[lesmclaren]

My partner [now wife] had booked a holiday with her friends for March prior to us deciding to get married with the tickets in her former name.
In the interim we got married and she was horrified to be charged NOK1,500 [~GBP150] for simply changing her name on the tickets to her married name.
We can understand if the ticket was being reissued to a third party but it seems a complete rip off by Norwegian to charge this amount [or in fact anything] if you simply get married.
So for those planning a honeymoon make sure you book the tickets in your married name!

[MartynSinclair]

Congratulations…

if the happy occasion only recently happened, why bother informing the airline. Plenty of women keep to their maiden name… if a decision is made in a few months to change names, then that’s something else…

[craigwatson]

I would be thanking Norwegian. If she had booked on almost any other airline in the world she would have had to book a whole new ticket and lose the original.

[capetonianm]

Most airlines charge a hefty fee for a name change regardless of the reason. There have been cases of airlines charging the full fee even where the name changes had to be made because of a small spelling mistake in the original entry.

[craigwatson]

That is standard industry practice, the only exception to this is the low cost carriers. The scheduled airlines do not allow name changes more than 3 characters. It is cancel and rebook at prevailing rate

[handbag]

Just had a look and as I thought , BA don’t charge for this type of change:

“Due to increases in airport security and immigration measures, you can’t travel on a ticket booked using your maiden name but have your passport in your married name, or travel on a ticket showing your married name and have your passport in your maiden name.

If you need to change your name on an existing ticket/booking to match your married or maiden name in your passport, please contact your nearest British Airways office. There’s no charge for this type of change, however if the taxes, fees and carrier charges on your ticket have changed since you made the booking we will need to take any additional money at this point. Please be ready to send us some proof of identity if we think it’s necessary.

A similar situation to above applies to any customers who have maybe got divorced and returned to their maiden name, or have changed their name by deed poll – simply contact your nearest British Airways office to make the necessary changes.

If you are a member of our Executive Club and you also now need to change the name on your account, we have an FAQ that explains how to do this .
Please be aware that we have a 24 hour “cooling-off period” in which you can cancel your booking and get a full refund, so if you think it’s easier to just cancel in this time and start again to correct your details, that’s fine – you can do this on ba.com yourself, using our Manage My Booking system.”

[canucklad]

Morning lesmcclaren
Handbags post beat me to it, was going to ask, what’s her name on her passport. If you’ve paid Norwegian for a name change for a ticket and she’s not got a new passport, she’ll need to do that now.

If the passport doesn’t match the ticket it’s a no go at the airport!!

By the by, I needed to resolve a ticketing issue with Norwegian (my fault) and I’d give them 10/10. No fuss, no palaver, problem resolved in a friendly efficient manner

[stevescoots]

About 5 years ago i booked a reward flight to Rome, going out of the UK i had no problem but checking in at Rome the desk would not let me board as the ticket said Steve instead of Stephen. To be fair it was my mistake as when i had registered for BA Exec I put down Steve and Thats what my reward flight was booked as. The Italian desk was adamant that I would have to buy a new ticket and despite mt protestations just showed me to the ticket desk. One call to BA for help and they issued a new ticket free of charge (and updated my details)

[LuganoPirate]

Oh for the days when you could just give your ticket to someone else and they could use it. Who remembers all the Aussies hanging out on the Haymarket, selling the return half of their airline ticket, buying second hand camper vans and touring Europe?

1 user thanked author for this post.

PeterCoultas

[lesmclaren]

Hi canuklad and handbags, Thanks for your message.
Indeed she had to update her passport to her new name along with all her other personal accounts because she was required to have the correct details filed against her married name on her Norwegian personal number. [the UK equivalent of NI number in essence although it is used far more extensively in Norway being an identification requirement].

[Ah,Mr.Bond]

150 quid for a name change on an air ticket – seems reasonable. Most carriers would tell you to buy a new ticket.

[Tassos]

It looks like you can claim a refund online here if it’s an official name change:

https://norwegian.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/286/~/official-name-change

1 user thanked author for this post.

penfold69

[christopheL]

I may be wrong but I think that a new married women doesn’t need to change her first name on any airline ticket as this first name will remain her first name for ever. Just have a look on her passport and check how her first name is printed on it.
France may be an exception but on French passports married women are identified with their former first name followed by the first name of there husband (provided they decided to use the latter) which means that there shouldn’t be any problem with a ticket booked using a former first name.

[LuganoPirate]

Just recently a friend of mine got married. The wife did take his surname but kept her original passport till she has flown all the flights pre-booked in her maiden name. In fact she’ll just keep the passport till it expires then apply for the new one in her new name.

I remember as a choirboy many many moons ago, the Vicar was authorised to hold the new passport and hand it over after the ceremony when they were legally married. Not today I guess?

[Author]

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