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?

It's been booked, it just doesn't match the passport details the OP has entered into the app for her husband and kids. However, they have tickets as per booking.com. You're overcomplicating this.

Without wishing to pry but a previous poster has triggered my nosiness.

I know this question isn't really relevant to.your problem but can I ask: you're saying the cost of travel for 4 adults, return, would be over 24k if booked direct with the airline?

The OTA is selling exactly, or as near as darn it, the same itenary, e.g. 4 pax, same number of connections, same class of travel, for about 6k...

Why on earth would you cancel if it’s just your passport? Just ‘accidentally’ damage the passport you need and get a new one with just the first and last name. (dropping in water perhaps). Is it a British passport? If so, you can get a new one within a week at the moment if you use the Post Office service.

@soupyspoon The flight isn’t showing up on my husband’s and children’s apps, but that’s only because their names don’t match — they registered on the apps using their middle names. Their actual flight is still booked, though.

Do you have travel insurance abd have you checked the cover?

May I ask my you booked Japan Airlines tickets via booking.com?

it’s usually best to book directly because otherwise the airline (or hotel) just blames everything on the agent (booking.com) and then it becomes a nightmare

Because booking.com book in volume therefore get heavy discounts, some of which is passed on. We flew with Emirates and it was cheaper via booking.com. Not sure I'd do it again as trying to contact booking com is nigh on impossible.

You are making a lot of excuses not to resolve this OP

Have passport numbers been entered?

If not, then as many many PP have said, lose the existing passports and get new ones without middle names.

If you then lose them again when you get home and need to get new ones with middle names for student loans (not sure why this is necessary?) then so be it.

If something sounds too good to be true then it probably is - lots of reviews of tickets booked via Booking.com not actually existing. I hope you get it sorted, but I would never use them.

Oh dear , it’s a worry but escalate this with booking.com especially since there is no field for middle names .
This is their problem and you should not need to re book !
Our family , we all have middle names but booked directly with JAL.
And I also have a young adult child with autism and a learning disability so understand they will worry and know how expensive these flights are xx
The 2nd time we flew to Japan recently we flew a different route with a different airline .
The JAL flight was great and so comfortable with fab food !

@HelloandThankU you will get the opportunity to add middle names when you do the Advanced Passemger Information bit.

True there are heavy discounts but the difference here between the price quoted booking JAL direct verses using the agent is a factor of 4....

So either the agent has got an absoulute doozy of a deal or it's a case of apples v oranges.

That 4 x is roughly what you might see between economy and business fares on some routes...

Oh, well its a gamble then as to whether they would let him board I see.

I would expect booking.com to be ok about it, fingers crossed

How do posts like this help Op now?

I wouldn't overly worry - when it comes to checking in online for the flights you should be able to fill out your full names as they are on your passports - maybe see if your partner and kids can re-register on the app without their middle names to view their flights?

My partner stupidly booked flights to the US under the short version of his name say "Freddie" instead of "Fredrick" which was only picked up when we got to our first stopover in Iceland, we had a few hours of stressing incase he was denied boarding to travel on to the US but it was not an issue in the end.

Dont be ridiculous, its been one day and OP is waiting for booking.com to come back to her. Why on earth would they go through the rigmarole of getting new passports for the husband and kids if booking.com will come back and change the details.

The holiday isnt until July, a few days of waiting for each stage is completely proportionate, applying for new passports on a wing and a prayer is not at this stage.

You have a few months

Booking has to comply with EU data regulations. If all else fails check which sections of the UK and EU acts allow you to request a data change to have accurate data held by them

Didn’t say she can’t wait, this is in response to her saying they will have to cancel flights and get maybe £100 can if booking.com response isn’t positive

they don’t have to cancel flights

it’s all very defeatist

It is curious that the JAL website uses the word 'match' in terms of names. It doesn't say the name on your ticket must be exactly the same as your passport. Does 'Mary Smith' match Mary Ann Smith? Is 'match' a legal term?

My brother, a pilot once booked his online ticket backward - reversing his departure and destination airports.
I booked the same flight twice with Ryanair - once on my account and once on DH's. When I realised I phoned R and they refunded 1 ticket, no problem.

We are human. We make mistakes. I wouldn't have put my middle name in that box either.

@SENsupportplease I said My husband has been trying to cheer me up by saying that, if booking.com comes back with bad news, we should just move on and cancel the tickets, hoping we might get around £100 each back.

We are waiting for the update.

I put middle names after the first name in "first name(s)" field if separate middle names one is missing. Booking would likely argue you shpuld have done it as it is clearly plural.

I really hope you get it sorted...it is very inflexible...I don't get why they can't allow corrections with an admin fee...pure greed taking people's full fare again at the airport !

I had a look on Reddit and there's people who had the same concern with their middle name on Japan Airlines and it was absolutely fine in the end, no-one said anything about it. Have a search on there but don't panic :)

Oh yes. Another Ryanair experience. I was taking a trip with a girlfriend. She booked the tickets using my maiden name.

We were both married 10+ years but she has her own professional service business so always used her maiden name, whereas I had, a year earlier renewed my passport under my married name - I felt it made it easier to travel with children.

Anyway I'd completely forgotten it. We arrived at the boarding gate and staff noticed the different names. I hadn't even noticed the ticket. We quickly explained and there were minutes to spare. They rang from the departure desk to Check in(I think) and got the name changed - all mega rushed, - but I boarded. That was in Dublin.

Your tiny 'mistake' should be reasonably solved at no cost to you.

Could you change the passport?