What Lufthansa does allow, in most cases, are name corrections to fix spelling mistakes or to reflect a legal change of name (e.g., after marriage, divorce, or other court-recognized changes). These are corrections to keep the ticket matching the same traveler’s government ID not a swap to a new traveler. Lufthansa Group guidance and third-party reproductions of their internal guidelines consistently confirm this: only one name correction per person is generally permitted and changing the person traveling is never allowed.
Below is a complete guide to what Lufthansa allows (and doesn’t), how to request a correction, typical documentation you might need, timing tips, fees you might encounter, and special cases like award tickets and group bookings.
“Name change” vs. “transfer”: what’s the difference?
Airlines use these terms very specifically:
- Name transfer (changing the passenger): putting an entirely different person on the ticket. With Lufthansa, this is not permitted for standard individual tickets. If the wrong person is named, the remedy is usually to cancel/refund (if fare rules allow) and book again in the correct name.
- Name correction (fixing the same traveler’s name): correcting typos or aligning the ticket with a legitimate legal name change. Lufthansa Group documents specify that one correction per traveler is the norm; it’s not a loophole to hand your ticket to someone else.
Why the strictness? Beyond revenue control, reservations must match passports, security systems, and partner-airline records. Once ticketed, multiple systems synchronize your personal data, so swapping identities midstream is both complex and risky for the integrity of the record. This is an industry-wide reality, not just a Lufthansa quirk.
What kinds of Lufthansa name corrections are typically allowed?
Lufthansa Group’s public and partner-facing materials indicate two broad categories:
- Minor spelling corrections (same traveler)
- These address typos or formatting issuesthink missing or extra letters, accent marks, or a transposed first/last name order. Lufthansa Group materials for agents emphasize that only one correction is allowed per passenger and that changing the traveling person is never allowed. Some resources mention small corrections (for example “up to 2 letters”) as a typical tolerance, though exact thresholds can vary by context and system.
- Legal name changes (same traveler)
- If your legal name has changed since booking (marriage, divorce, court order, or similar), Lufthansa recognizes these changes with proper documentation. Their own Help and Miles & More pages describe uploading an official document issued by an authority showing the old and new namesfor profile and frequent-flyer records; the ticket can then be aligned accordingly through the service channel.
- Important constraint: The above applies most reliably to individual bookings on Lufthansa Group flights and tickets. If your itinerary includes non-Lufthansa carriers (codeshares or other airlines operating a segment), the other airline’s rules and technology may limit what’s possible, even for simple corrections sometimes forcing a reissue or even a new segment. Lufthansa’s multi-document guidance and agent manuals underscore such complexities across partner flights.
Are group bookings different?
Yes. Lufthansa publishes specific group terms:
- Before ticketing: names can typically be changed free of charge.
- After ticketing: name changes are possible for a fee (stated as €100 per passenger name in Lufthansa’s Group Terms & Conditions). Name corrections due to marriage are indicated as permissible without charge even post-ticketing. Keep in mind: group contracts can have their own negotiated conditions.
What about Miles & More award tickets?
For Miles & More award tickets, Lufthansa’s program allows rebooking within validity (e.g., date/time changes, route limits), but changing the passenger’s name is generally not allowed; award policies focus on the same traveler using the miles and ticket. Always check the current Miles & More Help pages for your specific award type and any fees for rebooking or cancellation (the Help Center notes, for example, standard €50 fees for certain changes/cancellations, though some awards are non-changeable).
For changing your name in your Miles & More profile (not the ticket), the program explicitly requires an official document showing old and new names; you submit it via their help/contact flow. That profile update facilitates consistency for future bookings and mileage credit.
How to request a Lufthansa name correction (step-by-step)
- Check your booking source
- If you booked directly with Lufthansa, contact Lufthansa Service Center or manage the booking online and then call if needed. The general Help & Contact hub points you to phone support and relevant forms.
- If you booked through a travel agency or online travel site, start with them. Agents often use specific Lufthansa Group procedures and may need to process the correction or reissue on your behalf following the Lufthansa Group Booking & Ticketing Policy.
- Gather the right documents
- Typos: usually no documentation beyond confirming the correct spelling exactly as per passport.
- Legal change: official proof marriage certificate, divorce decree, court order, or updated passport/ID. Lufthansa and Miles & More help pages explicitly call for official documents from a public authority showing old and new names.
- Mind the timing
- Aim to correct before your first flight segment. Many agent guidelines stress that certain corrections are smoother (or only possible) pre-travel and often only once.
- If your itinerary includes partner airlines, act earlier—those carriers may need to accept the correction in their system, and refusal can force rebooking solutions.
- Expect fees (sometimes)
- Fees depend on what is being corrected, when, and how the ticket was issued.
- Examples from Lufthansa Group materials (illustrative and subject to change):
- A name correction fee post-ticketing appears in some partner policies—e.g., €25 noted in a Lufthansa Group business-partner policy document (timing and applicability can vary by airline within the group and may have been updated).
- Group bookings: €100 per passenger name after ticketing; free before ticketing; marriage-related corrections free even after ticketing.
- Country/market-specific nuances exist; an Air Dolomiti (Lufthansa Group) booking/ticketing policy notes up to “2 letters” corrections and that name corrections for already issued tickets are subject to a fee, with country-specific restrictions/exceptions. This gives a sense of the general framework across the group, even though exact thresholds and fees can differ.
- Because fee tables evolve, always have the agent quote the current fee for your ticket and market before proceeding.
Common scenarios and what usually happens
1) I accidentally swapped first and last names
This is a classic formatting error. Lufthansa Group guidance recognizes inverted sequence cases as correctable; your records should be adjusted so they match the passport format. Do this as soon as possible and ideally before check-in opens.
2) My name changed due to marriage/divorce
Provide the official certificate/decree. If you also changed your Miles & More profile, submit the official document via the program’s Help/Contact flow to align your frequent-flyer profile. Note: group bookings explicitly mention marriage-related corrections as free even after ticketing.
3) I mistyped a few letters (e.g., “Jonh” instead of “John”)
Minor typos are the archetypal name correction. Policies often tolerate small fixes (commonly cited as “a couple of letters”), but the limit can vary. Don’t wait the longer you leave it, the more complicated (and potentially costly) it can become.
4) My itinerary has codeshares or partner-operated legs
Corrections can be trickier. If the partner carrier declines to accept a correction or the system can’t sync it, your agent may have to reissue or rebuild parts of the itinerary, sometimes with a fare difference. This is why early action is critical.
5) I booked with miles (Miles & More award)
You can often change dates/times (fees/limits apply), but changing the passenger is generally not permitted. For any name issues, contact the Miles & More Service Team promptly to understand your options.
Practical tips to avoid trouble
- Book exactly as per passport. Double-check spellings, order, hyphens, and middle names before paying. (Industry guidance repeatedly stresses this due to security matching and multi-system syncing.
- Add your frequent-flyer and Secure Flight data early so mismatches surface sooner, not at the airport.
- If you notice an error, act immediately. The earlier you contact Lufthansa (or your travel agent), the more likely a simple correction sometimes at a lower fee can be applied.
- Watch for partner segments. If any leg is operated by a non-Lufthansa carrier, highlight that when you call; the agent can tell you what that partner will accept.
- For groups, lock names before ticketing to avoid the post-ticketing fee, and keep marriage-related documentation handy for free corrections if needed.
- For Miles & More, update your profile name (with official proof) so future tickets generate with the correct name.
Fees: what should you expect?
There isn’t a single global fee chart publicly posted for every scenario, market, and fare. Instead, fees depend on where and how you booked, whether the ticket is already issued, your market, and what exactly needs correcting.
- Illustrative data points from Lufthansa Group sources:
- A business-partner policy document cites a €25 name correction fee after ticket issuance (may vary by carrier within the group and may be updated).
- Group bookings state €100 per passenger post-ticketing name changes; free before ticketing; marriage corrections free post-ticketing.
- Country-specific exceptions and “up to two letters” correction rules appear in group airline materials (e.g., Air Dolomiti), reinforcing that fees and thresholds can differ.
Because these fees change and can depend on your exact fare and itinerary, the safest move is to ask the agent to quote your case before authorizing the change.
What if Lufthansa says the correction isn’t possible?
A few reasons you might hear “no” (or “only with a reissue/new ticket”):
- You’re effectively trying to transfer the ticket to a new person.
- You already used your one correction or the requested change exceeds what the system regards as a “correction.”
- A partner carrier won’t accept the correction on its segment. In those cases, the agent might offer to rebook that segment possibly at a new fare.
If you’re fully blocked and your departure is far away, check whether your fare permits refund or cancellation so you can rebook cleanly in the correct name. Lufthansa notes that cancellations/refunds depend on your fare rules and deadlines (often up to 24 hours before travel for online refund requests, subject to fare conditions.
Special note: profiles vs. tickets
Lufthansa’s website sometimes directs customers who search “change name” to pages about changing the name in your profile (Travel ID or Miles & More). That’s helpful for making your loyalty/profile data consistent for future bookings, but it doesn’t automatically fix an already-issued ticket. You still need to request a ticket name correction via Lufthansa or your issuing agent.
- Can you transfer a Lufthansa ticket to another person?
No. Lufthansa’s Conditions of Carriage say tickets are not transferable. - Can you correct a Lufthansa ticket name for the same traveler?
Yes, usually. Lufthansa Group guidance allows one name correction per traveler to address typos or to reflect a legal name change, often with documentation. Complexity increases if partner airlines are involved, and fees may apply especially after ticketing. - What will it cost and how do you do it?
Fees and processes vary by booking channel, market, and fare. Contact Lufthansa or your issuing travel agent quickly with your booking reference, passport-matching spelling, and any legal documents. Expect straightforward fixes for minor typos and documented legal changes; expect added complexity (and sometimes rebooking costs) if partner airlines are involved