Wrong name on your flight ticket: what IndiGo and Air India allow

Check first: how and when you booked

Both airlines tie name corrections to booking channel. IndiGo's conditions of carriage say it does not permit name changes once a booking is complete, but a spelling correction for the same person can be made within 24 hours of booking, with no additional charge, if the ticket was booked directly on IndiGo's website or app, by calling its customer care (para 7.3). Bookings made through travel agents go through the agent.

Air India: what it accepts before travel

Air India's page lists name corrections it accepts for a ticketed booking before travel. Free: genuine typing errors up to 3 characters, title changes, and swapping surname and first name. Chargeable: maiden to married name, shortened name to full name, adding a middle name, removing repeated or incorrect names. Infant name amendments are free. Conditions on the page: only for tickets booked directly on Air India's website or app (agents handle their own); not possible if the booking has a segment operated by another airline, which needs a new booking; the same person only; one correction per passenger; not within 24 hours of departure. Fee amounts are not stated on the page.

What is not a correction

A different person's name is not a correction. IndiGo says tickets are non-transferable; you cancel and book again under the right name, and cancellation charges may apply.

What to do

1. Compare the ticket with your passport or ID using the airline's published name-format instructions. A formatting convention is not necessarily a spelling error.

2. If you booked directly, contact the airline now. IndiGo's stated correction window is within 24 hours of booking.

3. If you booked through an agent or portal, contact them first.

4. Ask for the corrected ticket or confirmation in writing before you travel.

5. If the airline will not correct it, ask for the cancellation and rebooking cost before you decide.

Not covered

This post does not cover passport-number or date-of-birth errors, other airlines' policies, or visa and immigration consequences of a mismatch. Ask the airline about your specific booking.

Air India says these requests are actioned 0900-1800 IST Monday-Saturday, excluding Sundays and public holidays. Contact the airline early; do not wait until its 24-hour-before-departure cut-off.

Sources

IndiGo Conditions of Carriage 7.3 | Air India name format and correction policy

Quick questions

Can IndiGo fix a spelling mistake in my name? Within 24 hours of booking, free, for the same person, if booked directly on IndiGo's site or app (Conditions of Carriage 7.3).

Does Air India charge for name correction? Some corrections are free (typos up to 3 characters, title, swap of names) and some are chargeable (e.g. adding a middle name); see its page.

Can I change the name to another person? IndiGo says no; cancel and rebook.

I booked through a travel portal. Who corrects it? Both airlines say agent bookings go through the agent.

Is a swapped first and last name a problem? Air India lists it as a free correction before travel; IndiGo's page does not list this case, so ask.