Ryanair passengers can be hit with a £115 name change fee – but it turns out there’s a very unusual ‘hack’ that could actually save you money if you’re willing to go to considerable lengths
Holiday-goers are being alerted to a weird ‘hack’ that could potentially save them £65 if they need to change their name. It’s not rare for travellers to accidentally misspell their name when booking a flight ticket. The error can be as minor as missing out a letter or unintentionally adding an extra one.
While such mistakes might not cause much trouble on other forms, when it comes to Ryanair flight tickets, passengers could face a £115 name change fee for their entire booking. Whether it’s correcting a small typo or rectifying a wrongly entered first name, different airlines have their own versions of this fee, with some allowing customers to make changes free of charge.
This flat fee can come as a shock, especially when the rest of the ticket was booked at a budget price. Ryanair imposes a £115 fee to change a passenger’s name on a booking when done online, and this rises to £160 if you contact them through an agent. However, the airline does offer some leeway if a customer has made a mistake on a booking, reports Glasgow Live.
They can swap their first name and last name within 48 hours after making the booking or correct spelling errors of up to three characters per name free of charge up to 48 hours before scheduled departure.
It might sound far-fetched, but according to NetVoucherCodes, there are scenarios where it is actually cheaper to legally change your name than to pay Ryanair’s cost for a name change. For those looking to officially alter their name by deed poll, the process is relatively straightforward and can be done online with a fee of £50.32 to ensure it registers in public records.
Or, if you’re not fussed about formality and widespread acceptance, there’s even a cost-free method available. To adjust your details on a national identity card, simply pair your new deed poll with the relevant application paperwork. The charge for a new card is £18 for the standard service taking 21 days, or £35 for an express turnaround if you need it urgently within 1-2 working days.
Opting for the official change still typically amounts to less than what you’d end up paying some carriers just to amend a name mistake – usually between £68 and £85 in total costs. Yet, bear in mind that officially changing your name necessitates the tedious task of amending various documents, although it’s less of an issue for domestic flights which don’t require a passport.
You could even revert to your original name post-holiday – but while perfectly lawful, it’s admittedly a hassle. And should a new passport be indispensable, applying online will cost you £95.50. So, when faced with an airline charging you an eye-watering £115 for the privilege of correcting “Jon” to “John”, maybe some people somewhere might think it’s time to legally embrace their inner typo.
