This is one of those cases where airline policy and reality don’t line up at all.
For most international airlines, missing a middle name is not an issue as long as first and last names match the passport. Plenty of people fly every day with no middle name on the ticket. On its own, this should not be a problem at all.
Where it went wrong is the third party booking plus the mixed Air India and Air India Express segments. Once an OTA is involved, Air India won’t touch the ticket directly, and the presence of AI Express gives them an easy excuse to deny any name edits, even harmless ones.
The really painful part is the timing. If GoIbibo sat on the denial email and missed the 24 hour free cancellation window, that’s on them, not you. That delay directly caused the financial hit.
Realistically, you have a few options:
Try escalating with GoIbibo and push hard on the missed communication and refund window.
File a written complaint with Air India anyway stating that it’s a middle name omission and not a name change.
If HDFC SmartBuy was involved, also complain there. Sometimes the bank partner has leverage.
As a last resort, many people do fly successfully without a middle name, but that’s a risk call you’d have to weigh carefully.
It’s a horrible situation, but the name itself likely wouldn’t stop you from flying. The system failure around communication is the real issue here.
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