Why a middle name or a swapped surname causes real problems, and what it costs to fix after ticketing.
Airlines match names mechanically
Check-in systems compare the name on the ticket against the travel document. They are not looking for a reasonable resemblance — a mismatch can stop you boarding.
The usual culprits: a middle name included on one and not the other, given name and surname entered the wrong way round, or a married name that the passport has not caught up with.
Fixing it gets harder after ticketing
Before the ticket is issued, a correction is usually straightforward. Afterwards it depends entirely on the fare rules: some allow a minor correction for a fee, some require cancelling and rebuying at whatever the fare is that day.
Thirty seconds that saves the trip
Read the names on your confirmation against the passports themselves, not from memory, and tell us the moment something looks wrong. Early is cheap.
General guidance, not advice on your specific ticket. What your fare permits is set by the operating carrier’s own rules — ask us and we will read you the conditions that actually apply.
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