when a mistake on a plane ticket is (very) expensive

In November 2023, Doug and Nancy Lee, a Canadian couple living on Prince Edward Island, were preparing to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a trip to Ireland. The stay, organized with friends, represented a budget of 10,000 Canadian dollars (around 6,700 euros). But at the Halifax airport, their dream was shattered. Doug’s ticket was marked “Doug Lee”, while his passport read “Douglas Lee”. Despite their explanations, Porter Airlines categorically refused. Result: Doug was unable to board, and the couple had to abandon their trip.

Just recently, in October 2024, Yasemin, a French woman of Turkish origin, found herself in a similar situation. His ticket for a Turkish Airlines flight between Kayseri (Türkiye) and Paris was marked “Yasmine” instead of “Yasemin”. On the way out, this error did not pose a problem, but on the way back, the company refused his boarding, citing potential problems with French customs. The passenger had to buy a last-minute ticket for €520, more than the initial price of her round trip (€450). “A stupid mistake”deplores Parisian her husband, Inane. Effectively.

Often exorbitant fees

Policies vary between carriers, but all impose sometimes excessive fees. At the house of Air Franceminor corrections (typos or name-first name inversions) are free within 48 hours after purchase, but beyond that, you will have to buy a new ticket. Transavia offers free to correct a single element (first name, last name, gender or age), but charges €55 for two corrections, in addition to the price difference with the current rate.

Low cost airlines are even less accommodating. EasyJet tolerates the free correction of three characters, but charges €66 beyond that, and up to €72 if the request goes through customer service. Ryanairfor its part, applies a scale which rises to €160 if the change is made after 48 hours. At the house of Turkish Airlinesonly a modification of a letter is considered, and only after validation by customer service. Otherwise, the ticket must be redeemed.

These policies, often perceived as unfair, can be explained by financial and administrative logic. Each modification entails costs for the company, costs which are systematically passed on to travelers.

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How to avoid these situations?

A few simple reflexes can prevent these inconveniences. Review your reservation carefully. Yet another careful verification of your identity before validation is essential. Also pay attention to the compound names and the usage name written on your passport. Let’s take the example of the typo: a typo still slipped into the spelling of your first name. What to do? Contact the company’s customer service as quickly as possible. The sooner an error is reported, the lower the fees will be. And prefer direct reservations. Tickets purchased through third-party agencies or platforms often offer less flexibility for corrections.

As a last resort: cancel using the 24-hour rule

If you detect an error on your ticket immediately after purchase, there is a loophole: the “24 hour rule”. This policy, adopted by many airlines, allows you to cancel a reservation free of charge within 24 hours of purchase, provided that the ticket was booked directly on the official website. You can then book another one with the corrected information. A little-known but valuable option, provided you act quickly. Please note: this rule does not apply if you booked through a travel agency or third-party platform. Finally, it remains to be seen whether the airline you were planning to take offers this grace period… And this is where everything gets complicated. Not surprisingly, low-cost airlines seem to be less willing to play the game. In the ruthless world of online reservations, you are responsible for every click. Take the time to check each letter: one minute of attention is better than hundreds of euros of regret.

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