How to change name on Air Canada ticket?
Canada’s flagship carrier, Air Canada, is one of the oldest airlines in the world and is the only airline in North America that can boast of a four-star ranking from Skytrax. The Montreal-based airline transports passengers and cargo to more than 200 destinations across six continents in the world. It is Canada’s largest airline in terms of both fleet size and the total number of passengers it carries round the year. When it comes to passenger convenience, and providing world-class customer service, the once-state-owned airline is way above the rest and makes sure that every passenger traveling with them is a happy customer at the end of the day. The airline has formulated a number of customer-centric policies that are meant to meet the varied requirements of its passengers. The Air Canada name change policy is one such set of guidelines that aims to make partial name changes and corrections a hassle-free experience for its customers. The policy not only addresses the basic issues such as conditions for a name change/correction but also talks about the change fees and the step-by-step process for making the change. All the information pertaining to the name correction policy is mentioned below,
Air Canada Name Change Policy
The Air Canada Name Change Policy 2023 is a well-structured and articulated code that explains all the terms and conditions for a customer name change or correction as clearly as possible.Find all the important information in the following points.
- 1. Customers can request a name change or correction only if the Air Canada ticket belongs to the 014 ticket stock.
- 2. In cases of domestic and international travel, all connected flights with code-shared and interline agreements, the name change or correction would be limited to the part of Air Canada only. Passengers need to contact all other connected flight operators separately to correct their names for the entire journey.
- 3. All tickets must be reissued and a new PNR should be generated after a name change or correction. Customers should be ready to pay a cancellation fee and a change fee as and when required and a fare difference if applicable.
- 4. As per the Air Canada Name Correction Policy, correction of names up to only three letters is permissible. Partial name changes are allowed only in cases of marriage, divorce or, adoption. Passengers can request an addition, deletion or even a complete change in surname in such cases and must submit supporting legal documents to get the change effected.
- 5. The Air Canada Name Change Policy doesn’t allow a complete change in name. Since Air Canada tickets are non-transferrable, the policy clearly specifies that the person actually traveling after a name change or correction should be the same as the person who originally booked the ticket. In other words, you can’t replace your name on an Air Canada ticket with that of another person under the name change policy.
- 6. The name change or correction policy doesn’t entitle passengers to initiate a change in date and time of travel and in travel destination along with a name change or correction request.
- 7. Customers can make a name change or correction starting immediately after ticket booking till 2 hours prior to the flight’s scheduled departure. However, any change or correction requires at least 24 hours to reflect on the Air Canada ticket. So, customers are advised to make the change request as early as possible to avoid last-minute hassles and inconveniences.
- 8. The reissued ticket, as per the Air Canada Name Correction Policy, would be in the same or lower available class.
How to correct name on Air Canada ticket?
There are multiple ways to change names or make name corrections on an Air Canada ticket. The most prominent ones are mentioned hereunder.
Online name change
As per the Air Canada Name Correction Policy, passengers can make minor name corrections on their Air Canada tickets by logging on to the official website of the airline, www.aircanada.com. They can edit mistakes and get new tickets reissued in minutes by following the step-by-step instructions given below.
- i) Open the website, www.aircanada.com, on your browser and find the “My Booking” tab on the home page. You can operate as a guest user or log in using your Aeroplan account details.
- ii) Click on the “My Booking” tab and it would ask for your ticket number and your last name on the ticket. Click on “find” and it would fetch all your booking details and passenger information within seconds.
- iii) Click on the “Edit” name option and make the necessary changes. Once the correct spelling is entered, click on “Save”.
- iv) Since a name change or correction on an Air Canada ticket requires cancellation of the PNR and the re-issuance of a ticket, you might need to pay a cancellation fee, a change fee and a difference fare if applicable depending on the type of ticket you hold and the availability of seats on the same flight on the given date before the change or correction is made.
Change name through Air Canada Mobile App
The Air Canada Mobile App provides more customized and trendy features than the website and allows passengers to correct their names on the go in a few easy steps. The app supports all Mac and Android-based devices and can be downloaded for free from the respective app stores.
Please note that both the website and the mobile app allow only minor name corrections up to a maximum of three letters. To make partial or complete name changes, passengers must get in touch with the customer support team either via phone call, by writing them a proper mail, or by meeting them in person at the airport.
Correct your name via phone call
Dialing the customer service helpdesk number and talking to an Air Canada representative is still the best way to initiate any name change or correction on your flight ticket. And the best part is that unlike the website or mobile app, you can make significant changes or major corrections to your name by talking to them via phone call. The helpdesk number for a name change is 1-800-548-3192. Here is what you need to do to make the change.
- i) Dial the Customer Service helpdesk number and follow the IVR.
- ii) There is a typical waiting time of between 3 to 6 minutes on a normal day to get connected to a representative. Be prepared to wait longer on weekends or before a holiday.
- iii) Once you are connected to a live customer service representative, verify yourself with your 13-digit Air Canada ticket number or your 6-digit reference code.
- iv) Now, make your name change request. You would be asked to send supportive legal documents if there is a significant change in name to be made. Ask for convenient ways to send them your legal documents.
- v) You would be asked to pay a cancellation or change fee or both and a difference fare before the final processing of the request depending on the type of ticket you originally booked.
Change your name at the airport
If you booked your Air Canada flight ticket directly through Air Canada's official website or purchased it from the Airport kiosk or any other facility maintained by Air Canada, it would be better to initiate name changes or corrections at the airport kiosk. Although passengers use this option as a final resort for a last-minute change, it is the only way you can directly request a name change or correction to a live human being. Expect the services to be prompt and effective as a result. Just don’t forget to carry all your supportive legal documents with you for a quicker resolution.
Make name corrections through your travel agent
No need to go through all the hassles of initiating a name change or correction, if you have booked your Air Canada ticket through a travel agent. Travel agents have some special access and privileges to make changes to tickets on customers’ behalf. So, feel free to contact them in case you are not that tech-savvy and not comfortable making the change yourself.
How much is the Air Canada name correction fee?
The change fee structure under the Air Canada Name Correction policy is a bit complex with charges varying according to the flight ticket class, time of initiating the request and availability of seats on the day of making the request. The entire fee structure is decoded in the following points.
- i) As per the Air Canada Name Change Policy, there is no fee for a name change or correction on an Air Canada ticket, if the change process is initiated within 24 hours of booking. In other words, no change or correction fee within 24 hours of booking.
- ii) There is a change fee of between $60 to $400 depending on the complexity of the change requested and the class of the ticket if a name change or correction process is initiated beyond 24 hours and up to 2 hours before the flight’s scheduled departure.
- iii) Since a name change or correction on an Air Canada ticket requires cancellation of the existing booking, regeneration of the PNR and the re-issuance of the ticket, passengers may need to pay a cancellation fee beyond 24 hours, the amount of which depends on the booked flight ticket class.
- iv) Passengers are charged an additional $200 cancellation fee beyond 24 hours if they have Comfort, Flex, Standard, Premium Economy and non-flexible business tickets as these are all categorized as non-refundable tickets by Air Canada.
- v) Latitude and flex premium economy or flex business class tickets are categorized as fully refundable by Air Canada. So, passengers don’t need to pay any cancellation fee in case of a name change or correction if they’ve purchased any one of these tickets, and even if cancellations are made beyond 24 hours of booking and by anytime before the departure of the scheduled flight. However, the refund will be credited back to the original credit card,from which the payment was made during booking, within 7 working days.
- vi) For award tickets with Air Canada, passengers are charged a cancellation fee of $125 alongside the applicable change fee if 24 hours pass before initiating a name change or correction process. This charge is for those who cancel tickets through their Aeroplan accounts. Those who do it through the Aeroplan contact center, pay $150 as a cancellation fee.
- vii) Within 24 hours of booking or beyond, passengers might still be required to pay a difference in fares as the re-issuance of new tickets after name change or correction completely depends upon the availability of seats in the same or lower ticket class. Passengers should understand that the closer they get to the scheduled date of departure while making the name change or correction, the higher chances they have of paying a lump sum fare difference.
Please note that these fees are subject to change at any time at the sole discretion of Air Canada. Passengers are advised to enquire about the latest change and cancellation fees, applicable to his relevant ticket class before proceeding with the name change or correction.