Passenger name is misspelled

If your airline ticket contains passenger names that do not match travel document information you could be denied boarding. An immediate name change is required under such circumstance and you are liable for paying standard change fees as stipulated by the purchased fare rules. This typically costs approximately US$300.

There are two exceptions to misspelled names:

1. Misspelled passenger names are acceptable when up to three letters are wrong and the misspelling is phonetically similar to the real name. 
2. If you can prove your identity using an alternate form of identification that contains the alternate (misspelled) name. This option typically applies when changing last (family) names due to marriage or divorce. You should present the previous/expired identification document at airline check-in in order to validate your identity.

An acceptable misspelling example would be Philip vs. Phillip.

Use of nicknames, such as Bill vs. William or Dick vs. Richard is not acceptable

When name misspelling qualifies as acceptable you must notify us or the airline before departure and request that a special remark is added to your reservation indicating the slight name variation.

Airlines are required to follow immigration, customs and other legal guidelines when considering accepting passengers with misspelled names. For passengers whose journey involves any stop within the United States the following US government regulations apply:

• TSA: Due to differences in boarding pass systems, boarding passes may not always display the exact name you provided when booking your travel. The name you provide when booking your travel is used to perform the watch list matching before a boarding pass is ever issued, so small differences between the passenger's ID and the passenger name printed on the boarding pass, such as the use of a middle initial instead of a full middle name or no middle name/initial at all, or hyphens and apostrophes should not cause a problem for the passenger.
• US Customs and Border Protection: If you have a passport under one name, but your name has changed since it was issued, you can apply for ESTA using your old passport number and new name. You may also travel with a ticket issued in your new name and the passport in your old name, but we strongly recommend you bring a copy of your marriage license, divorce decree or other legal document showing the connection between your new name and the one on your passport.