Middle names/initials on JAL

Hi,

I booked both international and domestic flights with JAL. On my US passport, my two-part middle name is spelled out. On my e-ticket, only the middle initial is there. Will this be a problem while flying in Japan?

Thanks for any info!

It won't be a problem because passports are never checked for domestic flights within Japan anyway. Heck, I'm not even sure they would bat an eyelid even if you wrote that your name is Barack Obama.

By the way, you say "on my e-ticket", but in fact what you have is not your e-ticket, it is a summary of the information contained in it, which may or may not be presented in the same format.

For a very accurate summary of the information in your e-ticket, see www.checkmytrip.com.

This is regarding an international ticket from US to Japan. So not sure if it's similar to my situation but I emailed JAL helpdesk:

my email:

Hello.

I just called the USA&Canada Reservations 1-800-JAL-FONE regarding my reservations that I booked on the JAL website this past September for an April 2017 flight.

I realized that my Middle Name was not on my ticket. The Rep I talked to said it should be fine since my Last (Family) and First (Given) name is correct. My middle name is on my Passport and my Global Entry info. Will this cause a problem at my departing airport (Honolulu) with TSA that my middle name is not on the ticket?

The Rep said that I can email a copy of my passport or fax it over (helpdesk1.ar@jal.com or 310-322-3878) and request my Middle name to be added if I feel that it will cause problems. If it isn't necessary please verify so I can send a copy or don't need to. Also she said there will be a fee charge of about $20. Is this correct?

Mahalo,
my name

JAL response:

Dear Ms. Last Name,

Thank you for your email to Japan Airlines.

Passengers first and last names as recorded in their passports are required to be on their tickets. Middle name information is included in the document section of your reservation, but it is not required to be in the name field of the ticket. If you would like to include the middle name information in the name field of your ticket, please provide a copy of your passport to have your ticket changed. The fee to change the ticket is USD20.00 per passenger.

Thank you for your patronage of Japan Airlines. We look forward to serving you on your upcoming flight.


Best regards,

Japan Airlines The Americas
Customer Support Desk

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
helpdesk1.ar@jal.com
Mon.-Fri.: 09:00-17:00 (Pacific Time)
Sat. Sun. Holidays: Closed
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

I'm assuming JAL's printed ticket doesn't include Middle names according to the email but it's in their system. In my situation, I'm worried since it's international and TSA is notoriously inconsistent.

Also, I had tickets that didn't include the space between my 2 first names and had my Middle name cut off because printed tickets only had limited amount of letters.

But as of now, I'm leaving as is and not paying the extra 20 to add my Middle name to my ticket. From what they said in their email it's not necessary to be on ticket. Unless someone thinks otherwise.

I am not sure if my answer will be helpful or what.

When US say middle name, it is part of your first name, so your first name can even have 2 or more given names. However in Latinized society, the middle name is mother's maiden surname i.e., San Juan, del Rey et al.

That's a dilemma before with US callers from Latin community when I used to work in a call center 10 years ago servicing US Airways account, as the system only accepts one word without space, hence putting only 2-letter middle initial then we just spell out in the 'Notes' portion the middle initials. As I recalled, US Air were using Sabre system.

I am not sure if that will still be applicable this time, by calling JAL to put in notes your middle names or ask them that to put in notes that you are your full name. In that way, the attendant at the check-in counter desk can read through the notes as he or she checks your ticket and identification.

There's no harm in trying if call or confirm to JAL perhaps.

I don't get it. [Rhetoric] Why the $20? They can put it in notes!

I don't get it. [Rhetoric] Why the $20?

The fee to change the ticket is USD20.00 per passenger.

For reissuing new ticket ????????

Thanks everyone for the responses. I called JAL and they told me to calling the booking site I used - booking site agent said that even on their own site middle names can't be fully spelled out anyway so middle initial is fine.

At this time, I think I will just leave it as is since everything matches, just not spelled out. The first and last names match, so does middle initial.

Once again, thanks for the info. It's good to know that Japan doesn't check passports for domestic flights.

They will only check the passport if you give it to them at the ticket counter so they can find you and print your boarding pass.

Ideally, your ticket name should match your passport name exactly.
But if you have a middle initial instead of a middle name, that is not any problem, nor omitting it entirely. Having a totally different middle name on your ticket from your passport very well could be.

And as for being ticketed as Barack Obama or whatever, if your name does not match (especially surname), you are in serious trouble. If your passport name is Paul Chan and you are ticketed as Paul Chen, you need to get your ticket reissued or you will not be boarding your flight. And good luck trying to get it fixed in any timely fashion if you used an online agency like Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity (known among the airlines as "Trouble City") etc even if it is entirely their fault.

Thanks again for the replies. Appreciate it. Everything does match, just not spelled out completely.