Ryanair’s fares are usually basic with additional services costing extra
Passengers who make one crucial mistake when flying with Ryanair could be caught off guard with a hefty fee. The cost typically sits at £115/€115 if you seek to fix the error online, but it can climb to £160/€160 if you’ve booked through a travel agent.
Aptly named the ‘name change fee,’ this charge penalises customers who need to change their full names in bookings. This specifically applies if you need to transfer a flight to somebody else, with details adjustable up to one day before scheduled departure online.
The budget airline’s information page explains: “Full name changes can be made online up to 24 hours before scheduled departure, or by contacting us or at the airport up to two hours before scheduled departure subject to a fee, see our table of fees. The fee will be higher if you contact us and changes will be made through our Customer Service Team.”
Crucially, the fee does not apply if you booked using your maiden/married name and this was updated in your passport before the flight date. Individuals can also swap the first and last names once for each person for free up to 48 hours after the booking is made.
Ryanair confirms that up to ‘three characters per name’ can be altered for free up to 48 hours before your scheduled departure time, too. It does not require middle names or second/double-barrelled surnames for bookings.
Any passengers who have already checked in to their flight will need to contact Ryanair to get ‘unchecked’ from their journey. The alterations can then be made via the Ryanair app or website.
It’s essential to note that Ryanair isn’t the only airline that enforces a name change fee. Another is easyJet, which allows passengers to correct ‘three characters per name’ for free online, but charges between £60 and £65 for further alterations.
“Title changes and Spelling mistakes, limited to three characters per name, can be done online either via our website or mobile app free of charge,” its website explains. “Please ensure the passenger’s full name matches the ID they will be using to travel, including middle names.”
Meanwhile, Jet2 customers must pay £40 (or local currency equivalent) per name change, per one-way flight within a booking. For any additional name changes, the firm issues this administration fee ‘plus the difference (if any) in price between your original fare and today’s fare price’.
However, its online guidance adds: “You can correct genuine spelling errors without charge. For spelling errors of up to three letters, you can visit Manage My Booking or contact us.
“If you’ve made a genuine spelling error of four letters or more, you can contact us by phone or email. Please note that free of charge changes to names will only be considered for genuine errors and not for a change of person.”
On the flipside, advice for British Airways customers reads: “If you have changed your name for any reason, including marriage, divorce or by deed poll, the names on your ticket and passport must match in order for you to travel.
“All your other required travel documents must also be in the same name as your flight ticket, including visas and ESTAs. If you need to change your name on an existing ticket to match the name on your passport, you can use our live chat service to talk to one of our agents or contact us.
“There’s no charge for this type of change, however if the taxes, fees and carrier charges on your ticket have changed since you made the original booking, you’ll need to pay the difference. You may also need to provide us with proof of your identity to make this change.”