19 December 2019 | Updated 4 August 20238 min read
Booking flights for June instead of July, misspelling your partner’s surname, choosing flights in the am instead of after work… when you’re DIY-ing a holiday, it’s easy to let little mistakes slip through the cracks.
But beware, some airlines don’t look too kindly upon error – no matter how tiny it seems. We looked at nine popular airlines to find out how much it’ll cost you if you fall foul of their rules.
Changing the name on a flight ticket can be a costly exercise but while low-cost carriers sometime receive a bad rap, it’s not all bad news.
Most airlines will forgive genuine typos and amend your booking free of charge. And if you’ve recently changed your name (due to marriage or divorce, for example), they will generally change your ticket to match whatever is on your passport – you will just need to prove you are the same person flying and are not attempting to transfer your flight to another person.
However, those who are looking to pass a flight on to another person will have to pay for it. Ryanair will charge £115 to change the name online. This jumps to £160 if you call up to do so. For other airlines, the cost can be anywhere between £35 to the full price of your ticket. Remember, for flights with low-cost airlines, it may be cheaper to book a whole new ticket than to mess around with fees and customer service – so check before you pay anything.
Bigger carriers, such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, do not offer the chance to change names and travellers will need to cancel their booking and start the process again. For more, check out the table below.
Note: This is indicative for economy tickets only and as always, remember to read your airline’s T&Cs before you book.
Airline | Name change fee – online | Name change fee – call centre/airport | Title change/typo fees |
---|---|---|---|
Ryanair | £115 | £160 if made after the 48-hour grace period | Free within 48-hour grace period - one letter spelling errors do not need to be changed. |
easyJet | £55 per flight | £60 per flight | Free |
Jet2 | £35 each way for one name change per booking. For additional name changes, it’s £35 plus the difference in fare if the original price has since increased | £35 | Free |
Wizz Air | €50 (£43) for each leg of your flight | €50 (£43) for each leg of your flight plus a call centre transaction fee (€15/£13) | One free change for up to 3 characters, or a title change. |
Norwegian Air | All flights on LowFare and LowFare+ tickets cost £60 each way or free for Flex ticket holders | All flights on LowFare and LowFare+ tickets cost £80 each way or £20 for Flex ticket holders. Note: these prices are inclusive of a £20 service charge | Free for up to 3 characters per name |
Aer Lingus | N/A – you must contact the airline directly. | £80 | Free |
British Airways | N/A – tickets are non-transferrable so you must cancel your ticket and rebook under the new name at the current ticket price. You have a 24-hour cooling off period during which you can cancel your booking and get a full refund. | N/A – tickets are non-transferrable so you must cancel your ticket and rebook under the new name at the current ticket price. You have a 24-hour cooling off period during which you can cancel your booking and get a full refund. | Free, unless the taxes, fees and carrier charges on your ticket have changed since you made the booking. You will need to make up the difference. |
Vueling | Free for bookings made within 24 hours, plus any fare difference. Or, from €50 (£43) each way after 24 hours of the initial booking. | N/A. | Free, as long as it's clear that it is the same person |
Virgin Atlantic | N/A – tickets are non-transferrable so you must cancel your ticket and rebook under the new name at the current ticket price. | N/A – tickets are non-transferrable so you must cancel your ticket and rebook under the new name at the current ticket price. | Free |
Holiday plans can change. If this happens, airlines generally offer a few options to make the sting of missing out a little easier: you may be able to change the date of travel or cancel the trip altogether.
The easiest way to avoid getting stung by excessive fees is to purchase flex tickets straight off the bat. However, if you’ve gone down the budget fare route, expect to pay a fee starting at around £25 to change your flight. Airlines will generally also add any fare increases to the charge. They will not refund you if ticket prices have dropped.
Similarly, flex fares are easier to cancel for a refund than budget tickets, which are often non-refundable. Some airlines such as British Airways and easyJet offer a 24-hour cooling off period where you can receive a full refund – although easyJet charges a cancellation fee of £49 online and £55 via the call centre to do this.
Some airlines charge to cancel, so it may be cheaper to just skip the flight altogether without actually cancelling. If you go down this route, be sure to read your airline’s terms and conditions carefully first: you may be able to skip out on a flight you no longer want to take, but it may result in a no-show fee and any connecting or return flights may be cancelled, too.
As always, we recommend purchasing travel insurance as soon as you book your flight so you’re financially covered in case you need to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances such as a death in the family.
For more, check out the table below.
Note: This is indicative for economy fares only and, as always, remember to read your airline’s T&Cs before you book.
Airline | Date change fee | Cancellation fee |
---|---|---|
Ryanair | £45 each way online or £60 each way at the airport/via the call centre It's free of charge if changes are made within the 24-hour grace period (online bookings only) – but you will be charged any price difference if the price is higher. | All flights can be changed up to 2.5 hours before departure but they cannot be cancelled. |
easyJet | More than 60 days before travel: Online – £25 + fare difference per flight Call centre – £30 + fare difference per flight 60 days or less before travel: Online – £49 + fare difference per flight Call centre – £54 + fare difference per flight | You’ll receive a full refund minus an administrative charge of £49 online or £55 via call centre if you cancel with 24 hours of booking. Cancellations after 24 hours of booking will not be refunded, other than a refund of any applicable Air Passenger Duty. |
Jet2 | £35 each way, plus the difference in cost if the original price has since increased, for both online and call centre changes. | Flights are non-refundable but you will not be charged a cancellation fee. |
Wizz Air | €35-€45 (£30-£39) per flight, per passenger All fees are in addition to any fare differences and €15 (£13) in call centre transaction fees if you opt to change over the phone | Up to two weeks before your flight: €65 (£56) per flight, per passenger. |
Norwegian Air | All flights on LowFare and LowFare+ tickets: £60 + price difference each way Flex: Free to rebook + price difference each way | LowFare and LowFare+ tickets: Fully refundable if cancelled within 24 hours of booking. No refunds after this period. Flex: Fully refundable |
Aer Lingus | Saver or Plus Fare European flights online: £35, plus any fare difference Saver or Plus Fare European flights via Guest Services or at the airport: £40, plus any fare difference Saver or Smart Fare Transatlantic flights online: £90, plus any fare difference Saver or Smart Fare Transatlantic flights via Guest Services or at the airport: £120, plus any fare difference | Saver, Smart and Plus Fares are non-refundable but you are entitled to a refund of government taxes – this is subject to a £12 administration fee for each one-way flight. |
British Airways | Fees vary by route and fare type, but changes for non-flex fares start from £30. Rule of thumb says that the lower the fare, the more restrictions on changes there will be. If you need to make a change within 24 hours of booking, it’s easiest to cancel your flight (free of charge) and rebook. | Cancellation fees vary by route and fare type but expect to incur at least a service fee between £15 and £40 (depending on fare type and whether you organise this online, via a call centre or at the airport). |
Vueling | From €50 (£43) + the difference in fare both online and via Customer Services. From €60 (£52) + the difference in fare at the airport. Free of charge + the difference in fare if changed within 24 hours of booking. | Tickets are non-refundable. |
Virgin Atlantic | You can cancel you booking free of charge within 24 hours. Changes outside of this period may not be possible. If they are, you will be required to pay any increases in fare price, plus a change fee for non-flex tickets. This varies by route and ticket type. | Non-refundable tickets are only entitled to a refund of government taxes – this is subject to up to a £30 administration fee per booking. |
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