Short answer: put the passport and the ticket side by side and compare them one field at a time. Do this as soon as you have the ticket, not at the airport. If anything differs, contact the airline that issued the ticket and ask what it allows, because the rules differ.
What the airlines say. Air India's passenger name format page says to give your full name exactly as it appears on the valid ID you will show at the airport. Finnair's FAQ says the name must appear as on the passport, and that with several first names one is enough on the booking. These are two airlines, so check the one you fly.
The field check.
- Surname: same letters, no missing or extra letters, same spelling.
- Given names: compare the first name as printed. Check whether the ticket has a middle name or initial that the passport does not, or the other way round.
- Order: check that a given name has not landed in the surname field, and that the two are not swapped.
- Title and spacing: check Mr, Ms or Mrs, and whether a long name was split or joined differently.
- Every traveller: repeat for each person on the booking, including children.
Other documents. If you need a visa or e-visa, compare its name with the passport as well. Do the same for a connecting ticket on a different booking, and for any hotel or transfer booking that asks for the passport name.
If the names differ. Contact the airline that issued the ticket, or the agent who booked it, and ask what it allows. NDTV reports that airlines may change a name free of charge if you report the mismatch within 24 hours of booking and that a mismatch can mean denied boarding, but terms differ by airline and fare, so ask for the airline's own rule in writing. Do not wait for the airport counter. Air India's booking policies say a name field generally cannot be changed once the PNR is created, so a correction may need a request through the airline instead of an edit in the app.
Keep the proof. Save the airline's answer and the corrected ticket with your travel documents, and keep a photo of the passport details page on your own device only.
For your own trips. If you want a second pair of eyes on a family booking before you pay, send us a trip-planning inquiry.
A Miranda House graduate and lawyer who traded courtrooms for slow travel. Cheshta travels with the batches we host ourselves, with a soft spot for travelling alongside elders.
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