There’s not a day that goes by where I don’t learn something about some aspect of the travel industry. Today’s lesson is niche, but quite interesting, if you ask me.
In this post:
Air India won’t accept last name “Sample” on bookings
On a recent post, an OMAAT reader left the following comment, which got me curious:
I tried booking a flight on Air India and no one can ticket it because their system is hard coded to not accept SAMPLE as a surname. Have you ever heard of anything like that? Tried 1st partying booking, call center, OTAs, all rejected the ticket and either failed completely (Amex Travel) or dropped me and only ticketed my wife.
I wondered if this was really true, so I tried to recreate it.
Sure enough, when I entered a name that had the last name “Sample,” I got an error message on the next page, indicating that something went wrong.
Is this a common limitation with airlines?
This is sort of fascinating. I can kind of see how something like this would happen. Airlines might sometimes display “Sample” as a sample name, and I would assume they want to make sure no one accidentally books a ticket with that name, or something.
However, there are people out there with that last name, so it’s kind of wild that the system fully blocks that name, with seemingly no good way to override it.
One wonders, is this issue exclusive to Air India, is this an issue across Amadeus, and/or do other airlines have a similar issue? I’d assume based on the fact that a reader with the last name Sample specifically called out Air India suggests this is the exception rather than the norm.
Bottom line
Apparently Air India won’t accept bookings from passengers with the last name “Sample.” I suppose the airline is concerned that people accidentally use that last name, for whatever reason. However, that also prevents those with that last name from booking tickets on the airline.
I’m curious if this is a specific Air India restriction, or if there’s a bigger reservations system block in place for this.
What do you make of Air India not wanting “Sample” passengers?
I had neighbors with the last name Null.
Life hasn't been very convenient for them over the past few decades.
According to https://namecensus.com/last-names/sample-surname-popularity/ there were 11,471 people with the surname Sample in the 2010 census.
"The surname SAMPLE is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English word "sampl" or "sampel," meaning a small portion or example. It likely referred to an occupation or a descriptive nickname for someone who worked as a sampler or taster of goods.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname SAMPLE can be...
According to https://namecensus.com/last-names/sample-surname-popularity/ there were 11,471 people with the surname Sample in the 2010 census.
"The surname SAMPLE is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English word "sampl" or "sampel," meaning a small portion or example. It likely referred to an occupation or a descriptive nickname for someone who worked as a sampler or taster of goods.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname SAMPLE can be traced back to the 13th century in various county records and tax rolls. One notable example is John Sampler, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1275. The name also appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, with a reference to William le Sampeler.
During the 14th century, the surname SAMPLE began to appear in various forms, including Sampler, Sampeler, and Samplour. These variants reflect the evolving spelling and pronunciation of the name over time. One of the earliest known bearers was Walter Sampelere, recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327...."
This comes to mind :-)
https://www.reddit.com/r/SQL/comments/1k9ve1i/who_can_explain_this_xkcd_comic_for_me/#lightbox
BTW, when I tried to make a funny comment and actually say I was going to book ticket for Robert' ........
OMAAT blocked me!
Apparently OMAAT is doing better job sanitizing input than Air India :)
My full name is 24 characters, +2 spaces if it’s all in one field. Back in the bad old days (the 1980s) many computer systems could not handle a name that long and would truncate…never mind on a boarding pass printer. Truly grateful for cheaper data storage. :)
Being responsible for billing on some airline lounges, I come across some interesting names. Family name TCW, we thought it is the code for "Technical Crew" - they shouldn't be allowed access to the lounge. Googled them and found it is a BU professor. Another person named "Tenis Raquet" - thought surely this is a ticket for sports equipment in a seat - also not able to enjoy lounges... nope, found their insta and it...
Being responsible for billing on some airline lounges, I come across some interesting names. Family name TCW, we thought it is the code for "Technical Crew" - they shouldn't be allowed access to the lounge. Googled them and found it is a BU professor. Another person named "Tenis Raquet" - thought surely this is a ticket for sports equipment in a seat - also not able to enjoy lounges... nope, found their insta and it is a real person with a funny name.
My wife has identical first and last names, booking an AS ticket online failed. The call centre advised to add an extra letter to one of the names and then call them to change it to the correct spelling, which worked.
This flight is like that. On 6th of October I was coming from Frankfurt to Mumbai with my son in Ai 2028. I am a senior citizen on wheelchair above 80 having walking problem. I have also got frequent urination problem. When I went to the toilet I found that both the toilets in my section were not in working condition. I somehow went to the another section to fetch the toilet. When I tried...
This flight is like that. On 6th of October I was coming from Frankfurt to Mumbai with my son in Ai 2028. I am a senior citizen on wheelchair above 80 having walking problem. I have also got frequent urination problem. When I went to the toilet I found that both the toilets in my section were not in working condition. I somehow went to the another section to fetch the toilet. When I tried to call the air hostess I found the bells were not working and also the entertainment were silent. When I asked for a complaint book I was told it is not available. On my on line complaint I was assured that the services will be improved. To the height of my ashtonishment when my son was returning on 12th there was no improvement. I am wondering when they cannot manage minor things like toilets how they will be able to manage the bigger issues. Even mail to the CEO of the company is also not being responted.
Being pragmatic, if I was in this situation, I would change my name.
A pile of bureaucracy to conquer, depending on the country, but done once and then OK for the future.
I'm always surprised that more people with surnames like S*x don't change them when they turn 18 (so not many bank accounts to change) And as the world globalises and gets more computerised, there are more people affected by names in a...
Being pragmatic, if I was in this situation, I would change my name.
A pile of bureaucracy to conquer, depending on the country, but done once and then OK for the future.
I'm always surprised that more people with surnames like S*x don't change them when they turn 18 (so not many bank accounts to change) And as the world globalises and gets more computerised, there are more people affected by names in a different language that cause issues in English.
Changing names was pretty common when changing countries in the past (E.g. Germanic to America), if only to maximise the chance of people in the new country not spellling it wrong - the logic is the same.
Times have changed. A name change is a holy NIGHTMARE with passports/ social insurance / social security / birth certificates/ drivers licenses/ etc. Governmental offices are unyielding when it comes to even minor changes today. My family name is Dutch. Two letters were taken out of it by my grandfather 50 years ago, to make it appear easier to pronounce for Americans. Renewing a lost passport with “new” ID and an original birth certificate took...
Times have changed. A name change is a holy NIGHTMARE with passports/ social insurance / social security / birth certificates/ drivers licenses/ etc. Governmental offices are unyielding when it comes to even minor changes today. My family name is Dutch. Two letters were taken out of it by my grandfather 50 years ago, to make it appear easier to pronounce for Americans. Renewing a lost passport with “new” ID and an original birth certificate took a couple of years, back and forth with documents/ notaries etc.
I would be very hesitant to fly to/from or within India if I had to use a name workaround to buy a ticket. In my limited experience flying there, everything I had heard about bureaucracy in India was true.
As for the name Sample, I think of the late, great jazz keyboardist and founding member of the Jazz Crusaders (later renamed the Crusaders), Joe Sample. Maybe that's why he never toured India!
correct...never knows what comes up, however people try to "justify" things, very arbitrary occurences in India, including with its airlines
Kind of ironic, because the only time I've heard "Sample" used as a last name, the person with that name was Indian. I don't know how common it is in India. But it's pronounced "sum PLAY".
It’s an English /Norman name. Joe sample was a jazz musician. Steven Sample was a president of the university of Southern California
Assuming they have a middle name, I would think entering the middle name and last name both in the last name section could be a work around.
In 2011 when I started reading OMAAT I realized this was going to be an issue so I change my passport name, omitting the first and the second of my 4 names.
In English naming, it's not uncommon for Bob Smith's full name to be James Andrew Robert Smith. The people who created (and still manage) SAAbre and Amadeus don't know, or care.
Total capitulation was the strategy I chose.
People may have all sorts of names in any languages, first names, middle names, last names.... for a plane ticket, one first name and one surname are fine but you can write more.
Here the problem is different, if your name is Robert, why would you write Bob!? it’s a nickname, not an identity.
SABRE, and the other GDS also do not allow hyphenated names. Remember that these were pioneered in North America in the 1960's when hyphenated names were unheard of in the USA.
They could reverse the names with eg John as the surname and Sample as the first. It’s technically not correct however the name matches the ID. Alternatively book by phone.
In many cultures people have no first name so there’s the option FNU ( 1st name unknown )
In India, people from South India, for example Tamil Nadu state, don't use last names, they just use their first name...however that is not a "problem" but the last name is?
Also, many Indians write their last name first, then their first name, to signify the family and caste/community first then one's personal name, so your point is very interesting and pertinent also, makes sense!
I've no idea what you are talking about.. I've lived in South India and everyone has a first and last name. The only thing different with Tamil people from Tamil Nadu state is they use their father's first name as their last name. This was implemented to avoid identifying people by caste because their original last name would let you know if they were a higher it lower caste.
Ex-Amadeus here. The only limitations in Passenger Servicing Systems regarding names are:
- (all systems) you can't use "EXST" nor "CBBG" as a first name, because these are used for extra seat and cabin bag, respectively (this is documented as an IATA procedure)
- Some systems don't allow (Amadeus actually does) last names with only one letter (e.g. "O") in which case IATA recommends to double it ("OO")
- Many airlines (but...
Ex-Amadeus here. The only limitations in Passenger Servicing Systems regarding names are:
- (all systems) you can't use "EXST" nor "CBBG" as a first name, because these are used for extra seat and cabin bag, respectively (this is documented as an IATA procedure)
- Some systems don't allow (Amadeus actually does) last names with only one letter (e.g. "O") in which case IATA recommends to double it ("OO")
- Many airlines (but this isn't a system limitation) would either not allow (or allow but immediately cancel) "TEST" as a last name. And your example falls rather in this category
Needless to say all the above is a pain if your real name is one of these scenarios, especially that in a flight to/from the US, online check-in would only work on the condition that your name on passport matches your name on the booking...
Good thing Musk's kids will be flying private. Thanks for the info.
Ben lives in South Florida, so he's likely familiar with Broward County's Sample Rd, just north of FLL.
I remember that the first time I saw "Sample Rd 10 miles 10 min" on a digital display on I-95, I assumed FDOT was testing their system... until 10 minutes later, when I passed the exit for Sample Rd.
Near our house in Florida is Cracker Swamp Dirt Rd. I guess if that's your street name, adding "Florida" is pretty much redundant.
hahahahahhahah thanks for the laughter. I really need to visit Florida, I get the impression it's full of annoying people
@Grichard
stop... ROFLMAO
Only in FLA..
Someone left test code in the system (or maybe it was deliberate and they incorrectly assumed that "Sample" would never occur) so that they could demo or test the front end in the production system without running the risk of creating a reservation.
Singapore Airlines uses Amadeus too and I’m able to make a reservation (until booking payment page) for a return flight departing Delhi with the first name Bob and last name Sample
haha and total confidence that on the day, the operating carrier will issue a boarding pass? LOL
Haven’t had an issue with an other carrier in fact I have a ticketed SQ ticket as part of the Same journey I was trying to ticket on AI.
"I tried booking a flight on Air India and no one can ticket it because their system is hard coded to not accept SAMPLE as a surname. Have you ever heard of anything like that?"
I haven't heard of the said surname before!
Google is your friend. If you check, there are many people with the surname Sample
Blocking names is really stupid. Lyft got caught with their dick in their hand when they tried banning the surnames Finger, Cumming, and more
Indian airlines need to be sued, in India but especially abroad: that is the only way they will be brought to justice, as they and the regulators always try to reflect to something else, whether Boeing, the weather, history, etc.
*deflect
Gen Yinjing Youguan, where've you been? Were you using a different alias this whole time?
Ah, such genitalia-focused language, classic you.
Imagine if they blocked the last name PATEL
Three words of advice. Avoid Air India.
Every day, there is so much stuff in Indian media about it...it's almost "hilarious" the way the airline functions.
Still, a bureaucratic nightmare, even after privatising it! Many think it was much better under government ownership than the "Tata Group".
Rayan Tata is gone. If you look at the debacle of Jaguar you know bright minds are not in charge. All Air India decisions or lack of it point to an airline that is not being managed properly.
Never heard of blocking a specific last name but I have a double last name and no middle name and for years my company's travel system (don't remember which one) would not accept it. The system would either combine both last names as one or get my first last name and place it as middle name. Problem is that back in the day, the system would issue my airline tickets according to the name on...
Never heard of blocking a specific last name but I have a double last name and no middle name and for years my company's travel system (don't remember which one) would not accept it. The system would either combine both last names as one or get my first last name and place it as middle name. Problem is that back in the day, the system would issue my airline tickets according to the name on file which was then different than what showed on my passport. Some airlines didn't;t care but some refused to check me in. It was a nightmare until they finally fixed that.
While I personally haven't had this issue, I've booked flights for friends where we had to choose a different airline because the system wouldn't accept a two-letter last name (minimum 3 characters). Not great for people from my neck of the woods.
I can think of three Chinese last names Ag, Du and Ng that fit the profile.