ID for flights

[c00ky83]

I have booked 6 flight tickets for trip in July, for people including an Alex and a Nick. I have booked using these names, but have since been told that they may not be allowed on the plane as their IDs will say Alexander and Nicholas rather than Alex and Nick. Should I be worried?

[NORMANTHEDOG]

phone the airline and ask.

[Buenchico]

While I'll endorse Norman's suggestion to phone the airline (just so that you can be really sure), I wouldn't worry too much. This happens all of the time and the airlines seem to be able to use some common sense. (I often travel as 'Chris', rather than as 'Christopher', which is what it says on my passport, and I've never encountered any problems. As long as your fellow travellers look like their ID photos, they should be OK).

Chris

[xanderma]

Since you're not travelling until July, the tickets won't have been issued yet - can't you ring and change the details? I did this when they had my son listed as "Miss" - it wasn't a problem.

[auntiebertie]

Your airline tickets should match exactly your passport...I have known BA cancel the tickets and rebook them at full cost because a letter was wrong. Their names in their passports are not Nick and Alex therefore their tickets are incorrect and strictly speaking they should not be allowed to travel. Budget airlines may have different rules.

[almcd007]

When you book it clearly states "the name of the passenger as it appears on the passport" These days it pays to use your common sense and get it right first time as mistakes like this can be costly and disruptive to your plans.

[Wellard]

As the last two say, there is no excuse for such behavior, it really is SO obvious that the tickets MUST be the same as the passport EXACTLY.

No doubt you will be allowed to travel with an abbreviated name - but why be so arrogant as to expect to?. We all have to suffer because of increased security bu most of us understand and abide by the rules.