What To Do If Your Name Is Wrong On Your Boarding Pass

While it might not be quite as jarring as discovering your name is spelled wrong on your passport, spotting something wrong on your boarding pass is certainly a frustrating experience. In most cases, getting little errors fixed is not too difficult. For small discrepancies, the airline's customer service will be able to help you out. Bigger mistakes and name changes can pose bigger problems.

In most cases, as soon as you notice an error, you should contact the airline immediately. Generally, all you need to do is call or chat with its customer service and explain what happened. Usually, this is totally free for small errors, but some airlines may charge you a change fee. Depending on the airline, you are typically not allowed to make a major name change without proof you've legally changed it. If you booked your flights through a booking service like Expedia, you may have to reach out to the third-party site instead of the airline — which can prove both trickier and pricier.

As you check your boarding pass to see the sequence number, you spot it: a glaring typo right in the middle of your name. If your last name is first (Smith John), your names have been smooshed together into one long word (JohnSmith), or only half of your middle name is there, don't worry. That's probably just the way your name was printed on the pass and shouldn't make any difference at all to security. However, if it's really wrong, you're going to need to get it fixed.

Maybe your finger slipped, and there's a random K at the end of your surname, or perhaps you just realized that whoever bought your ticket used your nickname instead of your legal first name (think Mary instead of Mary Elizabeth or Joe instead of Joseph). These are minor issues, but you'll still need to contact the airline for help fixing them. If you're already at the airport, head to the check-in desk and handle this issue in person. They should be able to get everything straightened out quickly and get you on your flight.

For those whose name is totally different from what's printed on their boarding pass, fixing it can be more difficult — but it should still be doable and typically free. If you legally changed your name, you may just have to provide proof in advance or at the airport. Contact customer service or go to the check-in desk as early as you can with a court order or your new marriage certificate and your updated ID.

If you have to cancel your vacation plans but don't have a refundable ticket, it may be tempting just to change the name on your plane ticket and send a lucky friend in your place. Unfortunately, these changes generally aren't allowed. Plane tickets usually aren't transferable, and most airlines won't help you swap your name for somebody else's (if they do, it will likely cost a hefty extra fee). This is partially for security reasons and partially because it allows airlines to control the price of tickets without worrying about resellers.