Urgent - need plane tickets ASAP, need advice/experiences

[Badgerella 5]

I've tried asking the same question in the travel-related forum, but so far I have not heard from anyone who has done it, and I believe I am not alone here. I need to purchase a return ticket ASAP. Here is my story, as well as my question.

I will be traveling back to Croatia mid September. I have been in the US for a year now, married and living happily with a new name.

In order to get from the US to Croatia and back, I need both my Croatian passport and my US green card.

** My Croatian passport is in my old, maiden name.

** My US green card is in my new, married last name.

** All Croatian documents, IDs and the like, are in my old, maiden name.

** I also have an US drivers licence, issued in my new, married name.

** I own a marriage certificate, of course, explaining what happened about a year ago.

Now the question is: Which name do I use when I am booking my plane tickets?

I need to register my marriage and name change with the Croatian authorities while there, so on my way back to the US, all my Croatian documents will have my new name on them, too.

Thank you all in advance.

[canadian_wife 1,822]

I would suggest that for an international flight, you book the tickets in the name in the passport. Then use your green card to enter the US again. Bring your marriage certificate so crossing back into the US will be easier.

Good luck

[Y&E 12]

Canadian wife is correct. You have to book your tickets in the name stated in you passport. But if you get your new passport in Croatia make sure that you take your old passport with you to prove your name and your marriage cert etc. Alternatively, you could book your outbound ticket in your maiden name and book a separate return ticket in your married name (2 one way tickets).

[Badgerella 5]

Getting two tickets would be way too expensive, so I will do what the American Embassy in Croatia said I should - book the tickets in my maiden name and then make sure to have both passports, marriage certificate and green card available on my way back. They do not anticipate problems.

(It's just me, not trusting any system. )

Thanks!

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

You need a passport in the name matching the ticket in order to leave the US.

You need a Green Card in order to reenter the US again.

The only problem is, and more and more airlines are jumping on this train as time marches on, that many of them require not only matching names on ticket and passport, but -- when trying to enter a plane to the US -- a matching name on the Green Card (more specifically: the document allowing to enter the US) as well.

In most cases, the marriage certificate will do. But for the future you should try to get all the documents to match.

Edited July 27, 2010 by Just Bob

[Badgerella 5]

That's what I am trying to do - getting to Croatia and then changing the remaining bits of my documents to match my American ones. This will be my first trip home, so I hope I will get away with all the...mixandmatch things I have.

Thank you!