Travellers who Get their Own Name Wrong on Flight Tickets are Worth Billions in Loss
YOU will be surprised how many people make this silly mistake resulting in a total global cost of $4.5 billion each year.
ONE in 100 people get their name wrong on international airline ticket bookings, resulting in a loss of billions across the globe, according to new data from a major European airline ticket website. With three billion international airline passengers annually and one per cent error rate, the indication is a total global cost of $4.5 billion.
So, how do one per cent of people get their name wrong? Most airlines require your exact name, as per your passport. Maiden names or shortened names are not usually accepted. Typos are another common mistake.
International flight restrictions are harsher when compared to domestic flights, with most airlines charging passengers for a name change. Some airlines, including Turkish Airlines, don't allow name changes at all and require you to book a new ticket.
Globally, the average price to change a name on a ticket is $160, and prices vary drastically between airlines. There are cases where passenger names are too long for the airline ticket, in which case a comment might be added to the ticket to bring attention to the shortened name, or the name will just be shortened. There is no global standard for a maximum amount of characters on an aeroplane ticket.
Another problem is when two people with the exact same name travel on the same flight. You'd think this would be an easy one to solve, but some airlines have to alter one of the names so that both passengers are able to fly.
We're not sure how we'd feel about having to be someone else in the air. Then again ...
