Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia now have updated name formats to reflect Asian naming customs, helping passengers avoid ticket issues by correctly splitting given and family names during booking. (Image by Mariya Oliynyk)
Booking a flight with Malaysia Airlines or AirAsia? You might notice something new when entering your name. Both airlines have updated their booking systems to better reflect the diverse naming traditions across Asia, including Malaysian, Chinese, Indian, Filipino, Thai, and Vietnamese names. These changes aim to make flying smoother for everyone with no more awkward mismatches between your ID and your ticket.
For Malaysia Airlines, names are now split into two fields: “First & Middle Name” and “Last Name/Surname.” The rule of thumb is simple: your family name or surname goes into the “Last Name” field, and everything else goes into “First & Middle Name.” So if your full name is Veronica Tan Mee Ling, you’d enter “Tan” as your surname, and “Mee Ling Veronica” as your given names. The airline wants to make sure that your name is displayed correctly on your boarding pass and matches your travel documents exactly.
There’s also a new rule for names containing traditional titles like “Bin,” “Binti,” or “Anak.” Malaysia Airlines now requires these parts of the name to be placed in the surname field. So if your name is Siti Aishah Adawiyah Binti Mohd Abu, you should enter “Binti Mohd Abu” as your surname, and “Siti Aishah Adawiyah” as your given name. This ensures your name appears correctly on your ticket and passport, avoiding confusion at the airport.
AirAsia uses a similar approach, though the fields are labelled slightly differently. You’ll be asked to enter your “Given Name” and your “Family Name/Surname.” The logic is the same—your name goes under “Given Name,” and your family name goes into the “Surname” field.
The takeaway? Always match the surname on your ticket to the one on your passport or ID. These updates are all about creating a better, more accurate booking experience. If you’re ever unsure, both airlines offer online guidance here (Malaysia Airlines) and here (AirAsia) to help you fill in your name correctly.
Malaysia Airlines
AirAsia
