One-letter mistake in first name on flight ticket

Hi everyone, I’ve got a problem… I don’t even know if it’s a small one or a big one. Back in May, I booked our flight tickets to go to New Zealand, and I just realized I misspelled my husband’s first name: Giiles instead of Gilles… I booked through Lufthansa, and on the outbound trip, there’s a Shanghai-Auckland flight operated by Air New Zealand, and on the return, an Auckland-Hong Kong flight operated by Cathay Pacific. The rest is with Lufthansa. We’re leaving from Nantes in February-March 2026. Have any of you run into this kind of issue, and if so, how did it go? It’s really freaking me out. Lufthansa added a note in our file about the ‘i’ instead of ‘l’ mistake, and they told us it’s not a problem for them, but what about Air New Zealand and Cathay Pacific…??? Air New Zealand and Cathay Pacific say they can’t do anything because the ticket was booked through Lufthansa. And Lufthansa added a note to our file, but will that be enough, or are we going to get turned away in Shanghai, Hong Kong, or Auckland?? After another call to Lufthansa, they’re implying that a correction isn’t possible and the solution is to buy a new flight ticket for 2800 €. Thanks for sharing your experiences. I’m lost and don’t know what to do.

Hi there,

For a typo that barely affects the first name in question—one that’s still clear and understandable without ambiguity—you can expect the correction to be made on the day of check-in. It probably won’t be possible to do it online, but at the counter, everything will be sorted out. I’m definitely optimistic about this situation.

Michel

Hi Michel, I have to say, your reply really put my mind at ease. Even though, of course, we won’t know for sure until the day of departure... and when we get back... Thanks so much.

You go in with good faith and confidence in yourself—you definitely don’t start by saying it’s a mistake... There’s no reason it should cause a problem, since it’s clearly just a typo. They don’t deny boarding for something like that.

Michel

Hope you're right!