TELEGRAPH TRAVEL | Saturday, December 5, 2009                                                                                                                          T19

Buying a flight in an abbreviated name can prove very costly, says
Gill Charlton

My boyfriend booked our flights to A Australia a few month ago. The other day I noticed my ticket was in the name of Rosie Bastow. However, the name on my passport is Rosemary. I phoned Expedia, the agent through which we booked, and was told that someone would speak to the airline, Etihad.

Now I have been told that I will have to buy a new ticket to change my name from Rosie to Rosemary and that the original ticket is non-refundable. I have spoken to Etihad's customer services desk direct but it has refused to correct my name. I have a number of forms of Id that show usually go by the name of Rosie (bank accounts, pay slips, driving licence), so I offered to go to the Etihad office at Manchester airport.

Etihad has said that won't help and that I'll just have to wait until I check in on the day, when the decision whether to let me fly or not will be down to the airline's duty manager. We are flying on December 17, so I don't really want to leave it to chance as I'll never be able to get on another flight. What can I do?
                     Rosie Bastow, Bolton

Most airlines have a policy for name corrections. This varies between carriers but is usually limited to three letters-for example, Jonh to John.

Other airlines simply put a note in the reservation file used by check-in staff saying that they accept "Rosie" as a first name for travel under this ticket number.

However, doing this doesn't prevent a security jobworths down the line form making a fuss and even refusing to let you board the plane.

This is why it's always best to get the ticket reissued the name-field on a ticket. It's not just a case of someone accessing your ticket file and substituting Pcosemary. For good security reasons, the reservations system does not allow this.

If you had notified Expedia immediately on receiving the booking confirmation it could have reissued the ticket in the same fare class. The fare for this departure date is now much higher, so a reissued ticket will default to the new fare.

I spoke to Etihad, which said it would reissue the ticket for a fee (although no amount was stated) but that the request had to come through Expedia.

When Expedia tried to telephone Etihad nobody answered the phone. I went back to Etihad and its sales desk has now reissued your ticket for a charge of £75.

Expedia tells me that an airline agreeing to make a change like this is exceptional. In its experience airlines usually view correcting an abbreviation in the same light as changing a name and insist the customer books a new ticket

Insuring an expensive holiday

My wife and I have booked a 50-day tour of Australia and New Zealand through Travelsphere with stopovers in Singapore and Hong Kong. The total cost is £12,500.
Our annual travel insurance with Fortis only covers up to £5,000 per person in the event of cancellation or curtailment. Travelsphere's policy has a similar maximum. Is there anywhere I can obtain "top-up" cover for the difference?
                                                                 Jim Fitzgerald, New Malden, Surrey

As far as I'm aware there is no top-up cover of this kind available. This is because I have just bought a new digital SLR camera and would like to indulge my love of photography and receive some tuition, preferably in a small group somewhere fairly exotic.
                                                                                           Jane Southey, Leeds

Photography holidays to Iceland, Spain, Morocco, Italy, Greece and Kerala in India are offered by Authentic Adventures (01453834137; www.authenticadventures.co.uk). Leaders are professional photographers, often with a specialism such as landscape, people or birds. Groups are of eight to 14. An eight-night "Kasbahs of the South" tour taking in Marrakesh and the Atlas Mountains costs £1,079 half  board.

Kumaon in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas is the location for a special travel photography workshop next February, led by Chris Caldicott, former photographer-in-residence at the Royal Geographical Society. The maximum group size is eight and guests stay at the renowned 360 Leti Lodge (above). The 10-night trip costs £3,108, full board; book through Shakti ( 0796 764 9542; www.shaktihimalaya.com).

Each month in this slot I will respond to a frequently asked question.

I have received a fine notice from the local police for driving into Pisa almost 18 months ago. Do I have to pay this? Something I read online seems to say that the fine must be issued within 360 days.

Unfortunately, the 360-day countdown only starts from the day that the police are notified of the driver's name and address by the car rental agency. Obviously, providing these details is not a priority with agents and I have been told that it can take months to get hold of them. You can contest the fine, within a month, in writing.

Many Italian city centres now have Zona Traffico Limitato (ZTL) areas. These limited traffic Zones allow access to residents and permitted vehicles only.

The Italian police are Zealous in pursuing infringements, not least because fines raise a lot of money for the municipality. Fines are around £ 100 each time you enter a ZTL. Look out for overhead cameras and a roadside sigh with a red circle at each entry