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?

@KateP93 Will she receive them though? It’s normally at time of booking. Either you get them if booking direct or your travel company does. Never used Booking but do they send the code to customers?

@KateP93 I’ve just found the reservation number below the red warning text, along with the status shown as ‘Ticketed' !

Think it’s you who needs the head wobble another one who think it is acceptable to come on these threads and put others down when they already feel crap with their situation.
Many of your kind on these threads.

I had the same issue when flying in the US and Canada, I didn’t enter my son’s middle name. The website said it had to an exact match too but when boarding passes are printed, there is no space for a middle name to print on it. No one questioned us at check-in, security etc we were fine at every stage. It was a bit nerve wracking but there were no issues.

@Workingonweekendssuck If we go ahead with the holiday without correcting the missing middle name, trusting in a positive experience, and my family gets denied boarding, I wonder who’d be blamed… probably still me? lol

No advice other than to join the others saying to stop being so harsh on yourself. It looks like a very easy mistake to make, and you didn't do it on purpose. I'd be complaining that they need to make their website booking form A LOT clearer.

What a nightmare you're having; hope you can get it sorted somehow without it costing you lots of money.

It feels like extortion and JAL are purposely not allowing a simply admin change to force people to buy more tickets. Is there an Ombudsman or similar where you can put this forward to them?

If your children are continuing their education in the UK, you don't need their passports to match their birth certificates. It's common for people to drop their middle name. As said, get new passports. It makes sense that one person was carrying them and the bag has gone missing...

Jal also have a membership programme. Is it worth registering? Use full names there and add passport details? It’s JMB. JAL Mileage Bank.

If you were unable to insert a middle name on booking.com’s website then the issue and liability is theirs and you should hold them responsible. Screenshot their online booking system to prove it and threaten to sue if they don’t sort it with Japan Airlines.

This. It is an easy mistake to make, booking.com needs to sort it out. Hopefully if you get some publicity with this post it might give you a bit of leverage. It will not inspire much confidence in booking.com if you get penalized so heavily for an easy mistake to make. Good luck .

@OhDear111 The app I’m using is JAL Mileage Bank. It shows my flight number and details, but I can’t change the reservation information. JAL said a single person isn’t allowed to have two accounts, but my husband tried creating an account without his middle name following advice on Mumsnet. This time his flight showed up in the app, but he still couldn’t change his details—red warning text kept appearing, just like on my app. He kept the account with his middle name, as Booking.com might be able to sort out the name issue.

Hi op, I am a travel agent of 15 years and in my experience it’s not mandatory to include a middle name on a flight ticket. In some instances some nationalities’ passports will display a middle name before a forename etc and then it is required but if it is a name format such as a traditional uk name eg Michael John Smith - John being the middle name - this should not be a stipulation. I don’t always include my middle name on my own international tickets. Obviously I can’t make a judgement on JAL for sure but I have booked hundreds of tickets without including a middle name.

@HelloandThankU Being ticketed does not mean you are registered for the flight. How soon is your flight? If it is in more than a week, you will check in later and can add full passenger details at that time

I haven't rtft but often a strongly worded social media campaign can do the trick, or Google the CEOs email and explain.
It's insane, I never put my middle name on anything!

I feel for you because we had exactly the same thing booking a se Asia trip. I did it with Singapore air and ended up joining their loyalty programme with our full names and then going through customer services for that and getting them to match the ticket - which they did for free.

middle names are a giant pain in the arse and I agree it’s easier not to have them. I also have a first name which js always shortened so the whole booking thing always takes a bit of concentration

hope you can get it sorted

Thank you all again today for your supportive messages and for sharing ideas I wasn’t aware of. Someone even sent me a really lovely private message. I’m feeling much better now. I apologize for not replying to everyone, but I’ve read every message. I told my child with autism that everything would be alright, and he seems fine—he’s even humming a song in his room now :)

It's helpful advice for the future, not being mean. I feel you're being mean for pulling me up on it 🙄

They’re calling your bluff. Trying to get you to spend more

I think it will be fine

@HelloandThankU It’s a real tricky one isn’t it? Keeping fingers crossed for checking in.

@KateP93 Thank you so much for your great support. This is the realistic next step we should take if things don’t go as planned. I’ll tell my husband as soon as he gets back from work tonight ! Our flight is in July.

Agree. They are using the term “first name/s” rather than “given names” or “Christian names” . They mean your names that aren’t your surname, hence the /s on the end to allow for multiple names. It’s quite common to have two middle names, or to use your middle name as your commonly used name.
I have the same problem as pp, a non hyphenated double second name, and I always have to double check as the first part of my surname is often added automatically to my Christian names. Doesn’t help that it’s very similar to a Christian name (eg my surname is similar to Anna).

I am late to this long thread but have read all of the OP’s posts. I have one question, maybe an observation, based on what you’ve posted. You’ve said your ticket is accurate because you don’t have a middle name. You’ve said the purpose of the trip is to visit your parents, to coincide with the publication of your memoire so you can read it to them. It sounds like a meaningful visit and milestone for you. If you cannot get your husband and children’s tickets amended, is there any reason why you couldn’t make the trip solo to see your parents? At least you would not lose the money spent on your ticket. It’s not ideal and annual leave is finite, so you may be more limited with your family holiday this year. However it would protect the time with your parents and partially salvage the financial loss.

"I have no idea why you used booking but please avoid third parties in future and book directly with the airline."

It's likely because of this statement which sounds a bit condescending. 🤷‍♀️

I'm so sorry OP. Based on my experience with booking.com, they are not very good at dealing with issues and you need to be really persistent. Be a squeaky wheel. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that this will be an easy fix for them and that they want to provide good customer service. Keep on and on at them if you want a good result. Keep records of every call you make and what was said and who said it.