to 3 mistakes are allowed on an airline ticket. But, in fact, such a rule does not exist, and each airline makes a decision according to its own rules. Let's look at them in order.

1. The first letter of the last name is written incorrectly.

This is the most unpleasant error, especially if the error is in the first letter. It is by the first letter that people always look for you as passengers on a flight. If the error is in other letters, then all solutions are similar to a simpler error in the name, which I will talk about later.

What to do?

If this is due to your carelessness, then there is only one solution to the problem - call the airline. The fact is that different airlines have completely different approaches to solving this issue.

What they can offer you:

2. The first name is written incorrectly or the first letter of the last name is not written.

This already makes a lot easier. There's a good chance this doesn't need to be changed at all, but it's best to call the airline. Unfortunately, some airlines are very strict about spelling. But the case is simpler and needs to be approached more simply.

Here's a typical example:

Today I discovered an error in my last name in my Ryanair booking (1 letter was missing, not the first). I tried to change it on the website, but was extremely upset when I saw a fee of 110 euros, when the ticket price was 120 euros.

On the Ryanair website, I wrote to an online consultant, who immediately advised me to call +44 871 2460003 and ask to make changes. The consultant assured that this service is free of charge.

I started calling. For some reason, I couldn’t get through from my work landline, despite the fact that work called America and Europe more than once. I decided to call via Skype. Within three minutes the missing letter was added to the reservation. Everything is free. Such a happy ending!

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3. The passport number on the ticket is incorrect.

Most often it doesn't matter. Passport number is information that is requested at the initiative of the airline. In many cases, you will not be asked for it at all when purchasing an air ticket. For your own peace of mind, you can make a remark or change it, but this is not necessary. Although I still recommend making a call.

At Aeroflot, for example, this can be done at the ticket office, although there are other ways. For example, we once bought a ticket for our daughter even before she received her international passport. At the same time, they indicated a non-existent passport number upon purchase (they took her mother’s passport number), and then simply changed it for free at the ticket office. Although this could not have been done at all.

There are airlines that may tell you that you need to take your old passport with you. I recommend following this advice.

4. You made a mistake when specifying the flight date or time.

In this case, it is necessary to change the air ticket. Any tricks will not work, since they will not be able to put you on a plane that does not have a seat for you. As a rule, you can change the date and time of departure either with a large fine or you need to buy a new ticket. Moreover, it is often even cheaper to buy it than to replace it. But in any case, the best thing to do is call the airline and ask for help. Maybe you'll get lucky.

5. Incorrect gender or method of address

No one really cares what gender you consider yourself to be or what you prefer to be called. You don't even have to call anyone. I once, by mistake, wrote that I was Mrs. Registration went well. So we just forget about this error.

6. Incorrect date of birth or address

The information is not important. Most likely there will be no problems, but I still recommend calling or contacting support. Although with a high degree of probability this will not be necessary.

Remark - in this case, these are explanations that are given to the airline services at your request. At the same time, corrections may not be sent to you by email, but remain only in the airline’s system.

Notes.

An easy way to avoid mistakes on an air ticket, and at the same time make your life easier when you need to fill out information for several people flying together.

What cases have you had involving errors on a ticket and what were the consequences? Tell us in the comments at the bottom of the page.

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It often happens that a person makes mistakes on an air ticket when issuing it, especially if this is done through the website. We'll tell you how many typos are allowed and what to do in each option. After all, you can enter the wrong letter or number anywhere in the document, and in each situation this will lead to different consequences.

Today, travelers are increasingly using electronic check-in and ticketing systems. Thus, you can carry out the procedure without even leaving your home or work office. And when using ready-made forms, it only takes a few minutes. But it is precisely this ease and accessibility that leads to many typos made when filling out.

How many mistakes are allowed on an airline ticket?

Travelers often say that the presence of 1-3 inaccuracies in the indication of passport data on an electronic document does not lead to serious consequences. But the main difference is whether you are flying within the Russian Federation or going abroad, as well as the carriers you choose. Some of them are quite strict regarding filling out personal data when completing documents.

Therefore, you should initially ask what rules exist in the company whose services you want to use. And although the unspoken “rule of three mistakes” often applies, serious problems can still arise with some typos. Then you will either not be allowed on the plane or will be forced to pay a large fine.

What to do?

Depending on what kind of mistake was made and where you filled out the document, the measures taken to eliminate it differ. If this is a carrier’s website or a special electronic system for booking tickets, then it is better to contact the operators on the hotline and ask what they can offer from the available actions to correct the problem.

Many similar resources have personal accounts that have a separate button for editing the entered data. True, they often turn out to be paid. In each case, you should also take into account which airline you booked your ticket with.

Some of them will not pay attention to typos; it is enough for them that the number and series of the passport, as well as the photo, correspond to the real person providing the document. In other cases, you will have to pay a large sum for the error.

Types and consequences of errors

Most often, the severity of a typo depends on where exactly it was made. The most common ones are:

1. There is an error in the spelling of the first name, last name or patronymic, but not the first letter. In this case, the problem may lie in the incorrect spelling of any of the words, or in changing their correct sequence. Such a typo rarely leads to problems, especially if the flight is made within our country. Most carriers won't even notice the discrepancy. This often happens as a result of converting the Cyrillic alphabet to the Latin alphabet. Therefore, try to accurately indicate all the data by analogy with a foreign passport.
2. A much more serious problem is the incorrect spelling of the first letter of the surname. After all, it is precisely by this that passengers are searched for on the lists and, more often than not, only this is what they pay attention to. A typo in the first letter must be corrected, otherwise you may not get on the plane.
3. An error in the date of birth is less scary and problematic. Still, try to check these numbers carefully, because some airlines are strict in this regard. Usually it is not difficult to correct such an oversight by calling the operator on time.
4. Incorrect passport data (series and number) - in some cases this is considered a minor typo not worth attention, in others it will make it impossible to use the ticket or even make any corrections. Many airlines establish the passenger’s identity using this data, and when providing a passport, they correct other typos for free. It is better to ask in advance whether the operator will be able to make a remark and correct them if an error is made in the number or series of the passport.
5. Flight date and time – here it is advisable to be especially careful and check the ticket several times. Very often, on the websites of carriers or electronic ticket offices, the month of arrival is not the one needed. And if you make the slightest mistake here, you won’t be able to get on the plane. After all, they won’t be able to check you in for a non-existent flight or put you on one on which you are not listed as a passenger. Any changes in this place are fraught with large fines, but more often you will have to buy another ticket.
6. Gender and method of address is the most insignificant mistake that hardly anyone will pay attention to. Whether you put “Mrs.” or “Mr.” before your own name is of no interest to anyone. A person today has the right to consider himself a man or a woman, regardless of his real status.

Each carrier has its own rules regarding filling out tickets, errors made and how to edit them. Therefore, in a specific situation, it is advisable to contact the operators of a particular service and clarify this issue. In most cases, the problem will be fixed over the phone and free of charge. Although sometimes you will have to pay a fine for this or resolve the issue on the spot, at the airport.

How to fix a typo?

Even typing one letter incorrectly can result in you not getting on your flight or having to pay double the price for your ticket. But there is no need to panic ahead of time. Try to find out exactly what accessible way you can fix the problem.

img-fotki.yandex.ru

To do this, a few days before departure, you should carefully review the document and contact the appropriate service. Start correcting errors a few days before registration, as this may take a long time.

There are the following options to solve the problem:

• Most often, a special note is included in the electronic ticket, which indicates that an error was made in a certain place and it must be corrected.
• In the most serious cases, you will have to change the document or buy it again. Experienced travelers even manage to find an excellent way out of such a situation and purchase a repeat air ticket at a reduced cost. After all, today there are many resources that hold sales for individual flights at certain hours or days.
• When correcting an error in your personal account on the website or over the phone, you will sometimes have to pay a fine. It can be insignificant or reach almost the same cost as a new ticket. It all depends on the type of typo, their number, time to contact support and the rules of the specific carrier whose services you are going to use.

Video: common problems when purchasing air tickets.

How not to make a mistake?

It has been noticed that when issuing tickets online, people often make serious mistakes in their first and last names, as well as other passport data. And there are many more of them than when filling out documents at a standard ticket office, where a professional operator works. And although he has to write down other people's surnames, which are often complex and difficult to pronounce, the specialist almost never makes typos.

But if you want to book air tickets yourself and do it at home, then you should follow these recommendations to reduce the risk of errors.

1. Many online resources of this kind have personal accounts; you can only enter your data into them once, after checking them first, and when you fill out the document, they will automatically be pulled up to the right place.
2. Try to carefully review and check the ticket immediately after issuing it and do this again a few days before departure so that you can correct everything in time.
3. For help in correction, always contact the agency that issued the document.
4. Study the rules of the airline whose services you are going to use so that you know exactly what points you should pay special attention to.
5. You can write down your data in a text document on your computer and simply copy it when filling out forms.
6. The most common mistake is to indicate the wrong month of arrival, so look at what exactly is displayed on the screen in a certain window.
7. Take your time and carefully check every letter and number; it’s better to spend a little more time initially than to get nervous and overpay for a minor mistake.

A completely stupid situation happened: I was buying an e-ticket from Ak-Bars Aero Airlines and I made a mistake in my passport number: I accidentally swapped two numbers, instead of “01” I wrote “10”. I noticed, of course, when after payment I received the itinerary receipt. I immediately called the airline. I must say that they answered me right away, and the girl was polite, who really sincerely tried to help, but the situation was complicated by the fact that the airline’s office is in Tatarstan, and I am in Moscow, and it is impossible to reissue a ticket at the office.

They gave me the phone number of a company representative in Moscow. I called and he told me that it all depends on the SABs (Domodedovo Airport), whether they decide to let us through or not, the airlines don’t care. Gave me the number of SABs. I called, and the number on that number said (the girl was also very polite) that they could only advise on issues of transporting weapons and recommended that I contact the airport information desk.

I called the airport information desk. There they told me that the decision in such cases is made by the airline, and that I need to call them.

I (already giggling) called the airline again.
The girl who was talking to me was very surprised that my information was so different from hers. I tried to get someone from the authorities, but apparently I couldn’t, so I never received a clear answer to the question of whether they would let me in. They say that it doesn’t seem to be fatal, but who knows what will happen to someone.

Then I asked about re-issuing the ticket. I was told that it cannot be re-registered, it can only be handed over. To do this, you need to download the application form on the website. The application states “Application for voluntary refusal of transportation,” which may entail fines that you do not want to pay.

Paragraph 69 states that if the ticket is incorrectly issued, the carrier must make every effort to establish the fact that a contract of carriage has been concluded, and if it has indeed been concluded, the passenger is accepted for carriage.

Paragraph 78 says that a passenger with a properly issued ticket is accepted for registration. I don’t know how this fits in with paragraph 69. This probably means that they must establish the fact of the conclusion of the contract and issue a new ticket.

Paragraph 227 states that the passenger has the right to be forced to refuse transportation if the ticket is incorrectly issued by the carrier or agent.

In this regard, I have questions:

1. How important is an unmistakably written passport number - based on experience or in accordance with existing regulatory documents? What is the likelihood that they will calmly let me onto the plane without paying attention to it? Domestic flight. There is an opinion that up to three errors are allowed in the full name, but information is widespread on the Internet that this applies specifically to the first and last name, and not the ID number.

2. If the passport number is critical: if I arrive at the airport with the wrong ticket, the card that was used to pay for it, a bank account statement confirming the transfer of airline funds, confirmation of payment sent to me by email, etc., will they be able to re-issue a ticket at the airport, given that, apparently, there is no full-fledged airline office there?

3. If reissuing a ticket is impossible, can an incorrect passport number, which cannot be changed, be considered “incorrect registration of a ticket by the carrier” (I understand that I entered it myself, but suddenly), on the basis of which one can demand forced refusal of transportation?

If anyone knows the answers to these questions or has experienced something similar, I would be grateful for the information. Of course, I’m terribly ashamed that I bought e-tickets so many times and then messed up with the numbers, but something needs to be done.

Air travel is the most common, fastest and most comfortable way of modern travel around the world. But it is also the most responsible in terms of preparing for it: this is not a train or a bus, from which you can get off at any stop if something goes wrong. Therefore, when registering air tickets, security services carefully check the correctness of filling out, and if errors are detected, the passenger may have problems, including the inability to fly.

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Usually, when booking tickets online, all websites provide detailed, clear instructions on how to fill out the fields. But practice shows that mistakes, typos, and distortions made by a potential air passenger often occur. For this purpose, there is even insurance against the impossibility of departure, which includes cases of incorrect filling out of the electronic air ticket. It (insurance) can be ordered from the operator of the ticket sales company. But there is always an opportunity to correct any inaccuracies or errors in the air ticket. This article is devoted to this problem.

The official international alphabet used when filling out personal data on air tickets is the Latin alphabet. Some Russian air carriers allow the use of Russian letters along with Latin letters on domestic routes. Various errors occur when filling out, there is a kind of statistics of errors made.

Incorrect spelling of the first letter of the last name

This is one of the most annoying typos, because it is the first letter that is used to search for passengers on the departure list.

If you discover an error before your flight (this is good), call the airline and ask for help. Here everything depends on the status of the company: they may simply offer to correct the letter or make a change in your personal account on the ticket booking website. Some airlines (KLM, British Airways, Easy Jet, Air Asia, Ryanair, etc.) provide this service free of charge, while some (Emirates, Wizz Air) require a penalty fee. In the latter case, you can correct the letter at the airport after paying the fine. The worst option is when you have to change your air ticket with a significant surcharge (depending on the airline).

Russian airlines are less picky: if a typo does not affect the correct pronunciation of a surname, it is not required to be corrected. But following the letter of the law on flights, it is worth warning about the error before the flight.
A day or more before departure, UT Air and S7 will make changes to the b/p online; “Ural Airlines” - for correcting each error (no more than 3) they charge 500 rubles; Aeroflot - service. fee – 800 rub.; “Victory” - 4000 rubles.

Distortion of a letter in the name or any subsequent (except for the first) letter of the surname

This flaw is not so serious, and they may not even pay attention to it during registration. But you should still play it safe and call the airline or the ticket purchase site to find out their reaction and follow these recommendations for correcting the error. Most likely, you won’t have to pay anything for the correction, judging by the reviews of tourists who already have sad experience of mistakes. However, some overly strict air carriers (UIA) may impose punitive measures up to and including replacing the air ticket.

The series or number of the passport is inaccurately indicated

Often this is not an obstacle to departure, but it is better to correct it by notifying the airline in advance. Aeroflot and S7 do it for free, and VIM-Avia did it before the bankruptcy. Pobeda and Ural Airlines will make corrections for 400-500 rubles.

Incorrect address and date of birth

Address and date of birth are not the most important information for registration, but to avoid troubles, it is worth informing the support service of the service where you booked the ticket and warning about the inaccuracy. The airline will be aware and will not make any claims upon boarding. The date of birth is of interest to inspectors on domestic Russian flights if 2 people are registered - complete namesakes.

Error in specifying gender or status (treatment)

There is no need to worry about this; you have the right to decide for yourself your gender and how to address you. If you write “Mr” instead of “Miss”, there will be no problems with relegation.

Error in middle name

According to existing flight rules, it is customary to indicate a middle name only when flying on Russian airlines. If you fly domestic planes, it is better to fix it before departure. The standards of Western airlines most often do not require writing a middle name; such a field is not even present on the ticket in most cases.

Writing your full name in Latin

When filling out the field with your last name, first name, patronymic in Latin letters, you need to carefully check their spelling with your passport to avoid troubles when boarding. It is enough to enter one letter incorrectly - and there will be a problem, especially when the air ticket is checked by foreign border guards. Russians understand different sounds of the same name, for example, Nataliia and Natalia (Natalia and Natalia), but for foreigners these are completely different names, and they have the right to find fault if there are discrepancies with the passport data. Some Russian airlines allow you to fill out fields (indicate your full name) in both Latin and Russian letters on domestic flights.

Booking an air ticket using your country's passport

When purchasing a ticket using an internal passport, you should still write your last name, first name, and patronymic (the latter is not always required) in English. In the English alphabet, some nuances have appeared in the designations of letters (“ts” has been designated as ts instead of tc since 2014). To avoid mistakes, you need to open the transliteration table and check your spellings against it. The table contains Russian letters and, in parallel, English ones. Examples of surnames of famous personalities in English transcription are given. Using such a table will help you avoid mistakes in writing personal data and will guarantee a hassle-free, smooth flight. But if mistakes are made, they must be corrected in time.

Purchasing an air ticket abroad without a passport or with an expired passport

Almost all foreign airlines do not require you to enter your passport information when booking a ticket, so you can purchase it without a passport. As for the internal expired document, you can buy an air ticket with it, and make changes before departure: instead of old data, enter new ones. The same thing awaits girls planning to get married and change their last name after booking a ticket. They should notify the airline's customer service or call the call center and present a scanned copy of the marriage certificate.

• Aeroflot, Pobeda, British Airways will make changes free of charge.
• On Ural Airlines, you will have to buy a ticket again for the domestic route, just like with Air India.
• Cathay Pacific will require a fee ($150).
• Changing passport data varies from company to company. For example, in UT Air, S7, Aeroflot, they correct the number free of charge, provided that there is more than a day before departure. 12-20 hours before landing you will have to pay a service fee to UT Air.

The fee for changing the passport number must be paid at Ural Airlines (500 rubles), at Pobeda (500 rubles). (By the way, Pobeda has just announced 50 percent discounts on air tickets).

Booking air tickets with intermediary companies makes it difficult to correct errors in flight documents: you communicate not directly with the air carrier, but through it. It is better to try to purchase tickets directly from the airline, where there are often greater discounts than on online sales services. Of course, if an intermediary offers an air ticket at half the price, then it is more profitable to order from him, but you need to be very careful when filling it out. Remember that the vast majority of airlines make changes no later than 2 days before departure, check your travel documents in advance.

When filling out data for several people, enter information about them in one text file, copy everything and send it to the service website, which will automatically indicate them on air tickets. It’s faster to send one file than separately for each person, and there’s less chance of errors.