Dealing a name error on an airline ticket can be stressful, but Delta Air Lines has a clear process designed to help you fix common mistakes easily. Understanding the Delta Airlines Name Change Policy is the key to ensuring your name perfectly matches your passport or government-issued ID, which is a crucial requirement for all air travel. This guide will walk you through the process, fees, and requirements for modifying a name on your Delta reservation.
Why Name Accuracy is Essential for Delta Airlines Tickets
Your Delta ticket has to include a name that matches your legal name shown on the photo identification that you present at the airport. This is a requirement of federal security regulations to prove the identity of every passenger traveling on a commercial flight. In the event of a mismatch, however small, you may experience delays or, worse, miss your flight altogether.
The Difference: Correction vs. Transfer
Before considering any change, you need to understand what is meant by a correction vs a transfer of a ticket. So let discuss this
Correction (permitted):
- This may consist of corrections for small errors such as misspellings, swapped names (e.g., first name is listed as middle name), or adding a missing initial.
- The traveler stays with the original ticket purchaser.
Transfer (not permitted):
- In Delta Airlines, tickets are mostly non-transferable. You cannot sell your ticket or change your seat to a new person.
- If you can no longer travel, you need to cancel your ticket and book a new one for the person using the applicable fare of the day.
How to Easily Change Your Delta Airlines Flight Date - Modifying your plans for travel shouldn’t be panicking. And Delta has made changing your itinerary incredibly simple. For most fares (like Main Cabin and Premium Fares), Delta permanently removes change fees. In other words, you are free to change flight dates without contemplating possible fees. But you will be charged for any differences in fare, simply, if the next in line flight costs more. This ultra-flexible change policy covers a majority of domestic and international flights. Adjusting your Delta Airlines change flight date can be done directly online in “Manage My Trips” or through the airline app, and fee-free process.
How to Correct a Misspelled Name on a Delta Airlines Ticket
If you see a straightforward misspelling (also called a name correction), that is fairly simple and most likely a quick process.
How To Get a Delta Name Correction Started
Contact Delta Directly: Name corrections cannot be done through “Manage My Trips” on the website usually. Addressing a name issue on a ticket might be stressful, but Delta Air Lines has a process in place designed to resolve typical mistakes easily. The first step is to be aware of the Delta Airlines Name Change Policy. Really important here is to ensure that your name matches your passport or government issued ID. This is a requirement for all air travel. Knowing the name change policy is insightful to how to use a name change for a Delta reservation, as well as process, fees and requirements.
How to Update Name on Delta Ticket Due to Legal Change
If you have legally changed your name through marriage, divorce, or court order previously, Delta will permit a name change for your ticket and to your SkyMiles profile.
- Documentation: You will be required to provide legal documentation of your name change. This can include but is not limited to the ticket showing the previous name(s), the ID reflecting the new name and or a legal document showing proof connecting the names (i.e. marriage certificate or divorce decree).
- Your SkyMiles Account: Typically, we would advise you to start by updating your SkyMiles profile. Then, once the profile reflects your current legal name, all subsequent future bookings will populate automatically in the new name.
Is There a Fee for Changing a Name?
The positive aspect is that there is usually no fee for necessary name changes (like typos, or name changes due to a marriage, for example) on Delta Airlines.
There are, very importantly, some exceptions:
1.If you’ve booked your reservation through a travel agency or other site, they may charge a fee to make that change. Better check with them first.
2. If you can’t make a name change and the ticket would need to be cancelled and completely rebooked this can happen with partner airlines or travel itineraries that are more complicated, you might be responsible for a fare difference from the new itinerary.
How to Avoid Future Name Change Issues
The best fix is if you don’t have to fix it at all.
- Use Your Full Legal Name: Always enter your name as it appears on your passport or driver’s license.
- Review Before You Click “Purchase”: Take one last second to review the passenger details page before you click “purchase”. This is where you can verify the name, date of birth, and gender of the passenger and save yourself a ton of hassle down the line.
If you follow Delta Airlines Name Change Policy procedures quickly, while providing the requested information, you will start and end your international travel experience without all of the headaches we’ve all had while going through security.
