Can I fly if my middle name is spelled wrong?

If you've misspelled your middle name when booking your flight, you likely don't need to do anything at all. Airlines rely most heavily on passengers' first and last names. Some airlines don't print middle names on boarding passes even when it was included with the booking.



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You can change the name on most flight tickets but the airline will normally charge you an administration fee to do so. Some airlines will allow you to change the name on your reservation because of a spelling mistake but won't allow you to transfer your flight to somebody else.

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Under the TSA's rules, the name on your boarding pass must match your government-issued ID. However, if you're missing your middle name on your boarding pass, it shouldn't be an issue. That's because your airline profile and/or the information on your ticket will match your Secure Flight passenger information.

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Answer: As part of the TSA's Secure Flight Program, the names on airline tickets must match the name on passports. We recommend that you contact the airline you are traveling with to see if they can provide a solution for the name mismatch.

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All Delta Air Lines reservations require a valid first, middle, and last name as provided by the passenger. Initials, in lieu of a first, middle, or last name, are not permitted. See Delta's TSA Secure Flight page for more information.

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The cost of changing the name on your flight ticket will depend entirely on the airline. Some airlines allow one free correction per ticket. Others will charge a “correction fee” or a “change fee” that can range from $50 to $200.

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Many reservations systems do not have a middle name field, so they just combine it with your first name.

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Further, passengers can correct any spelling mistake on the ticket at any time, free of cost. In case you have entered the nick-name in the form by mistake, you can change it and get along with the photo ID at the check-in time at the airport.

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This is to ensure that all passengers have been screened against the government's watchlist and are approved to fly. Not only does the TSA have the right to deny you at the security checkpoint, but many airlines also have a cutoff point for making name changes to reservations.

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The passport name should match your proof of citizenship (typically birth certificate) and proof of identity (typically driver's license). So clearly the SS card and passport can be different. Indeed, there are few times you should ever have to show passport and Social Security card at the same time.

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However, while it's encouraged as a best practice, the TSA does not explicitly require a middle name on airline tickets. As CBP notes in the statement above, even if the name on your ticket isn't an exact match to your identification, TSA will attempt to verify your identity in other ways before you board.

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So long as your name in your booking — not your boarding pass — matches your ID, you should be okay. In case of uncertainty, promptly contact your airline's customer service to avoid any potential issues, advises Thai.

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What's really happening is that airlines want to control their revenue. In the days when you could transfer tickets, consolidators would scoop up the cheap ones and resell them, negating the airline's ability to move the ticket price around as demand ebbed and flowed.

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If a booked passenger's name is incorrect on the ticket, get the airline (or other carrier) to change the mistake before your trip, especially if you are going overseas. You could be denied boarding if this is not corrected. The name on your ticket must match your ID and/or passport. This is a security concern.

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