A Kiwi couple was forced to forfeit their flights from Auckland to Invercargill after airline staff discovered the names on their tickets did not match their identification.
According to a report by Emma Stanford of Stuff, David and Deirdre McIntyre were checking in at self-service kiosks at Auckland Airport on December 14 when they realised they needed to purchase an additional bag for David’s toolbox. While seeking assistance from Air New Zealand staff, David was asked to present his identification, at which point staff were unable to locate his booking under the name shown on his ID.
It was then discovered that Deirdre had booked David’s ticket using his nickname, Macs, rather than his legal name. David described it as “an innocent mistake.”
Further complications arose with Deirdre’s own booking. Her flight had been booked earlier in the year under her maiden name, Richardson, but her driver’s licence, updated in November, displayed her married name, McIntyre. Because neither ticket matched the names on their respective IDs, the couple was denied boarding, as reported by Emma Stanford of Stuff.
David said he had hoped the airline would “use common sense,” but a supervisor told them they would need to purchase new tickets, Stuff has quoted.
Air New Zealand later explained that when Deirdre updated her licence to her married name, she was required to update the name on her ticket by contacting the airline. Bringing a marriage certificate to the airport would not resolve the issue, as the name on the ticket must exactly match the name on the ID, as reported by Emma Stanford of Stuff.
In a written response to the McIntyres’ complaint, an Air NZ dispute resolution specialist said the airline requires the name on a booking to match the passenger’s government-issued photo identification.
“This requirement is outlined in our Conditions of Carriage and is clearly advised during the online booking process. It is the customer’s responsibility to ensure names are entered correctly at the time of booking,” they said, Stuff has quoted.
“In this case, the discrepancies were not minor spelling errors. David’s booking was made under a different first name, rather than a misspelling or abbreviation, and Deirdre’s booking was under a different surname. These are material discrepancies,” as quoted by Stuff.
Air New Zealand said that if David had purchased a Flexirefund ticket, he could have cancelled it and received a full refund. For any name corrections, travellers must contact the airline directly. A spokesperson said name changes are considered on a case-by-case basis, with customer care teams reviewing requests depending on the type of correction required, Stuff has reported.
Deirdre said the couple had previously experienced leniency from Air New Zealand staff. She recalled a September flight from Auckland to Christchurch when both were asked to show IDs after David had accidentally packed batteries in his checked-in luggage.
“Both of our tickets were under D McIntyre,” she said. “I frequently put Mr and Mrs D McIntyre on our tickets when booking. In this instance, my name on my licence was also my maiden name. Our licences were checked and the crew had a bit of a laugh. We were not told to leave the plane, or to buy our tickets again to correct the names to match our drivers’ licences or even given any kind of warning to be careful in the future,” Stuff has quoted.
When the McIntyres raised this apparent inconsistency, the dispute resolution specialist responded that “staff are not permitted to exercise discretion where a booking name does not match valid identification.”
“This requirement is part of airline security procedures and is applied consistently. The fact that an earlier flight was not intercepted does not override these requirements, nor does it create an entitlement to travel under an incorrect name,” as quoted by Stuff.
Air New Zealand is not alone in enforcing such rules. Similar discrepancies have affected travellers in the past. An Australian couple, Phil and Kate, were stopped from flying when Kate’s passport listed her name as Katherine while her ticket said Kate. Virgin Australia denied boarding and required the couple to cancel and rebook, at a cost of NZ$5060.
In 2018, Jetstar introduced ID checks for New Zealand domestic passengers dropping off checked bags. A Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson told Stuff Travel there is no explicit Civil Aviation Rule requiring airlines to match boarding passes with passenger IDs.
“Civil Aviation Rules require the holder of an air operator certificate (e.g., an airline) to record the surname and initial of every crew member and passenger for a manifest. Airlines enforce this through their own contracts, conditions of carriage, and operational security requirements,” as reported by Stuff.
For international travel, Immigration New Zealand director of visas Jock Gilray said immigration requirements mandate that the name on the airline ticket must match the name on the passenger’s passport.
Initially, Air New Zealand said it would not refund the McIntyres for the unused flights, stating the tickets were forfeited due to incorrect booking details rather than an airline cancellation or disruption.
“We are also unable to reimburse costs incurred for alternative flights or ground transport, as these were consequential costs arising from the booking error,” as quoted by Stuff.
However, on December 31, an Air NZ customer communication and engagement specialist told Deirdre that, “as a goodwill gesture,” the airline would consider a refund for the unused sector of their Auckland to Invercargill flights.
“This will be limited strictly to the unused sector and any eligible Air New Zealand flight-related components. No other refunds or reimbursements are able to be provided,” Stuff has quoted.
The airline reiterated that non-refundable tickets are not ordinarily eligible for refunds.
The takeaway, the McIntyres say, is simple: triple-check your name before clicking through to pay.
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