Can I claim after being refused on a flight because my name on passport and ticket didn’t match?

Simon Calder answers your questions on multiple names, security, airlines in China, inter-generational holidays and Trento

It may be next to impossible to reclaim for a flight to Bangkok after mismatching names on tickets and passport (Getty)

Q I am furious. I booked a trip to Bangkok through an online travel agent. I turned up at Heathrow to be told I couldn’t fly because the name on the ticket didn’t match the name on my passport. My name is unusual: it’s Adam Graham Frazer Wallace, with the last two as my last name – though not double-barrelled. For ease, I just booked the flight as I had done on previous occasions, as Adam Wallace. I had to spend a fortune on a new flight. Who can I claim from?

Adam F W

A I am afraid that multiple names often cause problems. I’m sorry this happened on such an expensive trip, but if it is any consolation I also think you are lucky to have got away with it so far. If the surname is showing on your passport as Frazer Wallace (with or without a hyphen), that is what the airline is expecting to be written on the ticket for the passenger’s last name.

Some airline staff at airports will fix such problems. But I am afraid that anything involving an online travel agent is likely to end in tears. The ground staff will typically say it is down to the agent to amend ticketing details. In the unlikely event that you had been able to contact the online travel agent and get any kind of response while the minutes were ticking away, I imagine they would have claimed it was for the airline to sort out the problem. Such back-and-forth responses are typical for tickets booked through online agents based abroad, who in my experience have pretty poor customer service.

Sadly, I fear the return segment of your trip will also be cancelled because you are now classed as a “no show”. I see no prospect of recompense from either the airline or the agent. For future travel, I recommend you travel with a passport simply showing the last name Wallace. Next time you renew, it should be straightforward to ask HM Passport Office to make the necessary change.

I am a big fan of human travel agents – partly because they will typically double-check that the name on the ticket matches your passport, and also because they will do their best to help when things go wrong.

Checks comprise a short manual search of cabin baggage and an examination of the passport (Getty/iStock)

Q Why is security high when flying back from Turkey?

BB

A The year 2017 began with a dreadful terrorist massacre at a nightclub in Istanbul, in which 39 people died. Isis said it was responsible for this and earlier atrocities in Turkey. Within a few months, intelligence sources suggested that terrorists might be planning attacks on aircraft leaving Turkey (as well as Jordan, Egypt and other countries).

The US, followed swiftly by the UK, banned “personal electronic devices” (PEDs) from the cabins of direct flights from Turkey and several other nations. Anything bigger than a mobile phone had to be consigned to the hold. A few months later, the rules started to be eased. But some additional checks remain in place at the departure gate at Istanbul, Antalya and other Turkish airports. In my experience the checks comprise a short manual search of cabin baggage and an examination of the passport.

On the subject of PEDs, easyJet says: “Make sure your devices are charged, as you may be asked to turn them on during the security check. If you cannot turn on your device, you may be required to travel without it or place your item for safe carriage in the hold.”

While I have some previous form in aviation security – I worked at Gatwick airport frisking passengers – I have no knowledge of the precise threat that these measures are intended to counter. I do know, however, that all manner of restrictions and procedures remain in place long after they could have ended. The most extreme example was the ban on UK flights to and from Sharm el Sheikh, which lasted for four years. I wonder how long these rules will stay?

Some aviation security experts predict a rise in attempted terrorist attacks on aviation due to the conflict in Israel-Gaza. I imagine secondary searches could become more prevalent, not less.

China Eastern Airlines is based in Shanghai – a stay in that city would be memorable (Getty Images)

Q I am tempted to travel to Vietnam on Shenzhen Airlines because the fares are much better. But do you know much about the airline? Also, will I be able to go to Hong Kong during the stopover?

Name supplied

A Since the People’s Republic belatedly opened up from the Covid pandemic, the airlines of mainland China have returned to the UK in strength. While they may not offer the impeccable standards of, say, Cathay Pacific, my experience is that they are just fine. That is the verdict of a couple of global alliances, too: Shenzhen Airlines, along with Air China, is a member of the Star Alliance, while China Eastern and China Southern are in SkyTeam. These airline groupings take a close interest in safety and quality standards before admitting new members.

From my observations and talking to travellers who have also flown with airlines from mainland China, they are mainly used by Chinese nationals and people with family connections in the People’s Republic. Yet they have plenty of appeal for other British travellers for two reasons: fares that are generally significantly lower than the rest of the market; and quicker journeys because they still fly over Russia to take advantage of much faster flight times. Shenzhen Airlines is based in the “special economic zone” between Guangzhou and Hong Kong, and has a space-age hub airport that is an experience in itself.

The Chinese carriers confer one more big advantage: the chance to stop over without a visa in their hub cities. If you are flying from the UK to China to another country (such as Vietnam), you qualify for a 144-hour visa-free transit stay: just show your flight booking on arrival and you will be stamped in for up to six days. Annoyingly, though, these permits are regional and do not allow cross-border travel. For Shenzhen, you can travel within Guangdong province but not across to Hong Kong or Macau. You could visit Guangzhou, which is a fascinating city. All things being equal, though, if China Eastern – based in Shanghai – has similar fares and convenient timings, then a stopover in that amazing city would be even better.

A Baltic cruise is fun for all the family and gives access to beautiful locations (Getty)

Q My father recently passed away and I want to take my mother on an exciting summer holiday – together with my daughter and her two daughters, aged three and six. We’re considering a cruise. Is that a good plan, and if so is there a particular firm and voyage you would recommend? My older granddaughter is at school, which means we can’t go in term time so that will probably push up the price.

Name supplied

A Keeping four generations happy on a single trip is a formidable challenge. A cruise can provide a solution, rewarding everyone in different ways.

Cruise lines are increasingly focused on well-resourced and supervised kids’ clubs – and youngsters typically love their time on board. Adults, meanwhile, can make the most of the ports of call (subject to the prevailing rules on parents leaving children on board while they sightsee on shore). And the quest to find places to eat where everyone is satisfied is simplified by the vast range of dishes on offer in the average onboard buffet.

So where to go, and on which ship? Having taken a fair number of voyages over the years, I shall do my best to steer you away from the Mediterranean in high summer. Anywhere on the Spain-Italy-Greece circuit will be hot and crowded. A July or August day visit to Barcelona, Rome or Athens can be miserable, and excessively hot weather is not ideal on board either, despite the sea breezes.

The very end of August and the first week of September are just about bearable if your older grandchild’s school dates permit. But the Baltic will deliver an excellent repertoire of ports of call without excessive heat and crowds, even in high summer.

While a cruise during the school holidays will certainly not be cheap, you can keep costs down by avoiding ship-sold excursions and instead using guidebooks or online advice to explore each destination. Indeed, Baltic cruises can prove a canny way to get a taste of high-cost locations such as Helsinki and Stockholm.

I have sailed with a wide age range of family members, and find Celebrity, MSC, P&O, Princess and Marella (the Tui cruising brand) all good. So consider these, and perhaps seek advice from avid cruisers to help choose the optimum voyage.

A panoramic view of the old town’s sprawling square with the cathedral at its heart (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Q Will Trento provide a worthwhile Italian job?

Martin W

A Trento, a former Roman frontier post in the foothills of the Alps, is definitely worth visiting and is a good base for a stay of two or three days to explore the Alto Adige region (also known as South Tyrol) more widely.

The city has some classic Italian aspects. The old town is tightly packed on a grid pattern with a sprawling square and the Duomo (cathedral) at its heart. Within this area there are dozens of good places to eat and drink. And the city certainly appreciates la dolce vita – coincidentally the name of an excellent bar that serves cicchetti (small snacks, like Spanish tapas) along with beer, wine and cocktails.

Yet this area of Italy was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire for a century, and German is widely spoken. So it feels distinct from the rest of Italy, and much of the architecture has an Austrian look: Innsbruck is less than three hours away by train over the Brenner Pass.

The key attractions begin with the Duomo (the relics of the fourth-century St Vigil are in the crypt) and continue with the Diocesan Museum next door; to visit the 45m Torre Civica, you should book a tour in advance. Booking ahead is also recommended for the spectacular Orrido di Ponte Alto – a pair of man-made waterfalls in a narrow gorge, created five centuries ago to reduce the sometimes calamitous flooding in Trento itself; you can walk up to the location in about 40 minutes from the town. Call in at the handsome and sumptuously decorated castle, where the leading work of art is an oil painting of the meeting at which the gorge project was agreed.

I stayed in, and heartily recommend, the Hotel Venezia on the main square; it cost €105 (£90) double, including an excellent breakfast. For regional fare Forst is the recommended restaurant – and so popular I was unable to get in.

Trains can take you half an hour north to Bolzano, the other big German-speaking city, which feels rather more austere. Instead, you might prefer the amazing rail ride through the mountains to Bassano del Grappa.

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