Hi,
I booked flight tickets with Turkish Airlines 15 days ago for a round-trip for 4 people to Thailand in August 2026. On my reservation, I only included my married name, but on my passport, my maiden name appears along with my married name. I only noted one first name—I didn’t include my second or third first name. For my husband and children, I only included their first first name. I called Turkish Airlines a few days ago as a precaution, and they were very helpful, guiding me through the process of adding a comment to request the modification with scanned passports. They confirmed it would be free of charge. Today, I received a response from TK saying I need to buy new tickets with the required changes and then provide them with the new reservation details to be reimbursed for the initially purchased tickets. I called Turkish Airlines again, and they advised me to file a complaint using the initial comment I made. I did that tonight, explaining that I made these requests as a precaution—I fly every year and have never included my maiden name or other first names on my reservations, and it’s never been an issue. Plus, I can’t afford to pay for new tickets since prices have skyrocketed (+1000 € for 4 people).
I’m really worried and anxious about this situation. We’ve been saving for a while to afford this trip, and I hope it gets resolved favorably.
Have any of you experienced similar issues or situations like this? If so, how did it go at the airport?
Thanks in advance for your help
Why did you suddenly decide to request a modification this time by adding first names?
It’s completely unnecessary.
We only include the first given name, except for a few very specific destinations—and even then, it’s rare.
Besides, from what I remember about recent online check-ins with Turkish Airlines, it was still possible to add first names yourself if you wanted to.
I’m not sure if this applies to all destinations, though.
The married name is on the passport, it’s on the ticket, and that’s perfectly fine as it is.
In short, don’t do anything—you’ve already done too much. If the tickets were canceled, it’s already too late; you’ll just have to follow their instructions and pay.
There’s no "malfunction"—Turkish Airlines did exactly what you asked them to do. You should never call an airline for this kind of thing.
I was in Thailand last November and didn’t have any issues:
- On my passport, I have my family name and my three first names
- On the reservation (and therefore on the boarding pass), there was my family name with my first name (so only one)
- On the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), my family name and two of my three first names were listed
So no worries about that.
Hello,
Thank you for your help. Yes, in hindsight, I should’ve left it as is… I was just trying to do the right thing… However, the airline confirmed that the passport must match the flight ticket exactly, which is why we went through these steps—and it was free, otherwise I wouldn’t have done anything. Why would the tickets already be canceled? We just sent Turkish a message yesterday on our initial comment to explain that this was a precaution and that we can’t afford a price increase. We were also told over the phone that it was free…
None of this is reassuring.
I was in Thailand in November and had no issues:
- My passport has my last name and all three of my first names
- On the reservation (and thus on the boarding pass), there was my last name with just one first name
- On the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), my last name and two of my three first names were listed
So no worries about that.
Fred
Hello,
Thank you for your feedback and explanations.
Fingers crossed that my situation gets resolved and I can board without any issues or extra costs.
Have a great day!
After reading your story, it seems like there’s a risk your tickets might have been canceled.
Cancellation is free, but rebooking the ticket that replaces the first one isn’t.
Is your reservation on Turkish Airlines’ website all good?
If it is, don’t touch anything from now on.
Why on earth did you suddenly decide to modify it this time by adding first names?
It’s completely unnecessary.
You only need the first given name, except for a few very specific destinations. And even then.
Besides, from what I remember about recent online check-ins with Turkish, it was still possible to add first names yourself if you wanted to.
I’m not sure if that applies to all destinations, though.
The married name is on the passport, it’s on the ticket, and that’s perfectly fine.
In short, don’t do anything—you’ve already done too much. If the tickets were canceled, it’s already too late; you’ll just have to do and pay as they suggest.
There’s no "malfunction"; Turkish did what you asked them to do. You should never call an airline for this kind of thing.
Michel
Hello, more and more airlines are requiring full names and first names. In Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia, we haven’t had any issues with local airlines like AirAsia, Lion Air, etc. It’s true that on long-haul flights and with international airlines, we’ve only been asked once, but there was no problem boarding.
Have a nice day
more and more airlines are requiring all first and last names
Do you have any specific, documented examples?
I mean, aside from poorly organized Southeast Asian low-cost carriers with undertrained staff and limited experience?
Turkish Airlines does have a new pop-up that details the rules, including for people without first names, names that are too long, and other unusual cases.
Personally, I’ve only ever put my first name on Turkish Airlines, and I’ve taken hundreds of flights with them.
After reading your story, I’m afraid your tickets may have been canceled.
Cancellation is free, but rebooking the replacement ticket isn’t.
Is your reservation on Turkish’s website still in order?
If so, don’t touch anything from now on.
Michel
Good evening,
I contacted Turkish Airlines and Lastminute again tonight (we booked through this provider). Turkish confirmed that the tickets are still reserved and there’s no cancellation in progress. Lastminute doesn’t handle “name changes,” which we suspected, but they also confirmed the tickets are still booked.
Today, we received a response from the claims service stating: “To refund the price of your tickets, issued in error, we first ask you to purchase a new round-trip ticket for the affected passenger, with the correct name and for the same date, route, and time. You can make your purchase on turkishairlines.com. To finalize the necessary transactions and avoid any issues during your trip, please send us the number of your new ticket by selecting the ‘Previous Comments’ option on our comments page within 3 days of receiving this message.
This way, we can start the refund process for your first ticket as soon as possible. Additionally, please note that if the ticket you purchase is more expensive than the one issued in error, the price difference will not be refunded.
Depending on bank processing times, the refund may take between 2 and 7 business days to appear in your account.”
With all the consequences of the price increase for the new tickets—over 1,000 € more for 4 people compared to the original price—I’m not going to proceed with adding my maiden name or my second and third first names to my ticket, nor the same for my husband’s and children’s tickets. If I’d been informed of all these consequences beforehand by customer service, I wouldn’t have done anything (on top of the stress it’s causing).
Anyway, I’m tempted to ignore Turkish Airlines’ claim and not respond at all. What do you think? Or should I just reply to tell them I don’t want to make any changes anymore?
Thanks in advance—I’m completely indecisive at this point.
If it were me, I wouldn’t change a thing after checking the booking on Turkish Airlines’ website—using the PNR.
Just to be safe, double-check again in a few weeks.
When you modify a ticket, it’s always like this, subject to fare changes—only upward.
In this case, they were modifying it for you without fees or reissuing it without fees, which was really customer-friendly and nice of them.
If this first name or last name issue were ever a problem, it’d be sorted out at check-in.
Generally speaking, there’s a real issue when the spelling of the first or last name isn’t correct.
On the other hand, missing a second or third given name isn’t a problem.
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
If it were me, I wouldn’t change a thing after checking the booking on Turkish Airlines’ website—using the PNR.
Just to be safe, double-check again in a few weeks.
When you modify a ticket, it’s always like this, subject to a fare increase—only upwards.
In this case, they were either modifying it for free or reissuing it for free, which was really customer-friendly and nice of them.
If this first name or last name issue really were a problem, it would be sorted out at check-in.
Michel
Hello, thank you for your feedback and information. I can indeed find my booking with my 4 tickets on the Turkish Airlines website. I won’t touch anything and will check again in the coming weeks.
Yes, I think at check-in, if needed, I can discuss it with them in case it causes any issues.
Thanks again!
Generally speaking, there’s a real problem when the spelling of the last name or first name is incorrect.
However, the absence of a second or third first name isn’t an issue.
Thanks for your reply—yes, that’s exactly what I understand now. In my case, there’s no spelling error, which reassures me. Fingers crossed, everything should go smoothly!
In general, there’s a real problem when the spelling of the first or last name is incorrect.
However, the absence of a second or third given name isn’t an issue.
Hi, it’s not reasonable to say that because people might take it as a blanket statement. I can confirm that AirAsia and Thai Lion Air have been very strict on this point for the past two years.
The slip-ups of two or three regional low-cost airlines should definitely not push the industry toward even more constraints and restrictions worldwide.
Banning the use of these few airlines is more reasonable and relevant; passengers should remain customers and be treated as such on major international routes.
The flight ticket must show the name(s) exactly as they appear on the passport
That’s all
Not even that.
When you buy a ticket on Turkish Airlines’ website, you can click on an "i" icon that opens a large pop-up detailing advice for about twenty special cases:
No first name, very long last names, first names too long to even fit on the ticket, compound last names that are very long or complex, names with particles (Portuguese, Arabic styles, etc.).
The reality is that a major airline like Turkish has always accepted me using just my first name, following the common practice for French passengers who have multiple first names.
Some Asian low-cost airlines, due to lack of staff training and international awareness, sometimes charge passengers for practices that are only their own rules, and I think we shouldn’t encourage others to follow suit.
Some Asian low-cost airlines, due to lack of staff training and international openness, sometimes charge passengers for practices that are actually their own, and I think we shouldn’t encourage others to follow suit.
Including ALL your first names is a completely legitimate and logical practice, whether you like it or not. It’s up to you not to use these airlines and to boycott them if it bothers you.
I’ve already explained several times that in Asia, particularly in Vietnam and with some Chinese airlines, including ALL your first names makes perfect sense because there are so many people with exactly the same last name and even the same first name. The only way to tell them apart is to include all first names. What’s the problem? When staff need to call someone at the counter, it makes the process much easier and error-free. And it’s also useful for "darker" reasons, like in case of an accident and identification.
In France, we’re not quite there yet, but there could easily be two Michel Martins on the same flight, for example.
This is in no way a lack of training or international openness. You’re really overthinking this 😅. On the contrary, these airlines have found a very simple way to avoid any errors or issues.
Otherwise, apart from these few airlines, you should only provide your first name.
And regarding married women, this has been said and repeated many times.
"Si partir vivre ses rêves remplit l'âme, les partager après les avoir réalisés la grandit"
"Qui veut apprendre à se connaître commence par explorer le monde"
I understand what you're saying about homonyms, but the reality is that air travel has to deal with complexity.
Including ALL first names is a perfectly legitimate and logical practice, whether you like it or not
It’s an ideal that clashes with complexity and diversity; as it stands, it’s unattainable, impossible, and everything in this field is just compromises and practices.
An e-ticket only has a limited number of characters, no spaces, no diacritical marks, so we do the best we can to actually limit the risk of homonyms.
A good airline, well-trained staff, assesses things with discernment; I’ve never heard of a passenger being denied boarding for this reason.
Of course, Turkish Airlines also tries to standardize things and makes the following suggestions.
That said, the practice has remained that unless there’s an obvious ambiguity, the first name is sufficient for a passenger with a French passport—at least on a large number of flights, I’ve never had any comments about this.
The screenshots are from the official Turkish Airlines website.
The flight ticket must show the name(s) exactly as they appear on the passport.
That's all.
No, not even that.
When you buy a ticket on Turkish Airlines' website, you can click on an "i" icon that opens a large pop-up detailing advice for about twenty special cases:
No first name, very long last names, first names too long to even fit the first one on the ticket, compound last names that are very long, complex, with particles, Portuguese or Arabic style...
The reality is that a major airline like Turkish has always accepted that I only put my first name, following the common practice for French passengers who might have several.
Some Asian low-cost airlines, due to lack of staff training and international awareness, sometimes charge passengers for practices that are only their own, and I think we shouldn't encourage others to follow suit.
Michel
Hello, an easy criticism of low-cost airlines with no basis:
Airlines rely on international legal security obligations: they must transmit the EXACT identity information shown on your travel document (passport or ID card).
This isn't a rule invented by airlines—it's linked to API and PNR systems.API – Advance Passenger Information
Airlines must transmit the following to authorities:
last name
all first names exactly as they appear on the ID document
date of birth
nationality
document number
This is an international aviation security obligation.PNR – Passenger Name Record
The European Union requires airlines to transmit PNR data to member states for:
Airlines rely on international legal security obligations: they must transmit to authorities the EXACT identity information appearing on your travel document (passport or national ID card).
They check this at check-in, but it has never been stated that this must appear on the e-ticket. Besides, as I explained, it’s not always possible, and even less so mandatory.
For this purpose, airlines scan your passport at check-in—haven’t you noticed?
This isn’t a rule invented by airlines: it’s linked to API and PNR systems. API – Advance Passenger Information
For states that require it, yes, API—but not all, far from it.
When I fill out the API online, which I often do with Turkish Airlines, what matters most is the passport number, date of birth, expiry date, and issue date.
Even then, I only put one first name, and so far, no one’s raised an eyebrow.
The European Union requires airlines to transmit PNR data to member states for:
I’ll let you keep your naivety about the objectives, but that *is* the official line.
You’re right, but you’re not talking about the same thing: the discussion is about how to list your identity on the e-ticket.
Michel
PS: I also checked the two links you provided—actually, I think they lead to the same content. It’s vague, very general, sometimes inaccurate. I don’t recommend them.
Airlines rely on international legal security obligations: they must transmit the EXACT identity information shown on your travel document (passport or national ID card) to the authorities.
They record this at check-in, but it has never been stated that this must appear on the e-ticket. Besides, as I explained, it’s not always possible, and even less so mandatory.
For this purpose, airlines scan your passport at check-in—haven’t you noticed?
This isn’t a rule invented by airlines: it’s linked to API and PNR systems. API – Advance Passenger Information
For countries that require it, API, yes—but not all, far from it.
When I fill out the API online, which I often do with Turkish Airlines, what matters most is the passport number, date of birth, expiry date, and issue date.
Even then, I only put one first name, by the way. So far, no one’s raised an eyebrow.
The European Union requires airlines to transmit PNR data to member states for:
I’ll let you keep your naivety about the objectives, but that’s indeed the official line.
You’re right, but you’re not talking about the same thing: the discussion is about how to state your identity on the e-ticket.
Michel
PS: I also checked the two links you provided—actually, I think they lead to the same content. It’s vague, very general, imprecise, and sometimes wrong. I wouldn’t recommend them.
It’s unbelievable that you don’t understand how much safer it is—for both passengers and airlines—to provide all first names exactly as they appear on the passport. Tell me, why are you so reluctant to share your first names with an airline? That’s just crazy.
It’s unbelievable that you don’t understand how much safer it is—for both passengers and airlines—to list all first names exactly as they appear on the passport.
Honestly, I just don’t get how the fact that other passengers on my flight listed their extra first names would make *me* any safer.
I really don’t see the connection.
As long as a passenger clears security, I consider them no threat or danger. What exactly are you thinking here?
And for the airline, even if they accidentally board someone with the same name, the worst that happens is a commercial dispute—nothing major.
Nope, I still don’t see the point.
That’s why I trust the judgment of airline staff, who know how to make the right connections.
These days, protecting our personal data is really important.
It’s unbelievable that you don’t see how much safer it is—for both passengers and airlines—to provide all first names exactly as they appear on the passport.
Honestly, I can’t wrap my head around how passengers on my flight listing extra first names would make me any safer.
I just don’t get it.
Once a passenger clears security, I consider them no threat or danger. What are you even thinking?
As for the airline, if they accidentally board someone with the same name, the worst that happens is a commercial dispute—nothing major.
Nope, I really don’t see the point.
That’s why I trust the judgment of airline staff, who know how to make the right connections.
These days, protecting our personal data is crucial.
Michel
I feel sorry for you if you think giving your first names could put your personal data at risk. Shred your credit cards, never go online again, stop driving, and avoid borders.
What's the point of giving your maiden name when you're no longer a maiden? 😏
I’ll let you in on a secret: I end up with OCD tendencies when making reservations—I triple-check everything before and during. Since I don’t make mistakes, I’m probably not the best person to advise those who’ve made a blunder. 😎
To wrap it up, most people—like the vast majority—haven’t had any issues as long as the ticket had the correct last name and first name.
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
Hi there,
For first names, the vast majority of airlines don’t actually require them. On a flight to China, I didn’t have all my first names listed, and I was worried about it. I was told that my airline loyalty card didn’t have all my first names either, so it wouldn’t be a problem.
And sure enough, we didn’t have any issues.
What's the point of giving your maiden name if she's no longer a maiden?
See message 18 in this post.
"Si partir vivre ses rêves remplit l'âme, les partager après les avoir réalisés la grandit"
"Qui veut apprendre à se connaître commence par explorer le monde"
This is a bit off-topic, but I was thinking of you all this morning when I read that Vietjet Kazakhstan—a branch of Vietjet that recently acquired Qazaq Air—was ordered by local courts to correct minor name errors on passenger tickets free of charge.
Apparently, the airline’s strictness on this issue and its unwillingness to budge don’t quite align with Kazakhstan’s laws...
Je viens d'acheter des billets Paris Bangkok sur Air China mais ai indiqué mon nom d'épouse au lieu d'indiquer mon nom de jeune fille. Sur mon passeport figure…
Voici mon malheur, nous avions planifié avec ma femme notre voyage de noce en thailande hors lorsque nous nous sommes presenté à l embarquement à roissy sur la…
J'ai effectué une réservation pour un voyage en Birmanie en janvier 2017. L'itinéraire de vol: - Vol aller retour via Air China de Francfort vers Bangkok avec…
Nous avons acheté sur internet et reçu les billets d'avion Paris/ Bangkok via Oman Air. Nous voyageons ensemble avec mon mari, mais j'ai commis la petite…
Sais que le sujet a déjà été abordé mais dans la précipitation, j ai pris un billet d avion avec mon nom d épouse (sur passeport celui ci est noté nom épouse…
Bonjour,
Je pense partir bientôt pour la Malaisie
J'ai vu des prix interessant et vol direct de Paris avec Malaysia Airlines
Est ce une compagnie fiable?
Merci pour vos retours
Back in February, I booked a flight with Air France-KLM from Lyon to San Diego with a layover in Amsterdam (flights operated by KLM). The flight is scheduled for late August.
My Lyon→Amsterdam flight was canceled by KLM in June, and a replacement flight the evening before was booked for me. So, I’ll end up spending the night at Amsterdam Airport to catch my flight to San Diego the next morning.
Since the cancellation happened more than 14 days before departure, I know I’m not entitled to financial compensation (EU Regulation 261/2004). But am I entitled to reimbursement for a hotel night in Amsterdam?
Hi there,
We had planned a trip to Sicily in August, and due to the volcanic eruption of Mount Etna, my flight was canceled. The airline is refunding the outbound flight, but none of the non-refundable expenses: accommodation booked through Booking, rental car, and the return flight aren’t covered. My SUPER Gold card doesn’t work in this specific case! :( If anyone has been in this situation, could you let me know if you were able to get any recourse and, if so, how?
Thanks in advance
J'effectue régulièrement des voyages depuis plus de vingt ans
maís c'est la première fois qu'un compagnies me traite si mal que Air France.
Deux voyages, deux fois des problèmes. Le dernier:
Voyage de Séoul à Rennes. Dernière partie de París CDG à Rennes par Air France.
J'arrive à Paris et je me rends directement chez Air France pour obtenir la carte d'embarquement jusqu'à Rennes. On n'y assure que mon bagage suit jusqu'à Rennes.
Arrivé à Rennes, pas de bagage, comme c'est le cas de 5 personnes.
Le bureau d'Air France est fermé et le oersonnel de l'aéroport m'assure qu''il y a rarement quelqu'un.
Avec l'aide du personnel de l'aéroport, je fais une réclamation par internet et Mon bagage est quadi directement localisé, en conséquence je l'aurai le lendemain.
4 jours plus tard, le bagage est toujours au même endroitvà CDG, rien ne bouge.
Le problème est qu'Air France m'a pas de service clientèle. Ce qu'ils appellent service clientes, c'est un service qui répond après une heure et qui vous répète ce qu''il y a sur le FORMULAIRE informatique. Aucune coordination, aucune moyen de faire bouger les choses, je suppose que Air France préfère me payer l'indemnisation après 21 jours que se bouger le cul.
J'ai déjà eu des bagages égarés dans d'autres voyages maís c'est la première fois que je vous un tel je-m'en-foutisme foutisme et manque de professionalisme..
Hi,
Air Cairo offers good prices on domestic flights and schedules that work for us, but is this airline reliable?
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
Hi,
I booked an Etihad ticket on their website for Dusseldorf-Abu Dhabi. In the first name field, I entered all my first names (something I never do and I regret it, but the site was confusing). Everything is spelled correctly, but the problem is that I just received my new passport and only my first two first names and the first letter of the third appear—there’s no trace of the last one.
I called Etihad, and of course, they tried to charge me $100 USD to remove that last first name. But I’m hesitant because usually, I only put my first first name and not the others, and I’ve never had an issue... So I’m wondering if having that extra first name, which isn’t on my passport, could get me denied at check-in.
Thanks for your feedback!
Hi everyone,
Next January, I’m heading to India.
My outbound flight is with Emirates from Paris to Dubai, then another Emirates flight from Dubai to Calcutta.
Could anyone tell me how the connection works? I’ve heard there’s a dedicated Emirates zone, but how does it actually work in practice—I’ve got a 2-hour layover.
Thanks so much!
Take care.
I’d like to fly to Malta from Lyon.
I’ve read a lot of negative reviews about KM MALTA, especially regarding baggage fees at the airport.
Of course, I don’t want to book through third parties (like SkyScanner, Opodo…).
AIR FRANCE offers tickets to MALTA in partnership, if I understood correctly.
On AIR FRANCE, the tickets include everything (checked baggage, cabin bag, small personal item, seat), whereas with KM MALTA, everything is extra and the final price is almost double!
In this case, is AIR FRANCE considered the same as sites like Opodo or others?
Given the price difference, I’m hesitant…
Have any of you booked with AIR FRANCE for this destination? How did it go?
Thanks,
HERVE
Hi everyone, I’ve unfortunately only just noticed that I booked two flight tickets, but I made a mistake on the second first name. Basically, my computer auto-filled and typed my first name twice, so both tickets are in my first name. Only the last names—mine and my friend’s—are correct.
TAP Portugal refuses to make the change because they consider it a change of passenger, even though it’s clearly a typo (plus, my last name isn’t common).
I’m leaving in 5 days, and buying a new ticket would cost 3 times the original price. Has anyone been in this situation before? I’d like to try negotiating at the airport, but it’s a gamble… Thanks in advance for any advice!
Since it came into force, Regulation 261/2004 of the European Parliament and Council, which defines air passenger rights, has faced fierce resistance from airlines, backed by IATA (the association representing almost all passenger airlines).
Beyond the airlines' often abusive—and even frequently bad-faith—resistance to passenger rights, IATA has been lobbying EU institutions for years, with the Council paying close attention for a long time.
As a result, the Council and the Commission have been proposing revisions to Regulation 261/2004 for years that are particularly unfavorable to passengers. The latest attempt nearly eliminated the right to compensation for delays of 3 hours or more upon arrival at the final destination.
However, since this is a regulation of both the European Parliament AND the Council, the two bodies had to agree.
But the European Parliament has always stood firm, consistently responding that passenger rights must be preserved.
After 11 years of struggle, it seems likely that we’re finally nearing the end of the match between the European Commission, the Council (the 27 heads of state or government), and the European Parliament.
Indeed, the Commission and the European Parliament have agreed on a text that will be debated again on Monday, July 6, 2026, with a vote scheduled for July 7, 2026. It’s very likely that this text, which would come into force in a year, will be adopted.
The main changes would be as follows:
- Families with children will no longer be forced to pay to sit together on planes;
- A flight will be considered canceled (not just delayed) if it departs more than one hour late;
- Right to compensation for arrival at the final destination if the delay exceeds 3 hours (no longer "3 hours OR more"). The arrival time will be when the plane, having reached its parking spot, engages its parking brakes (no longer when the aircraft door opens);
- Airlines can no longer refuse boarding or charge extra on the return flight for a passenger who didn’t take the outbound flight;
- If a flight is canceled, the airline must, at the same time as informing passengers of the event, offer the choice between a refund and re-routing, and inform them of their rights to assistance and, if applicable, compensation;
- The airline must, without undue delay, inform passengers of the reason;
- In the case of a connecting flight, if the connection is missed and the delay at the final destination entitles the passenger to compensation, the responsible airline will be liable. This is very different from the current situation, where, under the KLM ruling, any airline operating a segment of the flight is liable for compensation. This promises more disputes that the Court of Justice of the European Union will have to resolve if two separate airlines operating segments of a connecting flight are both responsible for the delay. See this case for an example: https://retardimportantavion.wordpress.com/2026/04/18/swiss-international-air-lines-la-mauvaise-foi/
Moreover, this case demonstrates in advance another potential dispute: It could be argued that it wasn’t a missed connection since the flight was canceled before the first leg even departed.
- Within 96 hours of a flight that could entitle passengers to compensation, the airline must contact them to inform them of their rights and explain the next steps.
- Passengers must claim their right to compensation within 9 months. This is very different from the current situation, as Regulation 261/2004 sets no time limit. Currently, national law applies—in France, the limit is 5 years. The airline must respond within 30 days. If the airline refuses compensation on the grounds of "extraordinary circumstances," it must specify which type of case it refers to from the list in the annex of the new regulation. If the case isn’t on the list, the airline must explain what the event was, why it qualifies as extraordinary circumstances with "clear, substantial, and concise" explanations, and why it’s directly linked to the reason given. It must also declare what "reasonable measures" were taken to mitigate the issue. This is, of course, a huge change in the regulation, with the clear goal of preventing airlines from declaring just anything as "extraordinary circumstances" to avoid compensation.
- If, within 3 hours of a last-minute canceled or delayed flight, the airline hasn’t offered re-routing under comparable transport conditions and as soon as possible—whether on one of its own flights or another airline’s—the passenger will have the right to arrange their own re-routing and demand a refund for the new ticket, up to 400% of the original ticket price. This is a significant improvement that would have likely prevented the case described here: https://retardimportantavion.wordpress.com/2024/01/12/reacheminement-catastrophique-droit-indemnisation-meme-circonstances-extraordinaires-2/
- If a flight is canceled due to "extraordinary circumstances," the airline will only be required to offer up to 3 nights in a hotel. This is a major change, as there’s currently no limit. Expect disputes if the extraordinary circumstances end while the passenger hasn’t been re-routed.
- The price of a flight, as first displayed, must obligatorily include a cabin bag. This doesn’t prevent the airline from offering a price reduction if the passenger waives the cabin bag. This will put an end to abnormal practices, such as (just one example) Condor charging extra for a cabin bag on long-haul flights like Frankfurt (Germany)–Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic)–Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic)–Frankfurt.
- Free correction of a passenger’s name if requested 48 hours before departure. Note: This can’t be used to replace one passenger with another—just to correct a typo, e.g., Dupont instead of Dpont.
- Airlines’ websites and apps must include information on how to file a claim.
It’s clear that, despite a few details, these changes are very positive for upholding passenger rights. It remains to be seen whether this text will be definitively adopted on July 7, 2026, as is very likely, and, more importantly, whether IATA will encourage airlines to loyally respect these new rules or persist in their old habits.
I’m planning a trip to Georgia this summer and I’ve been comparing some airlines. I’m not particularly set on flying with Pegasus (though it’s convenient with direct flights from Lyon to Tbilisi), but right off the bat, Pegasus states this:
As of January 1, 2026, all foreign nationals traveling to Georgia for tourism purposes will be required to present valid travel health insurance. Guests who fail to provide the relevant health insurance will not be accepted on our flights to Georgia.
Sincerely,
Pegasus Airlines
In other words, if you don’t show proof of travel health insurance, you’ll be denied boarding.
Personally, my credit card insurance has always been enough for me, and I’d rather not take out extra coverage...
Have any of you run into this issue before? If not, what do you think? Why is Pegasus asking for this proof? Other airlines don’t mention it at all.
I bought my flight ticket with my first (usual) first name, which appears first on my passport. However, I have two first names on my passport, and of course, it’s mentioned in the machine-readable zone at the bottom.
I booked with Turkish Airlines (through an online agency) for a trip to South Korea.
I wanted to know if it would be a problem that I only used my first first name on the ticket, while my passport has two. I had requested through the agency to add the second first name, but the airline refused because it doesn’t meet their general conditions. (They must have seen that the last name and first name were the same, and only the second first name was added.)
So, my ticket has my last name and first first name correctly spelled, and when I check in online, I’ll enter the passport details correctly.
I’ll have a layover in Istanbul on the flight.
Thanks in advance for your replies.
Have a great day.
Hi there,
I traveled in June 2025 with Nouvelair Destinations to Hammamet.
I had one checked bag and one carry-on sized 40x24x30, which I usually take on low-cost flights, and I didn’t have any issues. But I just read on a website that Nouvel Air only accepts carry-ons of 40x20x15. I’m flying back to Djerba in June—what do you think? Especially since that size is impossible to find??????? Thanks
Hi, it's my first time taking a plane and I chose EasyJet for a Geneva -> Barcelona flight.
I booked my ticket.
I received my booking reference by email, but I don’t see the actual ticket (barcode or QR code?).
Then I checked in to get the boarding pass with the flight details, QR code, etc. But does this boarding pass act as the ticket?
Because I’ve seen several times online that the flight ticket and the boarding pass aren’t the same thing.
We're leaving for Albania on June 18th. When I validated the flight tickets with Wizz Air on Booking, I only put my son's first name but forgot to include his other three first names on the ticket.
On the passport: SURNAME: Dupont, FIRST NAMES: toto titi tutu tata
On the flight ticket: SURNAME: Dupont, FIRST NAME: toto
I can't seem to reach anyone at Wizz Air to get an answer.
Booking and Wizz Air's chat say I need to modify it, but ChatGPT says it should be fine.
I wanted to know if he can fly like this or if I need to change his ticket?
(It costs 140 €, I know I shouldn't have made a mistake🙁)
Basically, all airlines have been blacklisted because they don’t meet European safety standards. They’re banned from flying in Europe but continue operating in Tanzania.
The main issue is that travel agencies’ civil liability no longer applies to blacklisted airlines.
So we can’t allow clients to fly with these carriers.
Of course, there’s huge pressure from European agencies, which are forced to disrupt their plans or even cancel trips because of this.
Personally, I’ve got a trip planned for February 2026 to the southern parks in Tanzania, so I’ll be keeping an eye on how this develops.
Do any of you have updates?
Thanks!
Right now, with the war raging in Iran and affecting all the neighboring countries of the Persian Gulf, many airports are completely closed to all traffic.
Several airlines like Qatar Airways, Emirates, and others have almost completely halted their operations.
Whether in the Middle East or Africa, many travelers are stranded—maybe for a long time... A heartfelt thought for them and the struggles this will cause.
Four months ago, I was in Kenya with a flight booked through Qatar Airways... I can’t even imagine how I’d react if I were stuck there now. ??
Wishing all these travelers courage, patience, and success in making it back home.
Hello, some (potentially) good news for Brazil lovers—GOL airline is launching a route to Europe from Rio, starting in September for Lisbon, then Paris at a later date that hasn’t been announced yet.
They’ll be using their new A330-900 neo.
No prices have been announced so far, but hopefully we’ll find direct flights from GIG at a more interesting fare than AF or Latam…
I’m really surprised because in TUI’s new tour packages, the airlines they’re using are of low quality. Before, they used to prioritize major airlines, but now it’s small airlines from small countries—companies with terrible ratings and borderline safety concerns. I even just noticed this note for a Tanzania trip: "We inform you that the domestic flight segment in Tanzania included in your trip is operated by an airline listed on the European Union’s list of air carriers subject to an operating ban within the European Union. This ban only applies to European Union airspace, meaning this airline is not permitted to take off, land, or fly over European airspace. However, this airline is authorized to operate in Tanzania."
This means they’re using airlines on the blacklist!! It’s pretty worrying for safety. What do you all think?
We’re planning a cruise to the UAE/QATAR/OMAN starting from DUBAI, with flights departing from Paris CDG.
Which airlines would you recommend for round-trip flights, with or without a layover?
We need assistance for check-in and boarding/disembarking (my husband is a mobility-impaired traveler who uses a cane and/or a walker).
We’ve done a cruise return from Dubai to Paris CDG before in 2016, with a layover in Istanbul, but we booked the transfer and return flight with COSTA.
For our current plan, it would be with Celestyal, which doesn’t offer round-trip flights from Paris to Dubai.
Should we book very far in advance, or is a few months before departure enough (4/6 months)?
We’re thinking of arriving the day before the ship departs, so we’d need to stay overnight in Dubai—either on the way there or for the return flight, depending on the flight schedules. Could you recommend a hotel not too far from the airport, and how to get to the port from the airport?
Thanks so much for your advice. Have a great Sunday! Mum49
Hi,
It's all in the title—this means nothing's getting through, so no more oil.
In Europe, kerosene reserves are still good, but by the end of April, flights will have to be reduced.
European airports fear running out of kerosene if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t reopened within three weeks
I’m reaching out to ask for your help with a bit of a problem:
I booked a flight to Berlin from Orly for April 15th—it’s coming up fast. But I just made an annoying discovery: my passport expired two weeks ago.
From what I understand, in principle, I can still travel within the Schengen Zone with an expired passport as long as it’s been less than five years. However, EasyJet’s website explicitly requires a valid ID (and just to add to the fun, my national ID card has been expired for a while now).
So, I’d love to know: how strict are EasyJet’s ID checks? Do they enforce validity rules strictly and refuse boarding if the ID isn’t valid? Or is it more of a luck-of-the-draw situation?
Basically, should I just write off this trip now, or should I still try my luck—maybe with a little tearful plea? Has anyone here had a similar experience? I can’t be the only one, right!
I booked a flight with RyanAir for next month, with the priority+ option and two cabin bags. So I can take a 10 kg bag with dimensions 55x40x20 in the cabin (plus another smaller one).
The problem is that the smallest suitcase I have (which is supposed to be designed specifically for cabin size standards, according to the manual) has the following dimensions: 55x37x21, so it's just 1 cm over (wheels included) on one of the measurements.
I wasn’t too worried at first, but I’ve read dozens of stories about people’s misadventures and the hassles they’ve had with RyanAir.
Since I don’t want my suitcase to end up in the hold (that would waste time picking it up when I’m already arriving late and need to get to the city center), nor do I want to pay an extra fee (apparently 50 €) for the outbound and return flights for just 1 centimeter—especially since I paid for the "priority+" option and I’m not exactly rolling in money—I’d love some advice.
Have any of you been in the same situation? I’ve read that with this airline, they check bags in templates (testing them in different positions) and are completely uncompromising. I tried contacting customer service, who, as luck would have it, "don’t handle this kind of request," and a rep I spoke to wasn’t much help.
I know it’s a low-cost airline, and I don’t expect luxury or even kindness, but come on—just 1 cm on a short flight with the + option... I’m a bit overwhelmed by everything I’ve read...
Just to clarify, since I’m going for 8 days, I can’t just take one bag for my stuff. I’ve done that for shorter trips before, and it was a hassle—I even had to buy an extra bag for the return trip... Luckily, the inspector was nice about it!
Thanks so much!
I’m a newbie when it comes to air travel :) Hope I posted this in the right section!
When I run searches on Skyscanner, I see that only Lufthansa has flights to Seoul with just one stop. Air France doesn’t show up, even though I thought the French airline served Seoul?
I can’t even log into the Air France website—it keeps glitching.
Hi there,
I’d like to return to Uzbekistan next April for 10 days with my husband to visit our son who lives there. We went last July and I bought the flight tickets (direct flight from Paris on Uzbekistan Airways) about 2 months in advance at very reasonable prices. I’ve been checking for late April for a few weeks now, and the tickets are much more expensive and keep rising. I can’t figure out if the prices are going up because it’s still a bit too early to buy and they’ll likely drop if the planes aren’t full, or if it’s because the period is actually in high demand. For reference, last year I bought my son’s ticket on May 30th for a departure on June 3rd—just 3 days later—at a very low price that didn’t budge at all.
Just in case, does anyone know the pricing trends for this airline and can advise me? Should I wait or not?
Thanks, and feel free to ask if you need any tips about the country!
My wife bought a flight ticket (Lucky Air) under her Thai maiden name and was issued a Chinese visa on her new Thai passport but with her French married name (due to administrative requirements). She was denied boarding by the airline in Bangkok for the flight to Kunming—resulting in the loss of our round-trip flight tickets, including mine since we were traveling together—despite presenting both passports at the airline counter at the same time.
Hi there.
I’m planning a trip to Chile, and the fares from the Colombian airline Avianca are really appealing.
Way cheaper than Air France, for example.
That said, the reviews I’ve seen online aren’t great.
What do you think of this airline?
Have any of you taken long-haul flights with Avianca?
Thanks in advance for your replies.
Eric
This might be a silly question, but I’m traveling to Japan from CDG and returning via Osaka with EVA Air, and I have a pretty bulky aluminum knee brace.
It’s this model:
https://enovis-medtech.eu/fr_FR/OA-FullForce-74358.html
Has anyone had any experience with airport security checks or flying with one of these?
I can't seem to find flights between the Cape Verde islands on the airline's website. No matter the date or route, I always get the same response: "no flights on this date."
See the photo.
Would anyone have an explanation? Surely not all flights are fully booked in July?
