NWR: Booking a flight then changing your name?

I'm kind of wondering the same thing. I just booked tickets yesterday for December but with my frequent flyer membership I'm still under my old name even though my new name has officially changed (it's correct on the SS card, driver's license, etc). So that means my ticket will have the wrong name. But I had to book because the flight costs were at a low. I'm going to try calling today to see if I can get my name changed on there though, so I'll let you know how that goes. Otherwise my middle name has both my original middle plus my maiden name so it should be pretty clear. But I'd call the airline and see what their procedure is just in case.

It took very little time for me to get my SS Card and then new license so I think you'd be fine as long as it isn't a passport that you need.

@HiH Thanks - please let me know! I'm just worried that with all this stuff going on in the world, things might be a little tighter around Christmas and it might end up being a giant pain once I get there!

When you book tickets the airlines always say that the name you book under needs to match your ID perfectly. Since you are flying domestic you won't need your passport (which takes longer to change at least in Canada). All you would need is an ID (driver's license) that has your name and picture or do you need two pieces in the US? As long as the name on the ticket matches the name on the ID you are using then you'll be fine, but it needs to match.

A couple of years ago I had a ticket through a travel agent and they had accidentally put my mother's middle name instead of mine. There was a last minute panic on their end when I noticed it was wrong the day before.

I wouldn't risk having different names, but you should be able to get your new ID pretty quickly and book under your new name if you want to do that. Or just wait to legally change until after your flight. I suspect security is going to be very tight for a while.

That's the reason I haven't changed my name yet. We bought plane tickets for Christmas just a couple weeks after getting married and I've heard it can cause issues. They might charge a (not small) fee to change the ticket and I think it can still cause problems at the airport. I figured better safe than sorry.

But you can change your name with SS and hold off on getting a new license. That will at least get the ball rolling.

@KB that's the problem - It's already booked. We used my FILs Delta points and had to book it before there weren't any seats left. So I think I might just wait until after after the wedding to change it. Boo.

@Reese The always scan my ID at the airport..would it clear? Hmm.

Maybe I should just wait and not risk it, but I really didn't want to

I would wait. When we flew out for our HM the TSA guy was going on and on about how the ID and ticket have to match exactly and commended me for not changing my name yet.

I would wait. For a work trip I took in April, our travel services department booked my middle name as "Theresa" instead of "Therese." I had multiple people ask and only because it was a middle name with only one letter difference did they let it slide.

ETA: Although I was flying internationally.

I would wait- it HAS to match.

Ah, well if the tickets are already booked in your old name I would just wait. The names need to match. It sucks, but no need to risk having trouble at the airport.

I would wait. I booked a ticket with my new name up and then had issues with SSA screwing up my name. ( long story). I had also started the process to get my new passport and I had my new military ID as well so I would have been covered, but why risk the hassle. Esp with what is going on in the world.

Don't change your name yet. They won't let you on the flight. I had this problem when I was a kid and my stepdad adopted me.

You might be able to use your old passport as ID. But I would wait.

I think save yourself the worry/headache and just wait. I won't be changing my name until we get back from a trip in April that we've already booked for this same reason.

You canNOT. ID and ticket MUST match exactly.

TSA is very strict about this.

Delta will allow 1 name change per purchase (like you can only change your ticket once) and it can't be transferred to a different person, only changes to the current ticketholder's name. I feel like a married name change would fall under that category? You have to call in to do it so I would call customer service and ask if that's possible. Whatever you do, your ticket 100% needs to match your ID. We looked into this for our honeymoon tickets but luckily I have two government issued ID's, one with each name so I've avoided this problem so far.

The airline won't accept your marriage certificate. If you really don't want to wait, and you think you'll get your new driver's license in time for your flight, call the airline now and maybe you'll get lucky with a nice agent and they will change your name on your ticket for free. A lot of times they will charge you a $200 fee (or more or less - it's airline dependent) because most of them are sticklers for the rules.

Also, one of my friends changed her name legally and on her driver's license, but not her passport. She booked a ticket in her maiden name, and since her passport matched her ticket, she had no issues. I don't know if I would be ballsy enough to try that though.

Basically, whatever the ID you use for your flight says is what has to be on your ticket. So it comes down to what is cheaper - changing the name on the ticket or waiting to change your name?

I had exactly this with changing my passport - I wanted to get it done so that I could apply for my green card and everything with my married name, but we had international flights booked and it was going to cost a couple of hundred dollars to change the ticket so we decided to wait.

We were having the same issue with our honeymoon. We booked in my maiden name and aren't going until January. I decided not to legally change my name until after we get back, just to avoid issues.

Perhaps this is a wedding on the 12th, in SA, that will be having a Princess attend?

So I have done this MULTIPLE (10) times since I've been married and have never had an issue on American, United, or Southwest. 5 times they didn't notice my names did not match (scary), 3 times I explained I was recently married with no documents and they said it was fine, and 2 times I showed them my marriage certificate.

ETA I'm not recommending it but this is my own story lol. I do not see why an old passport with your old name would not be sufficient? Not everyone has a drivers license and that is a federal issued ID.

This reminded me of the guy that wanted to change his name because Ryanair wouldn't correct his ticket, even though he showed proof of his real name beforehand:

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/jun/05/student-changes-name-by-deed-poll-to-avoid-220-ryanair-admin-fee

When you change your name, do you have to surrender your old driver's license? Because another option would be to do what Macy said - keep the passport with the old name, just change the driver's license, but use your old driver's license.