My wife is traveling home in December. We booked her ticket in her married name (same as green card) but her Peru passport is obviously in her maiden name. She also has her DNI (Peru ID) in her maiden name. I contacted American Airlines to see if we needed to change the name and they said they cannot change the name on the ticket, but thought there might be a problem since the name doesn't match the passport. We don't have time to change her name on her passport (could take up to 2 1/2 months)
Looking for advice / experiences.

Legally one is required to have a ticket in the same name that is on the passport. Even if she's got married and now uses her married name on everything, her tickets should be in her maiden name, until/unless she can update her passport.

She may not be able to get on the plane with ticket and passport in different names.

The airline says they won't change the name on the ticket. So what do we do now? Do we have any options?

I'm peruvian too, I'm traveling to Peru for Christmas and I bought my tkt with my married name, my passport is under my maiden name BUt my Visa under my married name, little confusing right?? anyway, I'm bringing my marriage certificate, DNI, Green Card with me. I don't think that she will have any problem if she brings those documents.
When is she flying???
Good Luck!!
Vi

I think this makes 2 people in this thread now that will have a problem.

It is against international law for an airline company to allow somwone to board a flight if the name on the ticket does not match the name on your passport.... they sre not interested in the name on your Greencard or your marriage certificate...

The lady in front of us in the check-in line has the same issue.... she was not allowed to travel...

Kezzie

I just came from a vacation trip to Mexico last september, I bought my plane tickets with my maiden name since it was the one matching my passport, every security control I had to go through I showed my passport and my green card... the looked at both. I flew with American Airlines and they did the same thing, looked at both. Before buying my plane tickets I looked for information online... "buy plane tickets matching the name in your passport..."

On the way back, Dallas was our port of entry to the united states, the officer looked at both again, he asked me the weirdest question... "have you ever reported your passport lost or stolen?" I said "NO!"... he asked how long we were in Mexico and why we went there... "10 days, on vacation"... that was it! He didnt ask for the marriage certificate or anything, the passport and green card was enough.

I'm flying to Peru in february.
Im probably do the same bring whit me my passport, my green card, my marriage certificate, DNI... Is that enought??
Tell me Vi mazzella if you have some problems whit you fly to Peru....

What is the best??
Buy the tickets w/ ur married name?? so U only show ID or ur green card...???

Your flight ticket MUST match your Passport... it is the passport that allowes you to travel internationally not your greencard...

The Greencard only gets you into the USA it is not for international travel... yes you may be asked to show it when you check in but the name on the ticket has to match the name on the passport... that is international law...

Kezzie

Thanks for the tip
Maybe I could change my last name on my passport, I have couples months before my trip to Peru but If not possible I just will show my green card.

That is what I am trying to tell you showing your Greencard is not going to get you on a flight out of the US to Peru.... the airline will not let you board if the name on your ticket is not the same as the name on your passport.....

Now if the name on your ticket is your maiden name and the name on your passport is your maiden name and the name on your Greencard is your married name then you need to take along a copy of your marriage certificate to show the link in your names when you are re-entering the USA...

But to get on the plain in the first place the ticket must be in the same name as the PASSPORT not the Greencard..

Kezzie

that is what I am trying to tell you showing your Greencard is not going to get you on a flight out of the US to Peru.... the airline will not let you board if the name on your ticket is not the same as the name on your passport.....

Now if the name on your ticket is your maiden name and the name on your passport is your maiden name and the name on your Greencard is your married name then you need to take along a copy of your marriage certificate to show the link in your names when you are re-entering the USA...

But to get on the plain in the first place the ticket must be in the same name as the PASSPORT not the Greencard..

Kezzie
[/quote]

thank U again
I understand what a u saying...
I just was thinking a posibility to change my name on my passport that has my maiden name for my married name in order to avoid all those things..
but If cant do it because we live a little far from the peruvian consulate... I could show my marriage certificate to re-enter to America...and my green card too...

Are your tickets in your Married name or maiden name?

Kezzie

I havent bought the tickets yet...
we are planning go to Peru for january next year
That's why I 'm interested in this topic

ah ok.... I thought you had your tickets and they were in your married name.... sorry for the confusion...

You will be ok with tickets and passport in maiden name and marriage certificate and Greencard in married name...

Hope you have a wonderful trip

Kezzie

Thank you
we're going back to Peru because we will get married there...

kezzie is right , your ticket HAS TO MATCH your passport, It doesnt matter what other identification you show if your ticket doesnt match your passport for international flights they wont let you on the plane

yes, we know NOW that the ticket should be in the name used on the passport. however, it's too late. we have the ticket in her married name (green card). contacted american airlines, they've added her maiden name to the record locator in the "computer", but will not change the name on the ticket. not sure if that's enough. will they consult the "computer" when she is boarding, or will they simply stare and compare the passport and ticket, and deny her?? i don't know who i can contact to reconcile the situation. i think it's rediculous to think that they only way around this is to buy another ticket.

Hi - when you spoke to American Airlines and they added her name into the 'computer' did they say it was okay for her to travel? I would try to get something in writing from them that they have agreed it is okay if they wont change the ticket?

American Airlines are usually good at helping get things sorted.... normally there is a small charge to make changes to a ticket but it can be done.. I would try contacting them again....

Kezzie

they implied that things would be ok, but i'm not very comfortable with that as you can imagine. i'll try to get something in writing, but i think they'll defer to cbp (customs and border protection). i'm calling them too. didn't press the issue of changing the name, 'cause they said is so matter of factly, like it's not even an option because we bought the ticket 3 weeks ago.

I'm not sure if this can help or not, because it's kind of a different situation, but last year when we purchased our flight tickets at the airport for me and my husband they mispelled my husband's last name. We didn't notice until the tickets were issued and given to us, of course, and it was already too late because the airline is not authorized to make any changes in the name on the ticket, once it's issued.
What the lady at the counter did is put the additional info on the computer with my husband's correct name and she said they always look at those info, so we would just have to explain the situation, if asked.

Of course I was SO nervous the whole time, I had these terrible visions of my husband being refused onboard because of that stupid mispelling in his last name. So we also went online and added the correct name on the reservation additional info, you can do that just going to their website, entering your reservation code and add the additional info on it (passport #, name, last name, etc.).

Again, I don't know if that will help, because our problem was just a mispelling, so it was a little different. But we were never asked anything, and not one word was said about the mistake in his name. Oh, and they did look at all the info on their computer when we boarded, so that might have helped.

Sorry for the long post, I wish you good luck!

tx thanks for your story. very good info. i think we'll be ok, but i still want to get a firm answer from some government/airline SOMEBODY!! can anybody tell me who controls the identification/boarding process? is it the airline, customs and border protection (cbp), tsa, the embassy, or someone else? i've called american airlines, cbp, and visited the tsa website. no place have i gotten a firm answer, just simple advice and opinions. who is it that may or may not permit you from boarding the plane?

Hey Ken
Again, I'm in a similar situation, and all these messages got me a little bit nervous, I talked to my boss and he said that he had the same problem last year, he's american and his wife dominican, and she just needed to show some photo ID, She brought her Green Card & marriage certificate and they didn't make a big deal.
I'm not nervous anymore, I'm sure everything is going to be fine..
Vi

Hi - regarding air tickets, this is how I understand it (I work at a Travel Agency so have a bit of experience) - there can be one letter mistake on the ticket, this is allowable, however the airline is NOT ALLOWED to accept a ticket with a different last name to that on the passport. So it's the airline who can refuse you boarding (and it should be at check-in where this is picked up) and they who are breaking the law (I have no clue what law or regulation it is) if they allow you to travel with a different name on your passport to that on your ticket.

HOWEVER I know that airlines will *sometimes* make allowances and whatever they say before, it comes down to pleading your case at the airport at check-in. For example, I once had a ticket which for some random reason came with my first and last names the wrong way around (I did not notice the mistake when I got the ticket because all it said was for example JANE/SMITH instead of SMITH/JANE) and although it was picked up twice during the four flights the ticket was good for, they allowed me to travel without much of a fuss.

Once you're boarded there wont be a problem with getting into the US, so long as you have a valid Green Card (and if it's in a different name from the passport, a copy of the marriage cert would be a good idea as others have said.)

I hope this helps; personally I would also be concerned in your situation but if there is nothing you can do about the ticket I would do my damndest to get something from AA in writing just to put your mind at rest.

candace and vi thanks for both your comments. i'm am also sure that everything will be fine but i am still nervous.
is it fair to say that if/once she obtains her boarding pass at check-in she will have no problems afterward?

Hi Ken and Maritza,

I'm travelling to Peru next Nov. 18. I just got my Green Card, so I don't have enough time to change my passport. My husband was last Monday in the Inmigration Office for a different theme, but he also asked the official what happen in the case, where my last name in the passport is still my maiden name and my green card shows a different last name, he told my husband that I have to bring my ID, my Green Card, my Marriage License and my Passport.

But he also recommended him as soon as I can to change my last name in my passport, it is something that I must do sooner or later, so I'll try to do while I'm in Lima, if I can.

I think everything is going to be ok, don't worry

adrianiux

The advice you were given is correct. You will need the names to match. It's amazing to me how people will just accept what a vendor tells you when YOU are their customer. So here's what you should do. Call AA. Get a supervisor on the phone. Tell them if they can't help you, you are gonna cancel the tickets and book them WITH ANOTHER AIRLINE. They need the business. It's insane that they won't do this before the trip. This is why I never fly AA, always Continental, they treat me like a real human being. Don't sit there and take it. Get mad. Get really mad. YOU are their customer. Tell them you will tell everyone you can how they treated you. There is no excuse for that.

Oh and then remember to change the passport so you don't have this problem. I changed my wife's before she even had the interview. Of course we were married.

Here is what we did . We purchased the tickets in my married name so we found out that we should have gotten them in my maiden name so they will match my passport.

We called the airline and explained the mistake and they canceled our ticket and let us purchase the same ticket under my married name.

My wife has travelled twice to Peru and had no problem with her married name on the ticket. We did go to the Peruvian Consulate in Washington to register our marriage and change the name in her passport and DENI but because they put only a stamp in there, it is very confusing to airline personnel. We flew American Airlines twice and my wife had to present her passport & green card both leaving the US and Peru. She never encountered any problems whatsoever.

BTW the process of registering the marriage and getting a DENI is about 45 days from the time you apply until the documents show back up at the consulate. Make sure you call the consulate ahead of time as the website is vague of all the documents you need. And if you are going to register your marriage with the civil registry you will need 2 witnesses with either DENI's or Passports. The witnesses do not have to be Peruvian citizens.

My wife left for Dublin a couple of days ago, I was worried for the ticket, The company had booked her flight under her Married name instead of the maiden name, She flew with Delta, carried a marriage cetificate with her Didn't get any problem.

I called the travel agency last friday and explained them the problem, they told me that I won't have any problem at the airport leaving or coming back to the US. They called Lan Chile explaining them the case and everything will be ok , I just need to bring my Green Card (of course I will bring all my papers)
Vi