How to correct an error in an airplane ticket and how much it costs

Let's jump ahead a bit, but let's answer the main question right away - how to correct an error in your plane ticket. What to do if you realize you've made a mistake - contact the customer support of the airline or the provider from whom you purchased the plane ticket. They will give you the most complete information on how and how much it costs to make changes if they are chargeable.

There are several most common types of errors in plane tickets, let's deal with each one in order.

• If the middle name, first name, or surname is incorrectly written in the plane ticket.
• If the first name and surname are swapped. It may be critical, especially for Asian destinations. In Europe, it may be less problematic.
• An error in the date of birth.
• An error in the passport details.
• A typo in the departure/arrival date. The most frustrating mistake: if you don't have a flexible fare, changing dates will incur a fee.

The most permissible errors are errors in the date of birth or gender field. It is very unlikely that you will be objected to for this reason, and you can correct this oversight for free - just contact the airline or the provider from whom you purchased the tickets. The date of birth is only noticed when passengers with the same surnames and initials are flying on the same flight.

Another common case is when you get married and change your surname, but when buying a plane ticket, you indicate your maiden name. In this situation, you need to contact the airline, provide a scan of your marriage certificate, and most likely they will correct the data completely free of charge.

Now let's look at the rules regarding this issue for 15 popular airlines.

MAY

May is quite strict: if an error is made, it can be corrected by paying a service fee of $50. Tariff differences are possible in such situations:

• for changes in the spelling of the name/surname;
• when receiving a new passport with name/surname transliteration different from that specified in the ticket;
• for changes in the surname due to marriage when providing a marriage certificate.

A copy of the passport will be required to reissue the ticket. Important: an error can only be corrected if it involves replacing one or more letters, not the entire name or surname.

However, if you mix up your first name and last name, it can become a problem when departing from international airports (for example, Beijing or Bangkok). In this case, the carrier recommends reissuing the ticket.

It's not possible to reissue the ticket for another passenger.

Wizz Air

The Hungarian low-cost carrier has obviously resigned itself to the fact that passengers, astonished by the low prices, frequently make mistakes, and graciously allows free correction of a typo in the first name/last name, but only if there are no more than three. The error can be corrected no later than 3 hours before departure. The same applies in cases where the first name/last name is swapped or the gender is incorrectly indicated.

However, if the errors significantly distort the name/last name, the company charges a fee for their correction. In case a passenger changes their last name after purchasing the ticket (due to a change in marital status, for example), they need to contact customer support or call the call center – they will tell you what to do. In such cases, changes are made free of charge.

Ryanair

So, things are not looking good if you've made the following errors in your airline ticket:

• More than three errors in the name/last name
• Incorrectly specified passport series/number
• Error in the date of birth
• Nationality/country issuing the passport incorrectly specified
• Incorrect passport expiration date

These typos will need to be corrected. The company makes corrections free of charge within 24 hours of ticket purchase. In other cases, it's better to contact them directly.

But there is also good news. The airline won't nitpick the ticket if:

• Salutation to the passenger is incorrectly specified (Mr./Mrs./Miss)
• Name and surname are swapped
• No more than three errors in the name/last name, if they don't fundamentally change them.

SkyUp

When it comes to error tolerance, SkyUp adheres to the "three errors rule": if it's not the first letter and the error doesn't change the pronunciation of the name/last name, then it's acceptable. SkyUp allows free correction of errors in the date of birth, passport series and number, as well as swapping the name and surname if necessary. However, it's prohibited to transfer the ticket to another passenger.

KLM

This airline also follows the "rule of three": if there are up to 3 errors in your ticket, you will be allowed to fly. However, for flights to the USA, absolute accuracy in filling out the ticket is required.

KLM is also ready to correct errors in the flight ticket for free, but to make the correction, you need to contact the airline no later than 24 hours before the start of check-in for the flight.

Lufthansa

The German carrier also allows up to three errors in the ticket if they do not distort or completely change the pronunciation of your name and surname. In the case of minor errors, such as incorrectly specified gender, the airline will simply make a note in your booking to avoid misunderstandings during check-in. Therefore, even if there is a mistake in one letter, it's better to inform them.

If a more serious error has crept into your ticket, you should contact the airline's call center in advance to clarify further actions.

British Airways

According to the official website of the airline, to correct most errors in the ticket, simply contact the British Airways call center (+38 044 585 50 50, Mon-Fri from 09:30 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 17:00 or +38 0800 609327, Mon-Fri 09:00–18:00). There are no charges for corrections, but be prepared to send a scan of a document confirming your correct details. For more detailed information, call the phone number listed above.

Moreover, the airline allows you to cancel the reservation and receive a refund within 24 hours of payment, provided you made the purchase directly on the British Airways website.

Air France

Air France allows up to three minor errors in the passenger's name/surname in the ticket that do not change or significantly distort the meaning of the name.

If you purchased a ticket directly from the carrier and found an error in it, contact the call center or the company's representative at the airport for consultation. For ticket refund inquiries, call +38 089 323 98 44 — for calls within Ukraine and +33 (0) 1 70 48 5320 — for calls from abroad (Mon-Fri: 8:00-20:00, Sat-Sun: 9:00-17:30). Air France call center operators serve passengers in Ukrainian, Russian, and English.

You can book a hotel with a discount of up to -65% on the website.

EasyJet

The airline is lenient about the presence of errors/typos in the name and surname on the ticket, if they (errors) do not significantly change the name and if there are no more than three of them. In this case, you can correct them online for free on the company's website or by contacting the call center.

However, if there is a more serious error in the plane ticket, you will have to pay to correct it. If you make changes more than 60 days before the flight - £20 (online)/£25 (via call center); if less than 60 days - £47 (online)/£52 (via call center).

Aeroflot

The company allows up to three minor errors in the spelling of the passenger's name/surname. If the error does not lead to another interpretation of the passenger's name, you do not need to correct the ticket, except for flights to the USA, China, India, UAE, UK, and EU countries. In this case, you need to inform the airline's staff at check-in to make the correction.

Unfortunately, the carrier's official website does not specify any specific sanctions for the presence/correction of gross errors in the ticket. To change passport details, you can use a special form.

Turkish Airlines

It's no wonder Turkish Airlines is considered one of the best airlines in the world - they are quite lenient about errors. There are no fines for them, and if there are no more than three errors and they do not change the pronunciation of the name/surname, there is no need to worry. The same goes for changing the order of the name and surname on the ticket.

Austrian Airlines

If there are up to 3 errors in the ticket that do not change the sound of the name/surname, there's no need to worry: you will be allowed to fly. Also, there's nothing to worry about for those whose first and last names are swapped, though this applies only to flights within Europe.

If the errors are serious or if the first and last names are swapped, corrections are made at the place of ticket purchase.

Atlasglobal

The Turkish low-cost carrier also allows for a maximum of three errors in the passenger's name/surname, as long as they don't completely change the pronunciation. Also, those whose first and last names are swapped will still be allowed to fly: if the error is detected at the airport, the company representative can correct it on the boarding pass during check-in.

Nevertheless, if errors are found in the ticket, the company advises contacting the call center before arriving at the airport (center phone number 0 800 505 563). Then they can correct them or make the corresponding notes in the electronic airplane ticket in advance.

El Al Israel Airlines

The Israeli carrier is quite tolerant of errors in tickets. It's the same everywhere: no more than three provided they do not change the sound of your name/surname. If they are swapped, just specify the name instead of the surname on the website during online check-in.

If a passenger notices an error in the ticket, they should contact the airline's office (phone +38 044 230 69 93) to provide passport details that uniquely identify the passenger during booking.