My big mistake with our Japan flight booking

[HelloandThankU]

Hi. I booked flights to Japan with Japan Airlines through Booking.com for the first time. The booking was for my husband, our two teenage children, and me. At the time of booking, there was a space for first and last names but no option to include a middle name. My husband said it wasn’t necessary, so we left it out. The total cost of the tickets was £6,100. Unfortunately, these are non-refundable tickets.

After downloading the JAL mobile app, my flight details appeared, but my husband’s did not show up in his app. This concerned me, so we called Japan Airlines. We were told that the names on the tickets must exactly match the passports, including middle names, and that we could be denied boarding if they do not match.

I don’t have a middle name, but my husband and children do. I wasn’t aware that Japan Airlines was so strict about this. We contacted JAL, but they said they cannot amend the names because the tickets were purchased through a third party. We then contacted Booking.com, and they are currently in communication with JAL, but we have not received any update yet.
After researching online, I found that many people reported being unable to get name corrections with JAL when booking through a third party, although some said they still went to the airport and hoped for the best. I don’t want to take that risk in case my family are denied boarding on the return flight. We cannot afford to buy another set of tickets. I know this was a serious mistake, and I feel awful about it — I was really hoping to take my children to see my parents back home.

I’ve been on the phone a lot with JAL and Booking.com, and my child with autism heard me. I feel like I upset him, and I worry that I made him sad. Has anyone successfully added a middle name with Japan Airlines when the ticket was purchased through a third-party site?

What was the airline last year to Asia where it wasn’t an issue? Has that been clarified

What do you mean? You name changed by deed poll for a ferry ticket?

Why don’t you find out? Seeing as you appear to be doing a CIA-level investigation for some reason?

This is the sort of refusal to accept “computer says no” that I love!

when I got married my bank at the time wouldn’t accept my name change documents remotely or by post and I didn’t have a local branch, so I just opened a new one elsewhere.

still have that old account in my old name with money coming in at times.

also have accounts with no middle names, one middle name. Loads of my stuff only has one middle name as the both together are stupidly long.

None of my utility bills including mortgage have bay middle names!

It’s really not the drama lots of PP think it is.

In this situation I’d definitely be doing unenrolled deed poll and new passports, assuming passport info hasn’t already been provided. It’s £6k!

Yes!!!

'has it been clarified'

lol

Dont worry Im compiling a portfolio of OP's previous trips.

Change the school register and GP listing etc.

PP are not likely to be "computer said no" on a middle name as they have a process to deal with odd applications and will still have the history and bio data.

Are you sure Booking.com haven’t also provided your flight reference number? Im pretty sure they provide both in an email confirmation.

😆

I’ve booked flights with our middle names correctly on previous occasions, but in this case there was a specific middle-name field, and my husband also made the booking in person at the travel agency several times.

That story was from someone who posted online, which is why I said I’m worried about ending up in a similar situation — especially since they appeared to have booked directly with Japan Airlines, yet JAL still refused to change their name.”

@GoingToEgypt They provided us with a reference number and e-ticket number, but we’re unable to change the traveller details on the JAL website.

This 'story', if it is even true, which we have no way of knowing, proves nothing! Only that the storyteller spoke to a difficult numpty on the phone who scared the bejeezus out of them resulting in them panicking and insanely buying a new $5000 ticket! I GUARANTEE you that if they had simply shown up at the airport with their original booking, they would have got on the plane. Don't listen to fear-mongers like this, listen to the hoards of people who have clearly told you they have flown with no middle name on their booking despite having one on their passport!

Do you have time to change names/passports? Is that cheaper?

@HelloandThankU
i booked flights to USA recently through a travel agent. I got the tickets at the weekend and noticed they only had dh first and surname (no middle). I contacted them and asked and they said middle name doesn’t matter. Our estas match our passports though.

@Ifyoulikealotofchoc Yes. Our flight is in July.

@sundayvibeswig22 From what I’ve seen, airlines outside Asia tend to be more relaxed about middle names.

That ain't stupid at all, that's not at all an intuitive move, and in another booking would surely result in a issue with your ticket! Best of luck sorting this out. I've had different issues left unresolved with booking.com in the past even after several hour long phonecalls and lengthy emails...so fingers crossed they are no longer total shits to deal with.

If you change passport names though do you also have to change name by deed poll?

@HelloandThankU your update sounds more promising and hopefully Booking will sort you out. If you don’t get a result though, you could try one of the Newspaper travel troubleshooters, they are usually successful at shaming companies into sorting problems out. Even if you have to take out a subscription, it would be bargainous compared with other options.

From what I’ve seen, airlines outside Asia tend to be more relaxed about middle names.

Possibly, but I think a lot of people match their ticket to their passport as standard.

Perhaps also the field that says first name(s) is more standard as well?

That said, I think a lot of people wouldn't expect it would make it too problematic to still fly.

JAL do seem to be quite rigid on this.

@SunandWine It seems that Booking.com doesn’t have the right to add my family members’ names once the booking has been made. So if JAL says no, then it means no—no matter how much they try. It was my mistake for not double-checking before entering their names. I don’t think blaming or shaming them is the right thing to do. I just wanted the “first name” field to reflect the given name, or for them to simply include a “middle name” field. They seem to be working on our case, so I suppose I’ll just have to wait and see how things turn out. Thank you for your suggestion, anyway.

Also google GDPR and flight name changes. If you keep getting a no- it might just open a door going via GDPR (the right to data rectification) rather than usual channels

I was meaning more that they are often very successful at bringing pressure to bear behind the scenes. It is very rare that no really does mean no over an administrative change. Someone, either at Booking or JAL just needs to take responsibility and make it happen.

This example is from The Times, but I’m sure other Newspapers have similar columns. Tui cancelled our holiday… then demanded £1,000 extra

https://www.thetimes.com/article/fb1490e8-3d49-4e7a-a970-b60d7c42834c?shareToken=3cc6512eefab72c3db4241c5f166f174

Something that you could try is the Times travel column. I think it’s the Tuesday edition.
They seem to have a lot of success with this type of issue.
I do feel for you. Online booking is so stressful.

Snap ! Or great minds think alike!

@Ifyoulikealotofchoc @SunandWine @Timeandtune Thanks a lot for your helpful suggestions—I’ll give them a try if things don’t work out. Glad I posted on Mumsnet—it was worth it!

Booking have data processing obligations which force Bookings to have a contract in place to oblige the non-EU/Uk data processor manage Uk data as if the Non-EU/Uk was in the UK.

So if you were at risk of loosing the 6k I would be asking the ICO to be contacting Booking to confirm that it has no data management contract in place