Two letters of first name are swapped, can I still fly with Turkish Airlines?

Two letters of first name are swapped, can I still fly with Turkish Airlines? - I Can and I Will Text On Green Background

I have already seen some other such questions but in this case, I am hoping to know if somebody has this experience with long-haul Turkish Airlines flights (Munich to Tokyo via Istanbul).

When booking the ticket, I accidentally swapped two letters of my wife's first name (e.g. instead of Abcd Ijkl, the name on the ticket is Acbd Ijkl).

We called to Turkish Airlines and they said that they cannot change the name. They said that they have passed the information to the airport but they cannot guarantee if my wife can fly.

Since this is return ticket so, I am not sure if we may have a problem on the return flight in Japan. Please let me know if anyone has such experience.



Best Answer

I haven't found any answer on the internet till date who had mentioned the solution to this issue (with Turkish Airlines) so, I am sharing my solution. There are two possible solutions:

  1. Don't do anything and just go to the airport and try your luck. Turkish Airlines told me that there should not be any problem but they cannot guarantee.

  2. I called Turkish Airlines and they told me to fill out the feedback form with all the information.

    • After 2 days, I received an email stating that your name change is not possible but please send us the copy of your passport for further investigation.
    • I sent the copy of passport and after 2 days, I got a call from customer care from Turkey and he told me that though the name change is not possible but in good faith, they are providing me one solution to this problem.
    • He suggested canceling the current ticket (which was non-refundable and booked via the third party) and receive a full refund via an approval code directly from Turkish Airlines (without involving third-party at all) and book a new ticket with the current price.
    • Since the difference between the refund and the new ticket price was 44€ only, so I immediately accepted the offer.
    • I booked the new ticket via the same telephone call itself and received my new ticket in few minutes. The refund approval code I received on the following day.

Now to get the Refund, I have to visit the Turkish Airlines Sales Office, which is at Munich Airport in my case.

PS: I don't think that it was really necessary for Turkish Airlines to help me since it was all my mistake but I am very thankful to them for helping out so quickly.




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Do Turkish Airlines allow name changes?

A traveler can change the name by calling the toll-free customer service line. 1-877-805-0998 is the phone number for Turkish Airlines change of name. It is also a great way to quickly correct any error you made when booking your ticket.

Can I fly if I just changed my name?

If you recently changed your name, but your photo ID or passport doesn't reflect the change yet - don't worry! As per the Department of Transportation's Fly-Rights, you should be able to fly still given that you bring documentation of the change (e.g., a marriage certificate or court order).

What happens if you book a flight in the wrong name?

For the most part, you shouldn't have trouble making minor name corrections. However, you'll want to act as soon as you notice the error. If you notice the mistake within 24 hours of booking and the ticket price hasn't changed, the easiest option would be to cancel your ticket for a refund and rebook.

Can you fly under a different name?

You can change the name on most flight tickets but the airline will normally charge you an administration fee to do so. Some airlines will allow you to change the name on your reservation because of a spelling mistake but won't allow you to transfer your flight to somebody else.



Animation - Turkish Airlines crashed during approach, Boeing 737-800 - Dutch Safety Board




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