[jschmidt]

I noticed after my ticket was issued for my honeymoon that my first name was spelled incorrectly and was missing a letter "Josha" instead of "Joshua". When I called Expedia (which was who the ticket was booked through) to correct the mistake, they indicated that they would need to call Etihad directly. After speaking with Etihad, Expedia informed me that Etihad refused to correct the mistake, because the ticket includes a codeshare flight.

I tried calling Etihad directly to correct the error, but they repeated that they would not do so because part of the trip was on a codeshare flight. When I asked what my options were, the agent simply told me that I would have to cancel and pay the change fee to rebook, plus the now substantial difference in fare. I was then denied the opportunity to speak to a supervisor about the matter so that I could better understand this policy and my options.

I find it incredibly hard to understand why this needs to be processed as a change fee, as I'm not changing any portion of the itinerary; I am merely trying to avoid an issue when I arrive at the airport and my passport does not match (by one letter) what is printed on the ticket. I am more than willing to pay a minor administrative charge to correct the error, but it simply cannot and should not be the case that such a small error is incapable of being remedied without having to cancel the ticket entirely.

Etihad's complete unwillingness to work with me to correct such a small error not only ensures that I will never fly their airline again, but that I will take every opportunity to tell others of how terrible my experience with them was.

[Etihad Representative]

Hi jschmidt,

We are sorry to hear about your disappointment with us. We can understand this may be frustrating for you and would like to point out that our ability to change the name on a ticket is dependent on the rules and regulations as per the ticket fare.

We could, if you like, schedule a call back for you to explain whether this was in fact the reason for the explanation given by our contact center.

If you wish to do so, you could inbox us your contact number including your booking reference, and we will gladly do this for you. Thanks for reaching out! *JP

[jschmidt]

JP,

I dug up the fare rules for this flight and there is no mention of this "rule". I would love to attach them but unfortunately, the file is too big to do so, so if there is a way for me to send them along, please let me know. Absent any further explanation from Etihad and someone's ability to direct me to where I was provided notice of this "rule" in purchasing the ticket, I intend to lodge formal complaints with the Department of Transportation and Department of Commerce. I also intend to pursue any legal remedies at my disposal if it turns out in fact that passengers are not made aware of this policy.

I appreciate your offer to schedule a call and would like to take you up on that opportunity, as I would like to talk with someone to discuss not only the customer service, but also where this policy is located in the fare rules and what my options are.

My number is +1 717.891.8590 and the booking reference is bowwya.

Cheers,
Josh

[Etihad Representative]

Josh, thank you very much for your reply.

We will for sure schedule this call as promised. We understand your frustrations and trust the scheduled call will clear things up.

Let us know should you need any further help. *JP

[jschmidt]

I'm still waiting for this call to be scheduled. Please advise as to when I might expect to receive it. In the mean time, I understand the Department of Transportation has forwarded a copy of the complaint I filed to Etihad based on this policy not being published in the fare rules for the ticket or anywhere on the Etihad website.

[Etihad Representative]

Originally Posted by jschmidt

I'm still waiting for this call to be scheduled. Please advise as to when I might expect to receive it. In the mean time, I understand the Department of Transportation has forwarded a copy of the complaint I filed to Etihad based on this policy not being published in the fare rules for the ticket or anywhere on the Etihad website.

Dear jschmidt,

Thank you for contacting us.

As we were informed by our reservation team, please note that this typo was made by your travel agent. And a codeshare flight is also involved, so we are unable to change it from our side.

We kindly advise you to check with your travel agent if they can help.

Thank you. *JS

[Etihad Representative]

Once you have booked a ticket with the travel agent, you have joined the agreements with them. That's the reason that Etihad is not in the position to help you to rebook the ticket.

As we advised earlier, you will need to contact the travel agent to manage this.

Thank you for your understanding.

*JS

[jschmidt]

JS -Your response did not in any way answer my question - it just restated the problem. Please direct me to where travelers are made aware of this codeshhare policy as it is not in the fare rules and not on the website. Further, you have not explained why it matters that it is a code share. The travel agent is willing to rebook, but you will not allow them; they are at your mercy in this transaction, so directing me to them is not helpful. Had I booked the ticket directly through Etihad, I would be in the same position, so your reference to them as part of this is irrelevant.

[Etihad Representative]

Dear jschmidt,

As mentioned in our earlier post, and after coordinating with our team, we regret to inform that we are unable to change your flight data from our end as the error was made by the travel agent, and it needs to be amended by the same. The flight is also restricted by code share agreements.
We apologize for the inconvenience.

Thank you.
*RM

Originally Posted by jschmidt

JS -Your response did not in any way answer my question - it just restated the problem. Please direct me to where travelers are made aware of this codeshhare policy as it is not in the fare rules and not on the website. Further, you have not explained why it matters that it is a code share. The travel agent is willing to rebook, but you will not allow them; they are at your mercy in this transaction, so directing me to them is not helpful. Had I booked the ticket directly through Etihad, I would be in the same position, so your reference to them as part of this is irrelevant.

[jschmidt]

So you're acknowledging that (a) the fact that a travel agent booked the flight is irrelevant because of these secret code share arrangements and (b) these code share agreements are not disclosed to travelers? Very helpful to hide behind a travel agent who is powerless to effect the necessary change. And it's not just an inconvenience. It's over $1000 for a honeymoon trip that is now in jeopardy because of a one letter error. Congratulations on being not only the least transparent airline I have ever dealt with, but the most intransigent and least empathetic as well.

[Etihad Representative]

Dear jschmidt,

Please note that once you booked the ticket with travel agent, you have joined the agreements with them. And your travel agent has the right to tell you the fare rules, change/cancel policy.

Also Etihad can't change the name if a codeshare flight involved.

We appreciate your understanding again. And we would like to advise you to contact your travel agent for further assistance.

Thank you and Best Regards. *JS

[jschmidt]

My travel agent can't advise me of the fare rules and name change policy if you don't make them available to the public. For the third time I will ask, if I booked directly through Etihad, where would I be able to locate these policies? You keep repeating that Etihad can't change the name for codeshares without explaining either why or where this policy is posted for any travelers, not just ones who book through travel agents. It is a simple question.

[Etihad Representative]

Originally Posted by jschmidt

My travel agent can't advise me of the fare rules and name change policy if you don't make them available to the public. For the third time I will ask, if I booked directly through Etihad, where would I be able to locate these policies? You keep repeating that Etihad can't change the name for codeshares without explaining either why or where this policy is posted for any travelers, not just ones who book through travel agents. It is a simple question.

We would just like to clarify:

The fare rules and name changing policies that are applicable when booking with a travel agent are those of the travel agent, not Etihad's. Even if Expedia has decided to sell its tickets under our terms and conditions, they should make them available to you directly.

If you book your ticket through our website directly, you will be able to view all details of your fare rules and our name changing policies during the booking process. After having completed the booking, you will be able to access the same policies through our 'Manage my Booking' section.

In this case, your travel agent will need to make his terms and conditions as well as the fare rules and name changing policies available to you. We strongly advise you to get in touch with him. Unfortunately, we cannot solve this for you - for the reasons explained above - as much as we wanted to.

Hope this helps. *JP

[jschmidt]

JP, it does not help, as I have the fare rules and conditions for this flight from both Expedia and you and this policy is not posted. Again, please direct me to where they are posted. I am happy to send the file containing the fare rules from Etihad for this flight. Moreover, I looked at this same flight through Etihad directly and prior to booking looked at the fare rules provided and again, this policy was nowhere to be found. Stop hiding behind Expedia