A 19-year-old student has legally changed his name by deed poll after discovering it was cheaper than paying a £220 administration fee to correct a booking error with Ryanair.
Adam Armstrong, from Manchester, was booked on a flight to Ibiza under the surname West after his girlfriend's stepfather mistakenly copied a joke name from Facebook. Ryanair demanded £110 per leg to amend the ticket, prompting Armstrong to change his name to West for free and pay £103 for an expedited passport.
Armstrong criticised the airline, stating: 'Ryanair pride themselves on being a customer-centric business, it just seems like a joke when they wouldn't change the name. All they needed to do was hit the backspace key on a keyboard and they want to charge me £220?'
Ryanair is known for its low fares but high ancillary fees. The airline defended its policy, saying the charge prevents unauthorised travel agents from reselling tickets. Other airlines typically charge between £25 and £40 for name changes, with Monarch and Ryanair imposing higher fees.
Travel expert Bob Atkinson advised passengers to double-check names at booking and noted that most airlines offer free corrections on the day of purchase.
