Can newly naturalized wife with changed name check in for flight to USA using passport in maiden name?

[jaysaldi 213]

On 3/7/2024 at 1:55 PM, OldUser said:

I think that's the question to airline more than anybody else.

As an update, I tried calling EVA airlines, the operating carrier, but the EVA phone agent couldn't give me an answer and just said "WE advise changing the ticket."  When I asked if she could fly with the documentation I mentioned. He put me on hold for a while, then the call dropped.

 

The problem here is the ticket is booked using Avianca frequent flyer miles. EVA says they can't change the name because Avianca issued the ticket. Avianca says they can't change the name on the ticket at all.

 

So they only options are (a) cancel the ticket, pay a $200 fee, hope the frequent flyer seat goes back into inventory and that the miles are reinstated quickly and she can rebook to fly with us, or (b) roll the dice and show up with the documents at the airport and see what happens, or (c) try to get some assurance in advance from EVA that they will accept her US passport in a different name.

[OldUser 6,624]

13 minutes ago, jaysaldi said:

As an update, I tried calling EVA airlines, the operating carrier, but the EVA phone agent couldn't give me an answer and just said "WE advise changing the ticket."  When I asked if she could fly with the documentation I mentioned. He put me on hold for a while, then the call dropped.

 

The problem here is the ticket is booked using Avianca frequent flyer miles. EVA says they can't change the name because Avianca issued the ticket. Avianca says they can't change the name on the ticket at all.

 

So they only options are (a) cancel the ticket, pay a $200 fee, hope the frequent flyer seat goes back into inventory and that the miles are reinstated quickly and she can rebook to fly with us, or (b) roll the dice and show up with the documents at the airport and see what happens, or (c) try to get some assurance in advance from EVA that they will accept her US passport in a different name.

If you're confident in your persuasion skills, you can bring passport and marriage certificate to explain the name difference.

[jaysaldi 213]

35 minutes ago, OldUser said:

If you're confident in your persuasion skills, you can bring passport and marriage certificate to explain the name difference.

Like I said, that's never been an issue when traveling on passport and ticket in maiden name and green card in married name. I just can't find any  data points online about doing this when the passenger intends to use a U.S. passport to enter the USA but the ticket is in a different name.

[OldUser 6,624]

4 hours ago, jaysaldi said:

Like I said, that's never been an issue when traveling on passport and ticket in maiden name and green card in married name. I just can't find any  data points online about doing this when the passenger intends to use a U.S. passport to enter the USA but the ticket is in a different name.

Its should be similar experience.

[jaysaldi 213]

On 5/28/2024 at 5:22 PM, OldUser said:

Its should be similar experience.

Thanks, we'll just show up at the check in counter with both passports and the marriage certificate and see what happens. Flight is a a few weeks. I will report back on how it goes.

[top_secret 2,414]

We may find ourselves in exactly the same situation, with the same airline, so we are very interested to hear how it works out and wish you the best. One thing you can try is calling EVA Air's local ticket office.  My experience in the past with other airlines is that sometimes local ticket offices have the authority to make changes that the reservation call centers simply cannot do.   I have no idea if they could be helpful here but it's at least probably worth another call.  In Cambodia EVA Air lists the local ticket office here.  Also, at the time of check-in, the agents at the airport have very considerable authority to make changes that the reservations call centers cannot.

Quote

EVA Air Phnom Penh ticket office

• Office Address : SUITE 11-14B /79 STREET 205 SANGKAT TOMNOUBTOUK KHAN CHAMKARMON, PHNOM PENH CAMBODIA
• Reservation/Ticketing Hotline : +855-23-962528 or within Cambodia 023962528
• Reservation/Ticketing Fax No.: +855-23-210699
• Reservation/Ticketing Hotline Open Hours :
  Monday~Friday : 08:00 - 12:00 / 13:00 - 16:30
• Ticketing Counter Address : SUITE 11-14B/79 STREET 205 SANGKAT TOM NOUBTEOUK,KHAN CHAMKARMON, PHNOM PENH CAMBODIA
• Ticketing counter Open Hours :
  Monday~Friday : 08:00 - 12:00 / 13:00 - 16:30

 

[jaysaldi 213]

On 7/29/2024 at 1:37 PM, top_secret said:

We may find ourselves in exactly the same situation, with the same airline, so we are very interested to hear how it works out and wish you the best. One thing you can try is calling EVA Air's local ticket office.  My experience in the past with other airlines is that sometimes local ticket offices have the authority to make changes that the reservation call centers simply cannot do.   I have no idea if they could be helpful here but it's at least probably worth another call.  In Cambodia EVA Air lists the local ticket office here.  Also, at the time of check-in, the agents at the airport have very considerable authority to make changes that the reservations call centers cannot.

 

Thanks. I didn't get anywhere with the EVA call center, which is not surprising. I'm a little afraid to go to a ticket office beforehand, or to the airport beforehand, and have someone say "You need to buy a new ticket" and then make notes in the reservation to that effect.

[top_secret 2,414]

21 hours ago, jaysaldi said:

Thanks. I didn't get anywhere with the EVA call center, which is not surprising. I'm a little afraid to go to a ticket office beforehand, or to the airport beforehand, and have someone say "You need to buy a new ticket" and then make notes in the reservation to that effect.

 

I do think the check-in agents at the airport have considerably more authority to make changes than call center agents.  Last year on a Thai AirAsia flight I accidentally booked my stepdaughter with her mom's last name.  I attribute that to some autofill error and have no excuse whatsoever and no justification that she could fly under that name since NONE of her documents ever had that last name.  The AirAsia check-in agents were even able to straighten that mess out.

 

 

[jaysaldi 213]

Just wanted to update @top_secret and everyone else on what happened here. 

 

We went to the EVA Air desk in Phnom Penh to check in for the flight to the USA.

 

Handed over her Cambodian passport in maiden name which matched the ticket name. Also handed her American passport in married name which permits entry to the USA.

 

No problem at all. They didn't even want to see the marriage certificate proving the name change, which they have previously scrutinized when we presented passport in maiden name and green card in married name.

I guess they just looked at her photo and DOB in both passports and could tell it was the same person, despite different names. It probably didn't hurt that when we married and she changed her name, she kept her maiden name as her middle name.  Probably also didn't hurt that she was traveling with the American husband and with American child who has same middle name and last name as hers.

Thanks for the advice, the consensus here was correct.

Edited August 31 by jaysaldi

[top_secret 2,414]

12 hours ago, jaysaldi said:

Just wanted to update @top_secret and everyone else on what happened here. 

 

We went to the EVA Air desk in Phnom Penh to check in for the flight to the USA.

 

Handed over her Cambodian passport in maiden name which matched the ticket name. Also handed her American passport in married name which permits entry to the USA.

 

No problem at all. They didn't even want to see the marriage certificate proving the name change, which they have previously scrutinized when we presented passport in maiden name and green card in married name.

I guess they just looked at her photo and DOB in both passports and could tell it was the same person, despite different names. It probably didn't hurt that when we married and she changed her name, she kept her maiden name as her middle name.  Probably also didn't hurt that she was traveling with the American husband and with American child who has same middle name and last name as hers.

Thanks for the advice, the consensus here was correct.

 

Thank you very much for coming back to follow-up.  I'm happy it worked out for your wife.  We are still waiting to see when my wife will naturalize but it seems likely before our holiday trip and EVA Air is the airline.

 

When they issued the boarding passes, was it in the US Passport name or the Cambodian Passport name?  I'm curious what they put in the APIS data.

[jaysaldi 213]

On 9/1/2024 at 1:31 AM, top_secret said:

 

Thank you very much for coming back to follow-up.  I'm happy it worked out for your wife.  We are still waiting to see when my wife will naturalize but it seems likely before our holiday trip and EVA Air is the airline.

 

When they issued the boarding passes, was it in the US Passport name or the Cambodian Passport name?  I'm curious what they put in the APIS data.

Boarding pass was in Cambodian name. I'm guessing they did put  the US passport info into APIS as there was no issue on arrival with the CBP officer scratching his head and say "we weren't expecting you" or anything like that