A domestic air ticket is tied to a passenger and an identity document. Before paying, compare the spelling and document number in the booking with the document you will actually carry. This guide uses Air China and Beijing Capital International Airport as a named example; another airline or departure airport may have different procedures.
Check the reservation before payment
Enter the name in the form requested by the airline's booking channel and use the document type and number you intend to present at check-in. Air China's check-in guidance says a foreign passenger may present a passport for a domestic flight and that the document used at the airport must be the same as the one used for the reservation. Its staff compare the e-ticket with the recorded name and ID number. Check the booking confirmation rather than assuming a profile name was copied correctly.
Fix a mismatch before travelling to the airport
Air China's booking FAQ says an issued e-ticket's passenger name cannot be changed. If you spot a name error, ask the issuer or Air China what remedy is available for that exact booking; do not assume a name can be corrected at the gate. The airline's passenger guidance also says a document-number mismatch should be raised with the place of purchase before check-in. A replacement document or a booking made through an agent makes early contact especially important. Keep the issuer's written resolution or revised booking record.
Verify the actual departure terminal
For Beijing Capital flights, check the flight-specific terminal in the current airline booking or airport display. Air China's March 2026 terminal notice moved some domestic routes between Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. Older generic advice that all Air China departures use one terminal is therefore unsafe. Confirm the check-in cut-off for your flight and arrive with enough time for document verification and security. Airline staff, rather than a general guide, decide whether the document and ticket satisfy the check-in rules.
Use the original valid document named in the booking unless the carrier explicitly confirms another acceptable arrangement. A passport copy, a different passport number or a differently ordered name should not be treated as automatically interchangeable.