ACCURACY is key when
booking tickets. Many
agents have learnt the
hard way that the smallest
error can come at a big cost.
“Make sure you check
passports,” says Bronwyn
Pienaar, owner of
Travessentials, after a slight
oversight almost cost her
dearly. Assuming she knew
how to spell an existing
client’s name, she booked
his flight. Shortly afterwards
she found out that she had
transposed two of the letters
in his name (the client’s name
was ‘Maruis’ instead of the
usual ‘Marius’) and the airline
insisted that she cancel and
rebook using the correct
spelling, a move that was likely
to incur additional charges.
Fortunately, she managed
to convince the airline to
authorise a full refund on the
incorrect ticket.
Agents should also be clear
on each airline’s policies as
Dustin Booysen, Sure Link
Travel consultant, discovered.
He had to pay a R750 name
change EMD and the
difference in fare and taxes
after using only his client’s
first and last names on a
Cathay Pacific ticket. The
airline requires all names as
per the passenger’s passport.
“We absorbed the full cost of
this. As travel professionals we
should be aware of these rules
so we felt it was not fair to
pass this on to the client. The
rule came out in 2014 and
is not widely publicised, and
Cathay is not an airline we use
often enough to remember this
rule about full names,” says
Dustin. The matter was only
brought to Dustin’s attention
by a tour operator who’d
had to pay up for the same
mistake. “Personally, I feel this
rule is pedantic, and has no
relevance to anything. Name
fields are important to airlines,
but first names and surnames
are fine for all other airlines,”
says Dustin.
Sharon Chen, marketing
manager of Cathay Pacific,
says the airline requires all
names to be included because
of the Department of Home
Affairs’ Advance Passenger
Processing. “Airlines failing to
provide accurate prescribed
electronic information on the
APP system are subject to
[a fine of] R10 000 [which
is] the reason we are asking
the passengers to book their
tickets with all their names as
per their passport.”
However, Home Affairs
clarified to TNW that the
APP only stipulates that a
passenger’s first name and
surname are provided, which is
in line with Icao’s guidelines.
That said, agents need
to be aware of individual
airline policies, such as that
of Cathay Pacific, as the
Department adds that
airlines can have their own
rules .
