Airline Name Change Guide
Your name must match your passport — that's IATA's rule, and every airline enforces it. Whether you're dealing with a typo on a Ryanair booking or trying to transfer an easyJet seat you can no longer use, the policies vary wildly: Ryanair charges €115 online (€160 at the airport), easyJet charges £25 more than 60 days out, and legacy carriers like Lufthansa limit corrections to two characters total. Basic-economy fares on most US carriers are strictly non-transferable, while GDS bookings sometimes require the travel agent to reissue the PNR. Use this guide to check what's actually possible — and at what cost — before you list on SpareHolidays.
Transfers Allowed
Ryanair
Transfers AllowedRyanair allows full name changes and ticket transfers to another person for a fee.
easyJet
Transfers AllowedeasyJet allows name changes and ticket transfers to another person for a fee that varies by timing.
Vueling
Transfers AllowedVueling allows full name changes and ticket transfers, with fees varying by fare type.
Norwegian Air
Transfers AllowedNorwegian Air allows name changes on all fare types, with Flex/PremiumFlex tickets offering free changes.
Wizz Air
Transfers AllowedWizz Air allows full name changes and ticket transfers for a fee, up to 3 hours before departure.
Corrections Only
Southwest Airlines
Corrections OnlySouthwest does not allow ticket transfers. Only minor spelling corrections and legal name changes are permitted.
Delta Air Lines
Corrections OnlyDelta allows minor name corrections (up to 3-4 characters) but does not permit ticket transfers to another person.
United Airlines
Corrections OnlyUnited tickets are generally non-transferable. Minor corrections are allowed; transferable tickets (higher fare) permit name changes for a fee.
American Airlines
Corrections OnlyAmerican Airlines allows minor and major name corrections but does not permit ticket transfers to another person.
JetBlue
Corrections OnlyJetBlue allows minor name corrections but does not permit ticket transfers to another person.
British Airways
Corrections OnlyBritish Airways allows name corrections for typos and legal name changes but does not permit ticket transfers.
Lufthansa
Corrections OnlyLufthansa allows minor name corrections (up to 2 characters) but strictly prohibits ticket transfers.
Air France
Corrections OnlyAir France allows minor corrections and legal name changes but does not permit ticket transfers under any circumstances.
KLM
Corrections OnlyKLM allows minor name corrections (up to 3 characters) but does not permit ticket transfers.
Emirates
Corrections OnlyEmirates does not allow name changes or ticket transfers. Only minor spelling corrections are permitted.
Turkish Airlines
Corrections OnlyTurkish Airlines does not allow ticket transfers. Minor corrections and legal name changes may be permitted.
Not Transferable
Qatar Airways
Not TransferableQatar Airways does not allow name changes or ticket transfers. Only minor spelling corrections (up to 3 characters) are permitted.
Iberia
Not TransferableIberia does not allow ticket transfers. Free corrections are available for typos and minor name adjustments.
TAP Air Portugal
Not TransferableTAP Air Portugal does not allow ticket transfers. Minor spelling corrections may be permitted on eligible fares.
Air Canada
Not TransferableAir Canada does not allow ticket transfers. One name correction per ticket is permitted for misspellings or legal changes.
Airline name-change rules are set by each carrier's fare conditions, not by IATA centrally. Policies differ by fare class, booking channel (direct vs OTA vs GDS), and departure proximity. The fees shown here are the published rack rates — corporate or loyalty-tier bookings may have different rules. Always verify with the airline or your travel agent before listing. Last updated: March 2026.