A guide to errors in an airline ticket: which airlines will allow you to fly. Air ticket error

Let's look at different cases one by one. First of all, let's find out:

How many mistakes are allowed on an airline ticket?

This question arises for many people. As practice has shown, people manage to make a large number of mistakes with a small amount of data. (I’ll tell you how to avoid making mistakes on an air ticket at the bottom of this article)

If you have flights within the Russian Federation, there is no need to worry too much. (If you have to fly within the Russian Federation, then you will be put on the plane using any identification document with a number and photo (except for a driver’s license). If you have to fly across the border, it is better to make changes, since the uniform IATA standards (International Air Transport Association ), there are no typos in the passenger’s first and last name.

There are many rumors on the Internet that allegedly up to 3 mistakes are allowed on an airline ticket. But, in fact, such a rule does not exist, and each airline makes a decision according to its own rules. Let's look at them in order.

1. The first letter of the last name is written incorrectly.

This is the most unpleasant error, especially if the error is in the first letter. It is by the first letter that people always look for you as passengers on a flight. If the error is in other letters, then all solutions are similar to a simpler error in the name, which I will talk about later.

What to do?

If this is due to your carelessness, then there is only one solution to the problem - call the airline. The fact is that different airlines have completely different approaches to solving this issue.

What they can offer you:

Make a remark (amendment) on the air ticket. This can often be free! To do this, you need to call the airline and follow a few simple steps under their guidance. If this is the case in your case, then you are lucky.

Make a change to the site, where you bought the air ticket, in your personal account. However, this may be a paid service. Its cost is sometimes close to the cost of an air ticket, and sometimes even more. For example, Finair has a fine for changing the name of 25 euros. This is done in your Finnair Plus account. Don't be lazy to call. It seems like nothing can be done, but it’s best to find out if it is possible to make a change at the airport. If this is the case, then get there early and try to check in with the wrong airline ticket first. Oddly enough, even the most strict airlines often succeed in this. And if it doesn’t work out, then pay the fine and change your name on the ticket right on the spot.

. With some airlines this can be done with a small penalty, but often only fuel and airport taxes are discounted. In this case, it is better to use the following advice. Try looking for other flights. Often there are some discounts. Moreover, in this case, travelers try more carefully to find cheaper tickets. Several carriers may fly on the same route - it is better to compare the prices of all.

2. The first name is written incorrectly or the first letter of the last name is not written.

This already makes a lot easier. There's a good chance this doesn't need to be changed at all, but it's best to call the airline. Unfortunately, some airlines are very strict about spelling. But the case is simpler and needs to be approached more simply.

Do nothing at all. Still, I would ask to make a note on the air ticket, just in case, for my own peace of mind. Moreover, it is not difficult and free.

Make a note on your air ticket. Agree and they will immediately tell you how to do it.

Make a change on the website in your personal account. If this service is paid, then I would not do this in this case - there is a high probability that no one will notice at all, even with a strict airline. It’s just that when registering, they look carefully only at the first letter; the rest may simply not be noticed. Advice, as a last resort, is to pay at the airport - see above.

Return your old airline ticket and buy a new one. This requirement occurs with airlines that do not allow any changes, for example, UIA. Decide for yourself, but keep in mind that there is always a danger that you will not be allowed on the flight.

Here's a typical example:

Today I discovered an error in my last name in my Ryanair reservation (1 letter was missing, not the first). I tried to change it on the website, but was extremely upset when I saw a fee of 110 euros, when the ticket price was 120 euros.

I wrote to an online consultant on the Ryanair website, who immediately advised me to call +44 871 2460003 and ask to make changes. The consultant assured that this service is free of charge.

I started calling. For some reason, I couldn’t get through from my work landline, despite the fact that work called America and Europe more than once. I decided to call via Skype. Within three minutes the missing letter was added to the reservation. Everything is free. Such a happy ending!

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3. The passport number on the ticket is incorrect.

Most often it doesn't matter. Passport number is information that is requested at the initiative of the airline. In many cases, you will not be asked for it at all when purchasing an air ticket. For your own peace of mind, you can make a remark or change it, but this is not necessary. Although I still recommend making a call.

At Aeroflot, for example, this can be done at the ticket office, although there are other ways. For example, we once bought a ticket for our daughter even before she received her international passport. At the same time, they indicated a non-existent passport number upon purchase (they took her mother’s passport number), and then simply changed it for free at the ticket office. Although this could not have been done at all.

There are airlines that may tell you that you need to take your old passport with you. I recommend following this advice.

4. You made a mistake when specifying the flight date or time.

In this case, it is necessary to change the air ticket. Any tricks will not work, since they will not be able to put you on a plane that does not have a seat for you. As a rule, you can change the date and time of departure either with a large fine or you need to buy a new ticket. Moreover, it is often even cheaper to buy it than to replace it. But in any case, the best thing to do is call the airline and ask for help. Maybe you'll get lucky.

5. Incorrect gender or method of address

No one really cares what gender you consider yourself to be or what you prefer to be called. You don't even have to call anyone. I once, by mistake, wrote that I was Mrs. Registration went well. So we just forget about this error.

6. Incorrect date of birth or address

The information is not important. Most likely there will be no problems, but I still recommend calling or contacting support. Although with a high degree of probability this will not be necessary.

Remark - in this case, these are explanations that are given to the airline services at your request. At the same time, corrections may not be sent to you by email, but remain only in the airline’s system.

Notes

If you bought an air ticket from intermediaries - in some kind of reservation system, then everything becomes a little more complicated, because you will have to communicate with them, and they will have to communicate with the airline. If it is possible and the price difference is not large, then it is better to buy a ticket directly from the airline, especially since it is often cheaper.

Most airlines allow changes up to 24 hours before the flight. Pay close attention to this. Please note that correspondence can take quite a long time.

An easy way to avoid mistakes on an air ticket, and at the same time make your life easier when you need to fill out information for several people flying together.

First of all, register on the service before booking. This will allow you to avoid mistakes in your name, email and other data. Most booking services will automatically add them to your ticket.

Write down all the data for all passengers in one text file in advance. And then just copy from it to the site. At the same time, input is much faster (the rule is to enter all data in 20 minutes), but most importantly, errors are practically eliminated.

Remember the most common mistake is a month mistake. This is due to the peculiarity of some systems to substitute other months for arrival. For example, you book a vacation for March 10-20. The first screen shows February-March, and the second shows March-April, and you can automatically point to the wrong month (April).

What cases have you had involving errors on a ticket and what were the consequences? Tell us in the comments at the bottom of the page.

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The wonderful opportunity to buy air tickets without leaving home imposes additional responsibility for the correct execution of the document. Statistics show that users who type their own name into a field on a website make more mistakes than cashiers who work with foreign, sometimes complex, unusual-sounding last names, first names and patronymics. Is inattention when filling out an electronic form so dangerous? Here, as in any document, there are a lot of subtleties. Let's try to figure out what to do if an error crept into the air ticket.

What should you do if there is an error on your e-ticket?

Formally, all information indicated on the ticket must be correct, i.e. current and free of errors. Therefore, the easiest way to avoid possible unpleasant consequences is to double-click on the “make changes to the ticket” tab, but in most cases this operation is paid. Is it really necessary?
After all, everyone around is talking about the “rule of 3 typos.” Yes, such a rule exists, however, it is impossible to see documentary evidence of this rule, since the rule is unspoken. Whether it will be applied in practice depends on the airline, as well as on what kind of mistake was made. Each carrier sets its own procedure for correcting certain errors in tickets.

On the other hand, if the “rule of 3 typos” is not documented, what should the Chinese do, whose surnames from hieroglyphs can be written in Latin in at least ten variants? But somehow they fly.

In any case, having identified an inaccuracy, you must contact the operators of the electronic ticket office where the ticket was purchased, or directly the airline to resolve this issue. If the detected errors are minor, then a decision can be made in favor of the client without additional payment, but you may have to pay a fine, the amount of which depends on the carrier.

Possible consequences of mistakes made on an air ticket

If a mistake is made in the first or last name, then most air carriers will use the same “three mistakes” rule, but only if the sound of the name does not change. A typo in the first, capital letters can turn into a problem. All this, of course, applies mainly to international flights, where passenger data is indicated in transcription. Three errors on a ticket intended for a domestic flight, when the name is written in the native language (Russian), are unlikely to seem insignificant to the air carrier. Please note that airline software often limits the last name field to twelve characters, which is not an error and does not require correction. Separately, it should be mentioned that not all carriers indicate passport data on tickets, which makes it difficult to identify passengers in case of errors.

Typos made in passport data or date of birth are usually quite correctable, but they should be taken seriously. The passport number and series are the information on the basis of which personal identification occurs, therefore, any document replacement or typographical errors must be reported to the airline so that changes can be made to the database.

As for status designations, they are indicated only for ease of reference. Therefore, if instead of “Mr” there is “Miss” in this field, then it’s okay. These records have no legal force.

Refund of electronic air ticket

In case of a typo in the date and time of departure, as well as in the presence of other significant errors, the ticket will be returned and another one will be purchased. This operation is carried out on the basis of the carrier’s internal rules. The exchange mechanism and penalties depend on the booking class and fare. As a rule, additional costs will be required, and some rates are not refundable at all. Moreover, the cheapest tickets have the most stringent requirements. You should begin to resolve the current problem in advance.

It should be understood that the strictness of air carriers, which involves exchanging tickets, is not dictated by self-interest. It’s just that the check-in procedure is carried out by airport staff, and not by airline staff. In this connection, there is a possibility of not getting on board, even if verbal assurances are received that the error is insignificant.

Given the general rhythm of life and everyday lack of time, many passengers independently arrange and book air tickets on the Internet. Often it is simply not possible to turn to professional ticket office workers. Therefore, an error on a plane ticket is a common occurrence and occurs all the time. Of course, this inaccuracy in the form of an incorrectly written or missing letter or number is always found, but often after registration and payment for the ticket. Practice shows that very often typos are made due to inattention and there are different types. Accordingly, solutions to correct them are not the same.

Airline ticket sales agents and airline employees themselves often refer to generally accepted rules that up to 3 (three) errors are allowed on one plane ticket. Of course, making 3 typos is an amazing fact, but one typo is far from uncommon for those who fly frequently. In reality, no uniform standards have been officially approved by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This statement is unspoken. Each company operates according to its own rules.

The most common inaccuracies and typos on a plane ticket:

mistake in the last name on the air ticket;
mistake in name on air ticket;
the address is incorrect;
the date and place of birth are incorrectly indicated;
inaccuracy in flight date or time;
The passport number is entered incorrectly;
The gender or method of address is incorrectly specified.

Let's figure out what to do if you are faced with such a situation.

Misspelled last name on airline ticket

The most common error encountered during registration is the last name on an electronic plane ticket. And the most difficult and unpleasant option is the incorrect spelling of the first letter of the surname. There is only one way out - call the airline and, having clarified the rules, make adjustments according to the carrier’s requirements. There may be several of them.

Make an amendment (remark) on the air ticket. If you are lucky, then under the guidance of a manager you will need to perform a series of actions, and it will be a free operation.
Make changes on the website in your personal account where you issued the ticket. In this case, the service will most likely be paid, and the cost may be close to the cost of the flight or more. For example, at Finair, for changing a first or last name through a Finnair Plus account, a fine of 25 euros has been approved, because the ticket is tied to the passenger’s last name and first name, and not passport data.
Make changes at the airport. A call to the airline will help you decide on the right solution. If you are given this option, then try to arrive at the airport with plenty of time and resolve this issue on the spot. You can try to check in with the wrong flight ticket. Practice shows that even the most strict companies sometimes allow this scenario to happen.
If it doesn’t work out, there is only one way out. You need to pay the fine on the spot and make corrections to your last name on the air ticket.
Return your incorrectly filled out old air ticket and purchase a new one. In this case, additional costs will apply. On many airlines, when replacing an old ticket with a new one, the discount is only on airport taxes and fuel surcharges, and the basic cost of the flight remains unchanged. Although there is also the option of replacing it by paying only a small fine.

If you are unlucky, and according to the rules of your company, a replacement is made only upon payment of the full amount, then you can try to find another company, because the closer the departure time, the greater the discounts offered to customers. It is possible to compare prices from several carrier companies.

A simpler accident is the incorrect spelling of a name or any letter in a surname except the first.

In this case, the likelihood that you won’t need to change anything increases several times. It all depends on the rules of the air carrier. But in order to make sure of this, you must definitely call the air carrier or the reservation department. Let's look at what options they can offer you.

Don't do anything at all. That is, do not make any corrections. Still, it’s better to ask to make an amendment to your plane ticket for your own peace of mind. This procedure is simple and is performed free of charge.
Make an amendment (remark) to the air ticket. This output is optimal. With the help of a manager, performing this operation will not be difficult.
Make changes in your personal account on the airline’s website. With such an offer, find out whether the service is paid or free. Very often, when checking in, airport staff look at the first letter, but the rest may not notice. If this service is free, then it is probably worth spending some time and making corrections. If additional payment is required, you can rely on luck and try to register without adjustments.
Return your mistakenly filled out old air ticket and purchase a new one. Such a way out is possible. For example, the largest air carrier in Ukraine, Ukraine International Airlines (UIA), does not allow any corrections. Otherwise, you may simply not be allowed on the flight.

What can be done to prevent the most common inaccuracies when filling out the “Last Name\Name” column?

Clarify in advance how your data will be written correctly. Since September 2014, in connection with the transition to international standards for writing names and surnames, new transliteration rules have come into force.
The letter "Y" was previously designated as "Y", and now as "I".

The letter "C" was previously designated as "TS", and now as "TS".

The vowels "Yu" and "Ya" will now be designated as "IU" and "IA".

The sign "Ъ" will now be designated as "IE".

There are sites on the Internet with programs to check the correct spelling of your data. Using them will help reduce the likelihood of incorrect filling.
Buy a ticket directly from the airline. If you have the opportunity, it is safer and more convenient to buy a ticket from an air carrier without the participation of additional booking agencies. Then, if typos occur, you will resolve issues related to their elimination directly, and not with intermediaries. Often this option is even cheaper.
Registration on the airline service. Many airlines allow adjustments to be made up to 24 hours before the flight. Therefore, you need to carefully consider this rule. When registering early on the carrier’s website, you will have the time and opportunity to enter your data correctly, and most services will automatically enter them into the correct column.

Other common mistakes

Let's look at other common errors in an electronic plane ticket. If you You entered your passport number incorrectly, then you shouldn’t worry too much. This information is requested at the initiative of the airline and may not even be asked when purchasing a ticket. However, for your own peace of mind, you can call the company and add adjustments.

If it happened inaccuracy in flight date or time, then ticket replacement is required. In this case, a call to the airline will help determine the correct solution - either making an amendment and paying a fine, often a large one, or buying a new ticket. Moreover, buying a new ticket can be more profitable than making changes. Otherwise, you may not get on the plane at all.

When gender or method of address is incorrectly indicated, then you can simply forget about this inaccuracy. No one will be interested in what gender you consider yourself to be. There is no need to call anywhere either.

The form of the electronic railway ticket was approved by Order of the Ministry of Transport of Russia dated August 21, 2012 No. 322. It indicates:

Full name passenger, his passport details;
train number, date/time of its departure and arrival;
names of departure and destination stations;
car class;
seat number;
transportation cost, etc.

When issuing an electronic ticket, you cannot make mistakes, since it is impossible to correct them after payment. Such information is indicated on the official website of Russian Railways. There, the carrier indicated that if there are errors in personal or passport data, the passenger will not be able to receive a boarding pass at the ticket office and board the train.

Since the electronic ticket is issued by the passenger, he bears full responsibility for incorrectly entered data.

How can I correct a mistake if I mixed up my first and last name on my e-ticket?

According to the telegram of JSC Russian Railways dated October 5, 2005 No. 3/311 (TsLDV-2-59):

A passenger is allowed on the train if there are no more than 2 errors in his identification data.
This rule works for trains traveling within our country and some others (CIS, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia).

In all other cases, the passenger will have to update the electronic ticket.

Simply reissuing a ticket will not work - you will have to return the incorrectly issued one (refuse the contract of carriage) and issue a new travel document. This is done through your personal account on the official website of Russian Railways or at the ticket office.

According to paragraphs. 85, 86, 87 of the Rules, approved. by order of the Ministry of Transport of Russia dated December 19, 2013 No. 473:

the full cost of the ticket is refunded if the passenger returns the ticket no later than 8 hours before the train departure;
the cost of the ticket and 50% of the reserved seat is returned to the passenger who returns the ticket less than 8 hours, but earlier than 2 hours before the train departure;
If the ticket is returned less than 2 hours before the train departs, the passenger has the right to receive only the cost of the ticket without the cost of a reserved seat and service payments.

At the same time, in accordance with clause 88 of the above Rules, the carrier has the right to charge a fee for issuing a refund on an unused ticket.

So, if a passenger was unable to avoid errors in the electronic ticket, then he will bear full responsibility for this.

The internal regulations of Russian Railways allow minor errors - no more than two - in information related to the identity of the passenger. A larger number of errors or errors in other data must be corrected, otherwise the passenger will not get into the carriage. To do this, the incorrectly issued ticket is returned and a new one is issued.