How a typo cost an Ontario man more than $11K for new ticket to Thailand

An airline ticket typo resulted in $11K of expenses for new tickets for an Ontario man.

An Ontario man who booked a dream vacation to Thailand noticed a minor mistake on his plane ticket and was surprised that the mishap forced him to buy a new ticket for more than $11,000.

When Brandon Bowman, of Milton, bought his airline ticket, he said he noticed there was no “space” between his middle name, Rodrigues, and his last name, Bowman.

Bowman said he contacted Air Canada and was assured the “typo” shouldn’t cause him any issues.

“My last name and my middle name were joined,” Bowman told CTV News. “I called them and the employee said I should be fine.”

Bowman initially paid $4,958 for a return flight to Thailand, and two days before he was scheduled to leave, he thought to check in to ensure everything was alright before takeoff. That’s when he heard a different response from another customer service agent.

“The next employee said it is not fine, we will have to cancel everything, and the price of a new ticket jumped about $6,000 in price,” Bowman said.

His name was corrected but due to the short notice, his ticket cost $11,200—more than double what he originally paid.

“I couldn’t cancel the flight,” Bowman said.

Bowman felt he had to carry on with his vacation, as he said he had planned the trip for months and prepaid for several tours and outings already.

He said his nearly three-week-long vacation in Thailand this past January was one of the best adventures of his life.

But, when he returned home, he said he felt he should be compensated for what happened to his original ticket since he called Air Canada in advance to ensure everything was still valid with the missing space in his full name.

“We reviewed this case and we concluded that the customer should have been advised more clearly about his options during the initial call, which would have remedied this situation,” a spokesperson for Air Canada said in a statement.

The airline also advised travellers to double-check the booking confirmation they receive immediately after purchasing a ticket to ensure all of the information is correct.

“In particular, people should check the itinerary, travel dates and name spellings,” the spokesperson said.

Air Canada refunded Bowman the difference, totalling $6,213.

“I am super grateful to get that money back. It means a lot to me,” Bowman said.

Typos on plane tickets can usually be corrected for free if they are caught within 24 hours after purchase.

A minor mistake might be allowed for domestic flights, but for international trips, where security is stricter, you could be stranded if your documents don’t match.