The most common mistakes when booking airline tickets

"Errare humanum est" the Latins said more than 2000 years ago, and nothing has changed since then. To make mistakes is human and sometimes mistakes are made when booking flight tickets.

Some minor mistakes can be corrected for free without any problem but in some cases this is impossible, so check the reservation well before making the payment.

Mistakes that can be corrected free of charge

Name and surname

These must be exactly as in the personal document (passport) that you will use for check-in and which you will take with yout at the airport.

Minor spelling mistakes

Some involuntary spelling mistakes are quite common, for example instead of "JOHN SMITH" the Client indicates: "JHON SMIHT".

In order to avoid such mistakes, please, check the booking before making the payment and after. If you see that you have failed to fill in correctly the first and/or last name, please contact us (or the agency where you are making the booking).

The notion of minor mistakes is different for each airline but the general rule is that name correction is made up to a maximum of 3 letters, ie maximum 3 symbols in the name added to the reservation can be changed without charge.

You have the right to correct the name of your reservation only one time for free.

The order of the first and last name

It is a generally accepted standard for the passenger's name to be indicated in 2 fields in this order:

1. First name (John);
2. Last name (surname) (Smith)

The same rule is valid also for online engine zbordirect.com and this is clearly indicated in the corresponding field names.

Even so quite common are the situations when some users indicate this data inversely, that is, surname instead of first name. For the obvious situations (eg Smith John) the operators of the agency will identify these errors and change the order themselves. But in some cases we cannot know what the name is and what is the first name. In this case we can correct only after the Passenger notifies us about the error.

If the order of first and last name is not corrected - this does not mean that you will not be able to get on your plane. Even if the carriers were more restrictive in this regard, from 2019 most companies accept passengers whose first and last names are inversed.

However, we recommend that you correct these small errors to avoid any misunderstandings, especially since it is a free procedure.

Incorrect passenger gender

The error correction is free for all carriers. If this error is not detected neither by the agency nor by the passenger, you will be boarded, nevertheless we we recommend that you check your reservation and make the correction if required, especially since this correction is absolutely free.

Incomplete double name

We have many questions from passengers with double first names (ex: Anne Mary) who have filled only the first part of the first name.

In this case the same rule is in force: the passenger's first name and last name must be filled exactly as in the document with which you will travel. That is, if Anne Mary Smith is indicated in the passport or card - this is exactly how you fill in the booking.

However, if you have a double first name and you have only completed the first part, or the last part of the first name - the correction is free. But if you made the reservation directly on the airline's website (eg: wizzair.com) - it cannot be made online. For correction, you must call and get in touch with an operator.

In case you have made the booking on zbordirect.com - this correction (as all others) can be requested through any available contact method, including facebook messenger, viber etc.

Wrong data for check-in

There are cases when passengers fill in this data with errors. For example, instead of the serial number and the passport number they indicate personal identification number. In this obvious case, the agency will be able to identify the error and will contact the owner of the reservation to confirm and make the correction.

For other cases, including wrong date of birth or passport expiration date, passengers are kindly requested to contact the Agency's customer support service and all corrections will be made free of charge, before or even after the check-in procedure.

The corrections can be made free of charge even after the boarding passes have been issued.

Wrong contact details

To make a reservation you must enter a valid email address and a phone number . These contact details are required to send you the booking confirmation, important flight information and to keep you informed of any changes that may occur.

If you see that you have not received any confirmation, email notification - you have definitely filled in the wrong address. In this case, contact the support service of the agency where you made the reservation to fill the correct email address. Also, check the entered phone number again.

The incorrect email address and phone number do not affect the status of your reservation, but you will not be able to receive notifications about your trip - and you really do not want that. Check the contact details before filling them, if you have noticed later that they are wrong, contact an operator to correct them.

Mistakes that cannot be corrected free of charge

There is a category of errors that cannot be corrected for free by the agency or the airline that operates the flight. And you can avoid them very simply - check the flight data before making the payment.

Flight date other than you need

There are still Passengers who book tickets for other dates than they need. Why? Because they are only looking at the price not the dates.

You must know that after making the payment and confirming the ticket you will not be able to change the date for free. You will be able to change the date only according to the modification conditions for each airline.

How to avoid these errors? Simply, before making the payment, check all the dates of your itinerary and the date - time, day, month, year. Only after you are sure it's the date you need - make the payment.

Wrong flight itinerary

Very few, but there are users who book tickets for the wrong itinerary. The most frequent error is the reservation of the inverse itinerary. For example, instead of London - Amsterdam, the Passenger books the flight for the return route - Amsterdam - London.

If the ticket is already paid and confirmed you will be able to change the itinerary only after you pay the flight change fee + the difference between the confirmed and the new flight.

How to avoid these errors? Don't just look at the price, check the itinerary, date, airport of departure and arrival, only after you have made sure that it is the ticket you need - make the payment. If you have any doubts about the destination airport - contact the agency's customer support service and get confirmation that it is the destination you need.

How to correct mistakes

Contact an operator

Immediately contact the agency or airline where you bought the ticket as soon as you discovered the mistake and request the correction.

If the mistake cannot be corrected free of charge, the operator will inform you how you can pay the change fee.

Mistakes on airlines' websites

Some corrections can be made online by accessing your reservation on the company's website (eg: wizzair.com). If the error correction is not available online - contact an operator.

We have many inquiries from travelers who have booked with mistakes on wizzair.com or ryanair.com and have difficulties in reaching an operator by phone - unfortunately we cannot make changes to these bookings.

Airlines' telephone lines can be quite busy, especially in high season, with the average waiting time being 5 minutes. If you made the reservation directly on the airline's website - you have to arm yourself with patience. In case you do not receive an answer immediately, make a call later, or at night, when the lines are not so busy.

If you like to be served immediately, get in touch not only by phone, but also via Facebook messenger, viber, chat, and you do not like to wait - we recommend you make the reservation with a a specialized agency - for example zbordirect.com.

Do I have to correct the errors?

Yes, if you made a mistake in your reservation, even if it is insignificant, we recommend that you correct it no later than 1 day before the flight. This will save you from any misunderstanding that may arise when boarding the aircraft.

So these are the mistakes that most users make when booking tickets. Some mistakes can be corrected simply and free of charge, some can be overlooked on boarding but the wrong date and itinerary can no longer be corrected for free. Please check the details of your order, if you have any doubts, contact a representative of the agency before making the payment.