Travelling with married name...

I would maybe call the airline to see what they say. I dont think you need the name on the credit card to match who is traveling.

** but if you are traveling internationally, i think you need to give them your passport number when you book, and if you change your name you will have to change your passport and not sure if they give you a new number?

Well i'll just wait ( i know u probably don't what to hear this) intill after the honeymoon once i get back to change everything but thats just me tho.

Lol bluerose!!

-- the problem with calling the airline is that i don't know what airline its going to be yet! i'm using vayama and they have "secret" airline deals where they don't tell you the name of the airline until you book it. maybe i'll call a couple and get a general consensus.

I would not try to book it under your married name using a card that doesn't reflect it yet. Airlines require that your ticket be in the name reflected on your passport for international trips, but we confirmed ours when we checked in online before leaving for France a couple of weeks ago. You are probably best off asking the airline how to update your name information before you go -- and make sure you can.

I know that when I've booked travel for others, the biggest thing for the airline is that your ID match the passenger booked. i.e. if your ID using a middle name, use a middle name when booking.

If you are going to change your name, I think most places recommend doing this after the Honeymoon. But since you are not going on your's till later, IDK. I'd call any airline, and as this question, doesn't matter which one. Just so you get a general idea

I think you should be fine paying for it with your credit card in your maiden name, and then booking with your new last name as your passport info, as long as you get your passposrt changed ASAP after the wedding. I do believe you keep the same passport number. I would also take a wallet size copy of your marriage certificate with you incase you run into trouble.

As far as I know the name on the card does not have to match the person who's travelling, I book flights all the time for my grandma under my card, never had any issues.

Personnaly, I'd book everything under your current name and contact the airline (since you don't know which one yet), I'd at least contact one major airline like AA to check what they have to say, most likely it might be similar for the other airlines and go from there.

We might take a mini-moon, I'll still have my current name but for our summer cruise honeymoon next year, I'll have all my docs updated before I book anything.

And yes, you do keep the same passport number, I recently applied for my passport and asked a few questions at the font desk, the only thing they'll do is update your name, everything else remains the same.

Thanks everyone! I'm going to contact some airline(s) and then go from there!

Patricia, we're doing a mini-moon, too!! A long weekend in a resort/spa in Maine. But since we're just driving up there, I wasn't worried about that.

Good question. I'd call some airlines and even try to contact the third party who you will be booking thru. Just another headache of changing names lol

I would ensure that everything matches from passport to your DL to your reservation with the airlines. If your passport is in you maiden name ensure you carry your marriage certificate with you and a certified copy of your name change. Customs is no joke coming from Europe.

I went on a trip 2 months after I was married, I booked it in my married name....I was supposed to have my new DL and papers by the trip. That dident happen, so I had a mess with TSA, even though I had my new social security card, marriage lic and paper copy of new DL. and this was just going from los angeles to seattle. I would hate to risk going international. If you book it with your maiden name you will still have your old ID and it should work.

Just want to put in that when you get a new passport with your married name the number DOES change. (At least it did for me when I changed my name on my passport a couple of months ago) So make sure that you get on that name change stuff as soon as you get the processed marriage certificate. Get your social security changed, your drivers license and you passport done asap. Can you use your FH's credit card to pay for the flight? His name won't be changing (I assume) so you could just bypass that whole concern. I would recommend bringing a copy of your marriage certificate with you regardless, in case something comes up.

I accidentally booked a flight under my maiden name before I was married but the flight was after I was married. I had to bring my marriage cert with and I wasn't able to check in online. I had to go talk to the person at the counter. Not a huge deal, but it was a hassel. Make sure you bring as many forms (old and new) of id as possible.

edited about passport #

I ran into this problem also, we got married last month because of our wedding being in another state and when I booked the flights I forgot about getting a marriage license in the state we are getting married in. So we got married near our home state instead. Luckily I have a passport card which I had to get for a cruise I went on in May and it is a legal form of identification, so I will be using that since it has my maiden name. It was fairly cheap to get (about $50) and came in less then a month. I have had more of a hassle changing my name on EVERYTHING lol!

Oh sorry just re-read your post that you are going to Italy, not sure if the passport card would work their.

Enjoy! Italy is AMAZING- one of my favorite places. Rome was so great with all the history. and venice was quite a place. you will absolutely fall in love with it!

Very informational thread. Thanks everyone for responding to this and thanks Anne Marie for asking that question.

UPDATE: I called an airline today to discuss this and the woman told me that I will need to input my passport number when I book the tickets, and that will need to have my current name if we book it now. The credit card doesn't matter, but the passport number HAS to match the name. Then she believes the passport number will change when I change my name, so I'll need to contact the airline and send them my updated information and pay a fee ($25 at this airline).

So at first I was thinking I'd do that since $25 isn't too bad... but now I'm afraid that I'll get part way through the name change process but not get to everything before the trip and my id's won't match. I can't imagine the headache that would cause. :-/ So, I'm still undecided.

I know you don't want to wait to change your name officially, but it could really screw with your trip if everything isn't finished in time. Government bureaucracy is known for delays, too. Coming back from France to the US last week, we got held up b/c the person who took our checked luggage didn't put the correct sticker on our passports. If your name doesn't match, you may be toast.

Yea, J&R... that's the conclusion I'm starting to come to. The good thing is that when we get back I'll be able to take my time and change my name without any deadlines. I was just hoping to travel as Mr. & Mrs. B. But in the scheme of things, waiting will probably cause the fewest headaches.