[Anonymous]

[MartynSinclair]

In my sheer excitement of being able to use Avios points for redemption tickets, I have miss pelt by one letter the name on the ticket.

This is a BA Avios booking flying on Cathay. Does anyone know how much of a problem this will be and how best to address the issue.

Many thanks

[AndyInSweden]

I travelled with CX over Christmas and had the same problem with a revenue ticket.

I was told by my travel agent (who contacted CX) that CX updated the booking with the correct spelling. CX could not influence the authorities/immigration in HKG who has a strict rule that name must match the passport. My guess is that some immigration officers are overzealous (not just in HKG but all over the world) but I did not have any problems.

It all worked fine and I did not have any problems in CPH, LHR, HKG or DPS on any of my flights.

I hope everything works out for you.

[LuganoPirate]

Excitement or too much revellery perhaps Martyn? 😉

Seriously though, this has happened to me a few times in the past and a quick call to the service centre to explain and the ticket was re-issued correctly without fuss or charge.

[Swissdiver]

Got something similar on regular tickets (inversion of first and last name, letter missing, …). Normally they can’t change the PNR. What they can do is adding a message in the file. A quick explanation then should suffice. At least it did for me.

[Swissdiver]

LP: How full were these flights? Were you told you could risk to loose your bookings or something similar? Or is it totally different when it comes to rewards and airlines can do almost whatever they want?

[MartynSinclair]

Thanks everyone. I will call CX later today, but am no longer too concerned.

LuganoPirate – it was sheer excitement. Having too many banked airmiles, I have not tried to use them as the general concensus from the forum, with 1 exception, was that they are very difficult to use.

On 3 occasions in the the 2 months, I have managed to use miles on chosen dates. The first time, UK-Florida – 2 seats, (Virgin), and this week a BKK run and BKK/HKG/BKK – 2 seats, using BA/QF/CX all on chosen dates. The latter 2 in business.

I estimate the value of all these free tickets, in the region of £6,000. Not a bad way to start the New Year.

Not b

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Martyn

That’s great for you.

I have just tried four different destinations, with flexibility on dates and got nowhere.

[MartynSinclair]

DoS – the only common factor between the 3 flights, they were all booked inside 20 days of travel dates.

I have had no luck yet in sorting out a grand Asia holiday for Mrs S and myself, courtesy of Avios in F on BA for 2012.

[LuganoPirate]

Swissdiver, the flights were all pretty full, and I was given no threats or warnings at all. They just changed the name without fuss telling me it happens quite often.

[capetonianm]

I would not worry in the majority of cases. When I worked in airlines we used to see this all the time, speically with names transcribed from other alphabets.

With Western names, if ‘Robertson’ was spelt as ‘Robetson’ or ‘Robartson’ for example, Petersen as Pedersen, and so on, as long as all the other details matched, it would be ignored or over-ridden.

[first_class_please]

The main thing looked at is if it is a mistake, or quite clearly a different passenger.

Missing a letter, or wrong spelling, ie Martin instead of Martyn, not an issue.

Now if it said, Robert for example, then there is a problem that the ticket is quite clearly not intended for the passport holder.

I’ve travelled with miss spellings and first name / last name transversed with never any issue.

Airline want to make sure It’s the passport holder travelling and immigration want to be sure he passport holder has a valid KSA and isn’t on any watch list, generally they are not even interested in a ticket.

I wouldn’t worry about it at all.

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