Consider checking your Advanced Passenger Information…

[FlyingPtarmigan]

I’ve booked a few flights recently over BA’s “distressed” IT issues. I’ve recently changed my passport and thought it prudent to double check that I’d changed the passport details on everything. And a good job I did…

My wife’s middle name was missing from three bookings and was present on another three. She hasn’t touched her API in years.

My middle name was missing from one booking.

My passport expiry was missing from one booking.

One booking had no API for me at all.

All of which is surprising given that “it’s not my first rodeo” so as to say. I book the flights through my account and my wife is in my “family” dropdown list of passengers.

I’d be interested if anyone else has found issues…

[NorthernLass]

Will check, but middle names are actually irrelevant so you don’t need to worry about that one!

[AndyGWP]

NorthernLass wrote:

Will check, but middle names are actually irrelevant so you don’t need to worry about that one!

I was under the impression that middle names were relevant but it depended on what passport you hold / your destination / your name.

I vaguely recall a very good explanation by someone in the chat threads (and its more prevalent in Asian countries or with Asian passports IIRC) – I’d find the thread but even Google search is failing me 🙂

[NorthernLass]

That was me assuming the OP and partner have Western names, which of course might not be the case. My OH included my middle name on a flight booking once and managed to spell it wrong 🙄. Delta airlines insisted that I needed to pay £65 for them to change the single letter involved or I wouldn’t be allowed to board my flight but I found several reassuring sources which said that no one cares about middle names and it turned out that they were right in that case!

[Aston100]

NorthernLass wrote:

That was me assuming the OP and partner have Western names, which of course might not be the case. My OH included my middle name on a flight booking once and managed to spell it wrong 🙄. Delta airlines insisted that I needed to pay £65 for them to change the single letter involved or I wouldn’t be allowed to board my flight but I found several reassuring sources which said that no one cares about middle names and it turned out that they were right in that case!

Bit harsh from Delta. Thomas Cook changed a typo in a forename for free, which I was genuinely shocked by.

[George K]

I’ve had bookings inexplicably omit my middle name, despite all correct in the API. This has never been an issue, but the one country you want everything to match up is when travelling to the US.

My son’s API always comes up as missing every time we fly. This has been the case for three years. Not sure what to make of it, as he’s in my household account, with a completed profile etc.