What “name correction” means (and why it matters)
On airlines, “name correction” means fixing minor mistakes in the name on your ticket so it matches the name in your travel ID (passport or government ID). Typical examples are:
- A transposed letter (Jhon → John)
- A missing or extra letter (Sara → Sarah)
- Adding/removing a middle name or initial
- Swapped first/last names because of form order
- Diacritics or punctuation (É, ñ, hyphens) rendered differently
What it is not: changing the ticket to a different person. Airlines view that as a name change/transfer, and most carriers including Air France do not allow transferring a ticket to another traveler once it’s issued. Air France’s General Conditions make this explicit: “A Ticket may not be transferred.”
Why the strictness? Security screening and immigration checks require your boarding pass to match your ID exactly. If it doesn’t, you can be denied check-in or boarding even if it’s a tiny typo. (KLM—the sister carrier in the Air France–KLM group states bluntly that a misspelled name means you can’t fly until it’s corrected; they fix simple typos free. That’s KLM’s policy, but it illustrates how seriously the group treats name accuracy.)
Bottom line up front: What Air France generally allows
Air France does not publish a long, public-facing “name correction policy” page with line-by-line scenarios and fees the way some airlines do. However, based on Air France’s official rules and standard industry practice:
- Tickets are not transferable. You cannot switch the passenger to another person. (Air France USA)
- Minor spelling fixes are typically possible. If your first/last name is slightly misspelled, Air France customer service can usually correct it and reissue your ticket so it matches your ID. (Process is via Manage My Booking or Contact us.) (Air France USA)
- The earlier you act, the better. Once you’re close to departure, everything (including partner/codeshare segments) gets harder to alter; some changes may be restricted by fare rules or partner airline systems.
- If your itinerary involves a U.S. flight and you booked within the last 24 hours, you may have a powerful fallback: the U.S. 24-hour rule lets you cancel for a full refund (or benefit from a 24-hour hold, depending on the airline) when the first flight is at least 7 days away, then rebook with the correct name. This U.S. DOT rule applies to U.S. and foreign airlines marketing flights to/from the U.S.
Tip: If your booking includes partner flights (e.g., Delta, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, or another SkyTeam carrier), name fixes can require coordination between systems. That’s another reason to act early.
What you can’t do (hard limits)
- No changing the traveler. You can’t give your Air France ticket to someone else. Not allowed under Air France’s contract of carriage.
- No major renaming for convenience. You can’t convert “Alex Smith” to “Alexa Jones” because plans changed. That’s a transfer.
- Third-party bookings must be handled by the seller. If you bought from a travel agency or online travel site, they generally must initiate the correction in the Air France reservation (PNR). Air France can be limited in changing agency tickets unless the agency first updates the booking. (This is a standard distribution rule across the industry.)
How to fix a name mistake on an Air France ticket
Step 1: Check what kind of mistake you have
Match your passport/ID exactly. Look for:
- Letters out of order or wrong letters
- Missing middle name vs. middle name present in passport
- Hyphenated last names or multiple surnames (common in many countries)
- Diacritics (é, ä, ç). Most systems strip accents; that’s fine as long as the letters match.
If it’s a minor typo (the most common case), proceed to Step 2. If it’s a legal name change (marriage/divorce), jump to Step 4.
Step 2: Correct it online (if possible) or via customer support
- Open “My Bookings / Trip” on Air France (enter booking reference + last name). Some simple edits are sometimes prompted during ancillaries or document checks. If you don’t see a name-edit prompt, contact Air France.
- Have this ready: booking reference, ticket number (starts with 057), the exact ID-matching name, and a clear explanation of the typo.
Outcome: For simple misspellings, the agent will usually fix the spelling and reissue the ticket so your boarding pass prints correctly. Reissues on partner flights may require extra time/coordination.
Why “reissue”? Even a minor correction often requires issuing a new “document number” with the corrected name so all systems (security, immigration, partner airlines) stay in sync.
Step 3: If your trip touches the U.S. and you booked in the last 24 hours
If the first flight is 7+ days away and you booked direct with the airline, you are protected by the U.S. DOT 24-hour rule: cancel for a full refund and immediately rebook under the corrected name. This can be the fastest fix when available.
- Caveats: If you booked through a third-party site, or your first flight is within 7 days, the federal rule may not apply. Check the original seller’s policy.
Step 4: Legal name changes (marriage, divorce, court order)
If your passport/ID now shows a new legal name:
- Update your passport/ID first if time allows.
- Contact Air France with your booking details and mention the legal name change. Be ready to upload or present supporting documents (e.g., marriage certificate, court order) if requested.
- Policies for legal name changes are generally more flexible than convenience changes, but reissue is still required and may be constrained by fare rules and partner segments.
Step 5: At the airport (last-minute scenarios)
If you’re already at the airport and notice the typo:
- Go straight to the Air France ticket desk (or the ground handling desk for your operating carrier).
- Bring your passport/ID. Ask for a name correction and ticket reissue.
- Cutting it close? Be prepared for the possibility that the flight may close before the reissue completes—arrive early to give staff time to fix it.
Fees: Will Air France charge for a name correction?
There isn’t a single public fee table from Air France that covers every scenario. Fees (if any) depend on fare rules, how the ticket was issued (Air France vs agency), and which airlines operate your flights.
- Minor typo corrections are often done at no charge, especially when caught early on Air France-operated itineraries. (KLM’s published guidance says simple typos are fixed free; that’s a strong indicator of group practice, even though each airline has its own systems.
- Reissue/Service fees can apply in some cases—particularly if the correction touches partner flights, requires multiple revalidations, or if your ticket was issued by a third party. Air France’s conditions allow service fees for ticket reissue in general.
- Fare difference: If your specific fare can’t be revalidated and must be re-ticketed in a different fare, a fare difference could apply. That’s not common for a pure typo fix, but it can happen on complex or heavily restricted fares.
Special situations and edge cases
1) Codeshares and partners (Delta, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, etc.)
Your ticket might be “marketed by Air France (AF flight number) but operated by another airline.” Name data must match in both systems. A small typo can snowball if the partner can’t accept a late correction. Contact Air France early so they can coordinate the reissue before day-of-travel.
2) Middle names and diacritics
Many systems omit accents and sometimes collapse middle names. That’s usually fine, but your core first and last names must align with your passport letters (without accents). If your middle name appears on your passport and is missing on the ticket, most check-in systems accept that but if an agent is hesitant, they’ll look for an exact match to avoid immigration issues. When in doubt, ask Air France to add the middle name as a minor correction.
3) Multiple surnames / hyphenated names
If your passport says “María García-Lopez,” and your ticket shows “Maria Garcia Lopez,” you’re typically safe as long as the components are present and in the right fields. If anything is missing or swapped, request a correction.
4) Title vs. name
Mrs/Mr/Mx titles don’t matter; security checks compare your name, not your salutation.
5) Infant and child tickets
Ensure the spelling and birthdate match the child’s passport exactly. Infant tickets (lap infants) are linked to the adult PNR; correcting one may require reissuing the other.
6) Group bookings
If booked through a group desk or agency, all corrections generally flow through the group contract holder. Build in extra time.
The smartest playbook (step-by-step)
- Spot the issue early. As soon as you book, open your confirmation and compare every letter to your passport.
- Within 24 hours (U.S.-touching trips, booked direct, 7+ days out): Use the DOT 24-hour rule cancel and rebook cleanly. It’s the simplest, most reliable fix.
- Otherwise:
- Try Manage My Booking (you might see a prompt if a document check flags a mismatch). If not, contact Air France via the Contact us page or phone.
- Explain it’s a minor spelling correction to make your ticket match your passport. Spell it out carefully.
- Ask for ticket reissue with corrected name.
- Third-party purchase? Call the agency/OTA and ask them to do the correction and reissue with Air France.
- Partner segments? Request the correction as early as possible so Air France can sync with the operating carrier.
- Airport fallback: If time ran out, go to the ticket desk early. Be ready for reissue fees in worst-case scenarios.
Frequently asked questions
Does Air France allow me to transfer my ticket to another person?
No. Tickets are non-transferable under the General Conditions. If another person needs to travel, they must buy their own ticket
Can Air France fix a one-letter typo?
In practice, yes—minor misspellings are commonly corrected by customer support with a reissue so your name matches your ID. (KLM publicly states typos are fixed free—again, a useful benchmark for the group.) Always act early.
Will I pay a fee?
Often no for a simple typo on AF-operated flights, but fees or fare differences can appear in edge cases (complex fares, partner flights, late reissues). Air France reserves the right to apply service fees when reissuing tickets.
The name in my passport changed after booking. Can I update the ticket?
Contact Air France and provide documentation (e.g., marriage certificate). Expect a reissue. Policies are more flexible for legal name changes than for convenience renames.
My trip starts in (or goes to) the U.S. and I booked today. What’s fastest?
Use the U.S. DOT 24-hour rule: cancel for a full refund (if your first flight is at least 7 days away and you booked directly), then rebook with the correct name.
How precise must my name be with accents/diacritics?
Accents are commonly omitted in airline systems. What matters is the underlying letters matching your passport (GARCIA-LOPEZ vs GARCIA LOPEZ is typically fine). If something looks off, ask to correct it.
What if Air France says they can’t change it because a partner operates one leg?
That can happen close to departure. Ask Air France if they can cancel and immediately rebook the affected coupon(s) under the same fare; if not possible, discuss alternatives (including rebooking options). The earlier you escalate, the better.
Practical tips to avoid problems (and speed up fixes)
- Copy your name from your passport, not from memory.
- Avoid nicknames and make sure middle names appear exactly as required by your destination’s entry rules.
- Double-check before clicking “buy.” Most name headaches are preventable.
- If you’re unsure about accents, enter plain letters exactly as they appear without diacritics (é → e).
- Keep screenshots and timelines. If you catch an error right away, it’s easier to persuade an agent to treat it as a simple correction.
- Build time. Even trivial changes can take longer when partner airlines are involved.
A quick word on passenger rights
The U.S. 24-hour rule is your strongest universal safety net on U.S.-touching itineraries when booked direct and 7+ days before departure use it to cancel and rebook cleanly if a name blunder slips through. It applies to U.S. and foreign airlines alike (which includes Air France when marketing a U.S.-touching flight).
Separately, Air France’s own Customer Commitment and Contact pathways outline how to reach support, request refunds, and manage bookings, which is where name corrections are handled in practice.
The takeaway
- You can’t transfer an Air France ticket to a different person period.
- Minor typos are usually fixable by Air France with a ticket reissue, especially when you act early. (KLM’s published stance on free typo fixes underscores the group’s approach.)
- Use the U.S. 24-hour rule to cancel/rebook if eligible; it’s often the fastest, cleanest remedy for a fresh booking with a name error.
- Third-party bookings must be corrected by the seller/agency first, and partner flights can complicate late changes start the process immediately.