After getting married, people might be keen to start using their new married name straight away, but this could lead to problems at the airport, especially if they have a honeymoon booked. Couples who book trips before saying 'I do' could fall foul of a rule that could catch some people out.
Passengers may be denied a seat on the flight they paid for if their passport does not match the name on their boarding pass. It's possible to fix this, but you'll likely pay a fee of up to £160.
Couples who book their honeymoon well in advance of the wedding might have used their name and details that were correct at the time. But, if things have legally changed, then you could be treated as a completely different person by security staff.
It is possible to change your name on the booking with most major UK airlines. But if people do this last-minute after realising, they could face an unexpected fee that could have been avoided entirely.
If you go online to any booking management portals to change a name before a trip, the system will often treat it as a 'transfer of ticket' and automatically charge you the standard name-change fee. This can range from £45 to £160, depending on your airline.
Ryanair charges the most for a full change, with £160 if needing to be done on the day by airport staff. Jet2 charge up to £50 and Easyjet's fees are around £55 to £60.
But, every UK airline has a policy in place for newlyweds who may have booked their trip long before the legal name change happened. There are certain steps to take, but it can often avoid the fee altogether.
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If you booked through a third-party travel agent, it may charge its own administrative fee to process the change. It may do this even if the airline itself doesn't charge one.
The rule that may catch some people out is that the name on your ticket must match the name on your passport. If your passport is still in your maiden name, you can actually travel under that name even if you are legally married - you just must make sure the ticket matches the passport exactly.
Try to sort this out as soon as you notice the discrepancy. Most airlines require these changes to be made at least 48 hours before departure.
This question depends entirely on when couples plan to travel. The Passport Office claims on its website that most documents are issued and received "within three weeks", although delays can push this back in the summer months.
