"riverman" wrote:

Caveat:
I'm in a similar situation: I go by my first initial/middle name, but
my passport has my first and middle name, while some of my credit cards
have first name/middle initial. I just explain it to the passport
control person, who smiles and stamps my passport. I've gone through SA
customs dozens of times, and never had a single problem as it is
abundantly clear that I am the legitimate carrier of the ticket and the
passport holder.

I wouldn't worry about it at all. The people at SAA and Orbitz have
their heads in the books, thats all. If you really want to be
reassured, call the immigration folks at Joberg and ask what
documentation you need to verify that you are, indeed, the same person
on the tickets. They'll probably say a birth certificate or something,
and I bet you anything that no one ever asks for it at the border. They
will NOT refuse you entry.


Thanks, riverman, you have been an excellent source of relevant
information on both the immigration and debit card concerns. We are
proceeding with the trip plans and are now dealing with the potential
problem in getting onto our Delta connecting flight here in Phoenix,
and through the International Flight Security checks with a
mis-matched name between ticket and passport.

We are having notations made in the reservation record at Delta, and
I'm getting a notarized letter explaining the various truncated
versions of my first and middle name used over the past 68 years
(before all this security tightening was an issue). At this stage, it
would be impossible to go back and get changes made in all these
accounts to conform to my formal name -- which I have never really
ever used during my lifetime except in passports and driver's
licenses. It has just never come up before.

It sure is a PITA, but it's looking like all this might work to get us
to SA and back on schedule. But as someone else here pointed out, all
it would take is one rules-slave hard-ass at a ticket counter,
immigration counter, or security checkpoint to stop this trip cold.
Doesn't help our positive attitude about traversing the minefield.

But still hanging in there...


Caveat