Ryanair flights: Martin Lewis attacks airline for ‘refusing’ to refund wrongly charged passengers (Image: Getty Images)
Ryanair has been called on to refund passengers affected by a name-change penalty in a letter from money saving expert Martin Lewis to Michael O’Leary, the Chief Executive of Ryanair. Lewis has presented the Chief Executives of Ryanair and its regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), with a dossier of over 160 Ryanair passengers hit by the name-change ‘glitch,’ costing many customers £115 each to fix. MoneySavingExpert.com first reported the issue in December 2018 and has since received complaints from angry customers travelling with partners or friends with different surnames. They said they have been penalised after their companions’ surnames were automatically changed even though the correct details were entered at the time of booking.
Ryanair flights: Martin Lewis attacks airline for ‘refusing’ to refund wrongly charged passengers
If they didn’t spot the error within Ryanair’s 24-hour grace period, they were slapped with a £115 charge to change it in order to travel.
According to Lewis, Ryanair “has insisted that there isn’t a problem despite compelling evidence, and has said it won’t refund customers for what appears to be its own mistake.”
In the letter itself, Lewis wrote: “The engagement and response we've had from Ryanair has been flaccid; there seems to be a blasé attitude to these customers who feel hard done by.”
He added: “The behaviour of your firm, in refusing to refund customers who have been affected, yet with them having no choice but to pay up if they want to travel, does not seem to be the behaviour of a 'nice airline'.
“I am sure you will be shocked to hear this is happening- and will want to rectify it - rather than waiting for regulatory
