£40 Name Change Fee??? Airtours

[Nuno21uk]

Just noticed two weeks before travelling that my girlfriends name is down as 'Mr' instead of 'Miss' on our holiday tickets.

 

Phoned Airtours customer services only to be told it was my mistake as it was booked thi way online and I would have to pay £40 to change the name as it is outwith the 56 days before travelling!!!

 

Why does it cost so much to make such a small change to a booking?

 

I find this appauling and just another way for the holiday company to squeeze more money from their customers. As it is so close to the holiday I feel I will have to pay this fee and complain later, asking for a breakdown of this cost. To me it seems more like a penalty charge, should holiday company's not be doing all they can to keep custom and make existing customers happy.

 

Does anyone have any advice or any similar experiences?

[jackboy]

Would it matter if it stayed as Mr instead of Miss - after all your passport doesn't have your marital status on it? That way you wouldn't have to pay the charge?

 

Is the carrier Airtours themselves? If not, you could ring the actual holiday company it is booked with and ask if it matters.

[WWOW]

 

Why does it cost so much to make such a small change to a booking?

 

It doesn't, its a nifty way to cream money from passengers with non flexible tickets.

 

Pay it, enjoy your holiday, then reclaim it under Schedule 2e of Regulation 5(5) of the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 because Airtours cannot explain how it costs them precisely £40 to change a passengers title.

[Nuno21uk]

Would it matter if it stayed as Mr instead of Miss - after all your passport doesn't have your marital status on it? That way you wouldn't have to pay the charge?

 

Is the carrier Airtours themselves? If not, you could ring the actual holiday company it is booked with and ask if it matters.

 

Iam just scared to risk it mate.

 

It has her name as 'MR'

[Nuno21uk]

It doesn't, its a nifty way to cream money from passengers with non flexible tickets.

 

Pay it, enjoy your holiday, then reclaim it under Schedule 2e of Regulation 5(5) of the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 because Airtours cannot explain how it costs them precisely £40 to change a passengers title.

 

Thanks for the advice

 

Has anyone else been successful when challenging this fee under Schedule 2e?

[buzby]

They don't have to justify it, other than ensure the customer was made aware of their terms and conditions at the time of purchase. Providing these terms were provided, they'll win. If it's any help, my granddaughter had Mr on her ticket and nobody noticed or commented.

[JonCris]

They don't have to justify it, other than ensure the customer was made aware of their terms and conditions at the time of purchase. Providing these terms were provided, they'll win. If it's any help, my granddaughter had Mr on her ticket and nobody noticed or commented.

 

Not necessarily. No matter what their T's&C's might claim they still have to justify the charge otherwise it can be construed as a penalty

[buzby]

Disagree. If it can be proved the passenger was advised of all costs pertaining, and he ignored or disregarded them, the onus is then on the OP to ensure there is no requirement to use these additional services. Anyway, those fees are for a name change, not for a salutation. Back in 2004 when the fee was around £20 and I did have to substitute a person, the fee was explained as a 'discouragement' to people to treat otherwise unmodifiable tickets as a commodity. The fee covered the time in re-verifying that the original tickets had not been issued, catching or recalling them and issuing replacements. It was not possible to split the fee based on the actual work undertaken, so worst case scenario prevails. It was also hinted that passenger data has to be re-supplied to unspecified agencies.

 

There's no 'penalty' here - if the original error wasn't made, there would be no need to pay more. I don't fly with BA because I won't pay their cavalier fuel surcharges. That is just as much a 'penalty' as the one you describe. If you don;t like it, you choose another supplier. That is what consumer choice is all about. Complaining after the event that it is 'unfair' is a cop out. This in not on a par with bank charges, and that's not been a slam dunk win for consumers yet either!

[JonCris]

As I understand it this is not a name change but a salutation because of a mistake & if so it can be challenged on the basis that it's an unlawful penalty charge because the charge greatly exceeds the true cost

[buzby]

Why challenge it? Common-sense dictates it should be ignored! As for the 'ture' cost of the change, I'd respectfully suggest that the 'true' cost has NOTHING to do with it. (In much the same way a SORN 'fine' of £80 for NOT taxing a vehicle that probably isn't on the road IS an unfair penalty), and has been upheld by the courts.

[JonCris]

There is no correlation between parking penalties or failing to SORN & charges/penalties imposed be commercial companies

[buzby]

Glad you noticed. It's your use of the word 'penalty' within a commercial transaction that started this. It is a fee for a service, and if the error wasn't made in the first place, wouldn't apply. A commercial organisation is free to set its own charges, if you don't like them you go elsewhere.

 

You don't cry after the event and expect a successful resolution. Neither you nor I are aware of the processes involved in this additional manual intervention. Blithely stating it is a 'penalty' is inaccurate and misleading until you have proof. I've suggested that they have not been deceitful in their charges - simply the OPs problem ISN'T a 'name change', so it's an argument about nothing.

[JonCris]

If disputed the company have to justify such a charge As for if you don't like it go elswhere. I imagine the OP would but what would that cost him do you think Ryanair will give him refund

 

They have a captive customer & are imposing a charge which probably has no relation to the true cost & is therefore open to challenge

[buzby]

As I noted twice before - you're in no position to know either way, hence the 'penalty' claim is reckless. It seems unreasonably high, but then this remains a commercial transaction and if the only recourse is to the courts, I certainly wouldn't count on a win.

[JonCris]

What on earth are you talking about. An arbitrary charge that, after payment of the original fee including profit, which must considerably exceed the cost IS a penalty

 

We all know the banks penalise us if we make a mistake & this is no different or are you suggesting that if we don't like ithe bank charges we should take our business elsewhere

[buzby]

What am I talking about? Look up the thread. Your arbitrary and ill-advised use of the word 'penalty'. Until you can prove it, it isn't one. So when you manage to do (by proving that the cost is manifestly unreasonable - not for the work done in this particular instance - but the a single fee for the complete process as outline before.

 

I don't think I can usefully add anything to this without repetition so carry on with your belief, as without proof to substantiate your assertion of a 'penalty', you're whistling in the wind...

[JonCris]

Until the banks disclose their costs we have no way of knowing for sure that their charges are penalties. At the moment it's just an assumption because of there level as is I assume Ryanairs obviously extortionate charge for amending the data from Mr to Miss.

 

So until we know differently it's perfectly OK to call such charges penalties

[Nuno21uk]

Easy guys.

 

Its like having a little devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other.

 

I dont know whether to risk my holiday seeing that it is only a salutation problem rather than a full name change.

 

Spoke to the call centre and her words were Its very easy to change i just choose from a drop down and reprint the tickets???? So this costs £40?

 

Total disgrace

[Meldrew2]

Would it matter if it stayed as Mr instead of Miss

 

 

As the Mr prefix is male, it would matter a lot! You could easily be denied boarding.

 

Pay the fee, then claim it back is my advice too.

Edited June 18, 2008 by Meldrew2

[buzby]

Really? It is a salutation only. I'd seriously doubt anyone being denied boarding if they were called Mr Mary Smith, and Mary Smith's passport was present. After all, protocol in days past was for Mrs David Smith (as the wife of the husband) but that wouldn;t work these days as the boarding pass must match the ticket.

 

If you pay and attempt to claim back the chanced of reimbursement would be negligible!

[Meldrew2]

Having seen enough episodes of "Airline" I stand by my advice. I wouldn't want to miss a holiday or be stranded abroad because of a ticketing error.

 

Others may wish to take the risk.

Edited June 18, 2008 by Meldrew2

[Bernie_the_Bolt]

Personally I'd ignore it.

 

My passport gives my name as Bernie The Bolt, I sign my name The Bolt and I have travelled as Bernie Bolt and The Bolt I've never had an issue.

 

If spotted and questioned plead ignorance.

[Nuno21uk]

UPDATE

 

Before going on holiday I phoned up and changed the name from Mr to Miss. Took what i thought was a £40 hit.

 

Got to the airport and there were no tickets waiting for me. Went to the check in desk and was told the name was still down as Mr...........!!!!!! The girl at Check in said she would change it for ma and did. Took her a matter of seconds to put it right.

 

So there you go. Obviously the person I spoke to on the phone was using an invisible keyboard and never did a thing. I checked and no money had been taken from my account (one positive thing)

 

Holiday was awesome as well

[buzby]

More to the point, how were the flights themselves...?

[ceebee]

Have you thought of saying they had made a spelling mistake instead, I did this with another airline and they fell for it. As you have already contacted them they may have a record so it might be too late.