A typo in the name on your plane ticket happens more easily than you’d think – all it takes is one wrong click during online booking. While a small mistake in your name can cost you nerves and time at check-in, most airlines flying from Košice can correct it if you act in time and know who to contact. In this article, we explain which errors airlines typically tolerate, how to proceed with Ryanair, Wizz Air, LOT and Austrian Airlines, and what to do if your surname changes after marriage.
Why the name on your ticket must match your travel document
The first and last name on a booking are used to verify the passenger’s identity at security control and boarding. Ryanair’s help centre states explicitly that, for security reasons, the first and last name on a booking must match the travel document – though the airline does not require a middle name or second surname. A similar principle applies at other carriers: if the name on the ticket differs significantly from the passport or ID card, you risk being turned away at check-in or passport control. That’s why it’s worth fixing a typo even if it’s “just” one letter.
Which errors airlines usually fix for free – and which they don’t
Most airlines distinguish between correcting a typo (it’s the same person, just an incorrectly entered name) and a complete name change, which in practice would mean transferring the ticket to another person. While the first is usually possible free of charge or for a small fee, airlines generally do not allow the second – a ticket cannot be transferred to another passenger. What is typically tolerated:
- a typo or a missing/extra letter in the first or last name, usually up to three characters,
- the first and last name swapped around,
- a shortened or nickname form used instead of the full name shown on the document,
- a missing part of the surname, for example cut off when entered into the system,
- an incorrect title (Mr/Mrs) for the same person.
By contrast, airlines will usually refuse to swap the name for a completely different one or transfer the ticket to another family member. In that case, the only reliable option is to cancel the ticket and buy a new one, if the fare conditions allow it.
How the correction works with carriers flying from Košice
Košice Airport is currently served by the low-cost carriers Ryanair and Wizz Air, as well as the network carriers LOT Polish Airlines to Warsaw, Austrian Airlines to Vienna and Swiss International Air Lines to Zürich. You can find the exact departure days and times in the flight schedule section, and check a specific flight in the arrivals and departures section.
Ryanair lets you correct a typo of up to three characters in a name free of charge via “Manage this booking”, once and no later than 48 hours before departure. Within the same deadline, you can also swap a mixed-up first and last name once free of charge. A complete name change can be made online up to 24 hours before departure, or through customer service or at the airport up to 2 hours before departure, though this is subject to a fee. You can find more about this carrier’s routes from Košice on the Ryanair page.
Wizz Air offers one free name correction through your WIZZ Account, up to 3 hours before departure – this covers corrections of up to three characters, completing a shortened name to the full version, changing the title, or swapping the first and last name. A complete name change is always subject to a fee, and there may also be an additional charge for handling it through the call centre.
LOT Polish Airlines does not handle name corrections online, only through its contact centre. It accepts typos of up to three letters, and under certain conditions even a larger discrepancy – for example, if the error resulted from an incorrect transcription of diacritics or sounds typical of Slovak, and the document clearly shows it’s the same person. LOT charges a transaction fee for the change, and the amount varies, so check it directly with the carrier.
A similar principle applies to Austrian Airlines and other Lufthansa Group members: minor name corrections are handled through booking management or customer service, but the exact deadlines and any fees vary depending on the fare – check them in the carrier’s conditions of carriage.
Change of surname after marriage or divorce
If you bought your ticket under your maiden name and have since married, this isn’t a typo but a legal change of details, which airlines handle differently from a standard error correction. In such cases, both Ryanair and Wizz Air require a document confirming the change – for example a marriage certificate or a new ID card – and will process the change free of charge. LOT applies the same procedure for a name change due to divorce, adoption or gender change, again based on the document submitted. We recommend dealing with this as soon as possible after receiving the new document, not right before departure – processing the request can take several days.
Diacritics, middle names and the passport transcription
Slovak names with diacritical marks (Č, Š, Ž, Ľ, Ď, Ť, Á, É and others) are written without diacritics in the machine-readable zone of both the passport and the ID card, converted into basic Latin letters. When booking online, you should therefore enter your name exactly as it appears on the document – usually in capital letters without diacritics – rather than following standard Slovak spelling. If the booking form doesn’t let you enter diacritics at all, this usually isn’t an error that needs correcting, since the form of the name on the travel document is what counts. Most carriers do not require a middle name or second surname in the booking – a match of the first given name and surname is enough. If you still want it added for a complete match with your passport, this can usually be added afterwards without counting as a “name change” in the true sense of the word.
Booking through an agent vs. directly with the airline
If you bought your ticket directly on the airline’s website or app, you can usually take care of a name correction yourself through Manage Booking or your WIZZ Account within a few minutes. It gets more complicated with tickets bought through an agent or travel agency – the airline often won’t allow a direct correction, and you’ll need to contact the agent, who will enter the change into the system on your behalf. This can extend the processing time and may add the agent’s service fee on top of the airline’s own charge. When booking, always keep the seller’s contact details and your booking reference, and if there’s a typo, contact them first rather than the airline directly. You’ll also find practical advice on check-in and travel documents in the FAQ section of our website, where we regularly track changes to individual carriers’ conditions.
Cheap flights from Košice
Direct routes from Košice Airport with current fares. Prices are indicative – the cheapest one-way fare as of 11. 10. 2026.
LondonRyanairfrom €16View offer
LiverpoolRyanairfrom €18View offerLondonWizz Air UKfrom €22View offer
BratislavaWizz Airfrom €23View offerRomeWizz Air Maltafrom €26View offer
DublinRyanairfrom €34View offerLinks lead to our partner Pelikan.sk. Booking through them supports this website.