How Much Will Correcting My Name On My Ticket Cost Me?
“If you don’t like your name that much, you should change it by deed poll. It’s much cheaper than changing your airline ticket!”
This was actually said to me when checking in at a Ryanair desk before a trip to Spain. My friend who booked the tickets did so in my name Franki, but my passport shows my full name, Francesca. Cue a ‘confused’ clerk when asking me if Franki and Francesca were two different people…
I was lucky in this instance that she waived the £120 last minute name correction fee as I hadn’t booked the ticket myself, but if she hadn’t, I’m not sure I’d have been prepared to spend double the cost of my ticket to correct my name..!
It sparked me to do a little research for Airport Parking Shop; what’s the average cost of correcting your name on an airline ticket?
I took 30 popular airlines that fly UK customers all over the world and I was shocked at the vast difference in the fees that airlines charge!
Why do airlines charge to change or correct a name on a ticket?
In most cases in the research, the fees are charged because it sometimes means cancelling and reissuing a ticket, which seems valid. In some instances, the airlines don’t specify this and simply say it’s an admin fee which seems a little bit unfair.
Some offer ‘grace periods’, usually 24 hours, in which you can correct name spellings for free, whilst some will allow you to change up to 3 letters for free right up until 2 hours before the flight leaves. It really does depend on the airline! Speaking of which, let’s take a look at the 30 airlines I looked into and what their policies are.
I used a combination of simply looking at their fee pages where it was clearly displayed for anyone to find and reaching out to the airline directly on Facebook messenger to ask the question. It’s fair to say that most of the airlines I asked were happy to provide me with information, apart from Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways who both refused to give me any information regarding the cost to make corrections.
Click the ✈️ to be taken to their webpage with clear details.
Flight Ticket Name Correction and Change Fees from 30 Airlines
| Airline | Cost | Fare Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Aegean |
€23 |
Any difference in fare/tax costs, these are charged too. ✈️ |
| Aer Lingus |
£80 |
Can only make changes if you booked with them directly. ✈️ |
| Aeroflot |
£21 |
You’ll need to visit one of their offices and request the reticketing option. ✈️ |
| Air Baltic |
£39.40 / $50 |
This is to change up to 3 letters. ✈️ |
| Air Canada |
$60/$125 |
Air Canada allows name changes on fully unused domestic tickets with fees ranging from $60 to $125, depending on the fare type, while exclusions apply to Basic fares, partially used tickets, and certain other bookings. ✈️ |
| British Airways |
Free |
There’s no fee for this change, but if taxes, fees, or charges have increased since booking, you’ll need to pay the difference. Proof of identity may also be required. ✈️ |
| Cathay Pacific |
Undisclosed |
For Cathay Pacific tickets, you can update your name (e.g., correcting typos, adding/moving names, or legal changes) by providing your travel document and booking reference, though fees may apply; for travel agent bookings, contact them directly. ✈️ |
| easyJet |
Free |
Spellings of names can be changed for free but changing the name to another passenger is £60 if online and £65 if done through a customer service team.✈️ |
| Emirates |
£10* / £20** |
If there’s a spelling error, you can change your name. However, they do not allow you to transfer your ticket to someone else. *For bookings made directly through the Emirates website, ticket office or contact centres. **£20 if you made a booking through a travel agency ✈️ |
| Finnair |
From €25* / €200* |
*This is what you’ll be charged for a name correction. **As for name changes, this is the price you’ll be charged. ✈️ |
Name correction fees range from Free to over £100!
| Airline | Cost | Fare Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Iberia |
Around £80 |
Website says name changes are forbidden, but the Facebook chat agent advised: “Names can be corrected depending on the number of letters” and for more info, I needed to call their team in Spain. But from personal experience, it costs about £80. Note, don’t offer to book flights for a stag do; I ended up having to change 2 names..! ✈️ |
| Japan Airlines (JAL) |
£40 |
Nothing specific about name corrections or changes, but their site references a ticketing service fee for name changes. Best to contact the airline directly. ✈️ |
| Jet2 |
Free |
Genuine errors of up to 3 letters can be changed for free, but not whole names. If you want to transfer the ticket to a new person, it’ll cost you £35 + flight price difference ✈️ |
| KLM |
Free |
If you spot a typo in your name, you can request a free correction with KLM, Air France, or Delta (72 hours before departure for other airlines), unless it’s a system display issue or matches your passport. ✈️ |
| Lufthansa |
Free / *€100 |
Name corrections can be made completely free of charge. *Name changes are also free but only before a ticket has been issued. If a ticket has been issued then you’ll be charged €100.✈️ |
| Norwegian |
Free / *£30 |
Name correction is free as long as it’s the same person. However, for name change, you’ll be charged a fee but the website doesn’t specify. But if you call to make the changes or make the change via the airport, then it’s *£30. ✈️ |
| Qatar |
Unknown |
If you want to make a correction before the ticket has been issued, you can make a change of up to 3 characters. If you want to make a correction after the ticket has been issued, then you’d need to contact their office. Please note, you may not swap names as that is not allowed. ✈️ |
| Qantas |
£30 |
You can change details up until midnight on the day of booking free of charge but after that, there’s a fee. ✈️ |
| Ryanair |
Free / *£115 |
They have a 48 hour grace period in which you can make changes if you’ve booked directly. After that, you may still change up to 3 characters for free. *But if you need to change your full name, then there is a fee. ✈️ |
Name correction fees can be standalone fees or on top of fare differences!
| Airline | Cost | Fare Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore Airlines |
USD50 |
Contact the team on singaporeair.com/contactus to correct your name. ✈️ |
| Swiss International |
Free / €100 |
You can change names for free and without issue before tickets are booked. After tickets are confirmed, name changes are possible, but they come with a fee of €100 per name. However, name corrections (such as after marriage) can be made for free even after the ticket is confirmed. ✈️ |
| TUI |
£25 |
You can change a non-lead passenger’s name for £25, but if there’s a spelling mistake, just contact them with your booking details and they’ll fix it for free. If you booked through their website or the TUI App, you can update names directly in your account. And if you booked a ticket for a baby before they were born, just enter ‘Inf X’ with their surname, then let them know their full name later and they’ll update it for free. ✈️ |
| Turkish Airlines |
N/A |
They do not allow name correction or name change. |
| United Airlines |
Free |
You can make minor name corrections (up to 3-4 characters) on United tickets with documentation, but major changes like transferring tickets require canceling and rebooking. To update your name, visit the United website or call 1-800-864-8331 or 1-800-865-1848 for assistance. ✈️ |
| Virgin |
Free |
Legal name changes and spelling mistakes can be changed for free. You can’t transfer a ticket to another person, a new ticket will need to be purchased ✈️ |
| Vueling |
Free |
If you’ve made a spelling mistake in a name or email on your booking, no worries—you can fix it. You can make changes as long as none of the flights have been taken, and they need to be done at least 2 hours before the first flight departs. Just remember, the name on your boarding pass must match your ID. If you need to change a passenger’s name, you’ll need to access your booking, pay a change fee, and cover any difference in fare if applicable. ✈️ |
| West Jet |
Prices vary depending on fare/location |
There is a name change fee but the price will vary depending on your class and your location. You can make the changes by calling them. ✈️ |
| Wizzair |
Free / *€60.00 |
If you made a typo when booking, you can fix up to 3 characters or change an abbreviated name to a full one for free through your WIZZ Account, as long as it’s done at least 3 hours before your flight. You’re allowed one free correction per booking. For a full name change, however, a fee will apply for each passenger and flight, and if you choose to make the change through the Wizz Air Call Centre, an additional transaction fee will be charged. ✈️ |
How much does it cost to correct your name on your plane ticket?
Average cost to correct a name: £40.94
Most expensive airline name correction fee: Ryanair at a massive £115 in advance.
Cheapest airline name correction fee: Emirates at £10
What I found most often is that the name correction fee could be subject to ticket type, when and how the ticket was booked, how the correction is made and some would also require you to pay any difference in fare / taxes.
Some airlines stated that changing married names could be done for free, whereas some stated that corrections simply weren’t allowed and you’d need to cancel and rebook your ticket. To be on the safe side, take extra care when booking your ticket as a simple spelling mistake could cost you more than the flight!
Before booking, be sure to double check the correction policies, simply click the plane ✈️ symbols above to be taken to the airline policy on name corrections before you book.
Have you had any nightmares when it comes to correcting a name on a ticket? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments!