£90 spelling mistake correction 7 February at 3:40PM in Flights, Currency & Car Hire 17 replies 671 views

trina100

Can anyone advise what I can say to get around not paying £90 administration fees just to change two letters around on a surname on a flight booking. The company will not budge on this no matter How much I plead to waiver or reduce.
Is it me or is this quote a little much ? Booked via Fly Sharp which was found on Skyscanner. 

Caz3121

third parties make their money from fees (they make little from the actual flight ticket sale)
you are at their mercy unless you want to risk not making the change and hoping when the airline takes control of the booking 24 hours before the flight their fees are lower.
Many airlines allow a free 24 hour refund to allow you to check details for errors. You loose that when you choose to deal with a middleman.
I would always choose to book direct with the airline...was there a significant price difference that swayed you to using a third party instead?

trina100

I understand but for such a minor change I don’t know how they can justify charging £90. It’s ridiculous. They have even admitted that they do not allowing anytime for information to check and amended if needs be. It’s so frustrating! 
They were £100s cheaper then going directly with the airline. 

photome

photome

If they were hundreds cheaper there is your reason straight away.  also even after your name change error you are still quids in

fifeken

I would ignore it and plead ignorance at check in if it's obviously a typo and not a name change.

Pollycat

fifeken said:

I would ignore it and plead ignorance at check in if it's obviously a typo and not a name change.

I'd never do this ^^^^ as I'd be worried that there might be a very vigilant check-in staff n duty that day.

Pleading ignorance would not get you on your flight if your mistake is picked up and your ticket does not match your passport.

Westin

As others have mentioned, this is how these shonky online sellers make their money. There is little or even no money made on the ticket sale, reliance for profit is on ancillary sales like amendment fees.  Their fee structure will be laid out and covered under the T&C’s that you acknowledged as read and agreed.  The ‘cheap’ sale comes with zero back-up or support.  Pay your money and take your chances.

With that all said, whilst not the standard process (and the agent is the customer of the airline, not you), given this is a minor change I would suggest you call the airline direct.  Many airlines will allow up to three letters in a name to be amended without charge.  Mention it was a spelling error NOT that you want to ‘change the name’.  If they say for you to call the agent say that you have done this but the agent would not make the change without a high amendment charge, reiterate it was a *spelling error* with two letters transposed only. Some airlines will change on the spot. Others will add a note to the booking PNR.

Please update the thread with the outcome.

fifeken

Pollycat said:

I'd never do this ^^^^ as I'd be worried that there might be a very vigilant check-in staff n duty that day.

Pleading ignorance would not get you on your flight if your mistake is picked up and your ticket does not match your passport.

Disagree as the check in staff, or better still the airport ticket desk staff if the airline has one, will have the authority to do it without charging, and I've read several instances of this happening.  Even better, and it would make the OP feel better too, do as Caz3121 suggests above and do it through them when the airline takes control over the ticket from the TA at T -24 or T-48 usually.

Westin

fifeken said:

Pollycat said:

I'd never do this ^^^^ as I'd be worried that there might be a very vigilant check-in staff n duty that day.

Pleading ignorance would not get you on your flight if your mistake is picked up and your ticket does not match your passport.

Disagree as the check in staff, or better still the airport ticket desk staff if the airline has one, will have the authority to do it without charging, and I've read several instances of this happening.  Even better, and it would make the OP feel better too, do as Caz3121 suggests above and do it through them when the airline takes control over the ticket from the TA at T -24 or T-48 usually.

I think the point Pollycat is trying to get over is that leaving the problem until the day of travel may cause more issues.  If the airline or agent refuses checkin because of the incorrect name then the OP may be faced with the only option of buying a new flight at whatever the walk up fare is at that time.  Surely best to try and sort this out in advance?

Pollycat

Westin said:

fifeken said:

Pollycat said:

I'd never do this ^^^^ as I'd be worried that there might be a very vigilant check-in staff n duty that day.

Pleading ignorance would not get you on your flight if your mistake is picked up and your ticket does not match your passport.

Disagree as the check in staff, or better still the airport ticket desk staff if the airline has one, will have the authority to do it without charging, and I've read several instances of this happening.  Even better, and it would make the OP feel better too, do as Caz3121 suggests above and do it through them when the airline takes control over the ticket from the TA at T -24 or T-48 usually.

I think the point Pollycat is trying to get over is that leaving the problem until the day of travel may cause more issues.  If the airline or agent refuses checkin because of the incorrect name then the OP may be faced with the only option of buying a new flight at whatever the walk up fare is at that time.  Surely best to try and sort this out in advance?

Precisely this ^^^^.

 Knowing that your ticket does not match your passport and simply rocking up at the airport and hoping that someone will help you is not the way I'd do it.

Reading of 'several instances of this happening' is simply not good enough for me.

It's like taking advice from some random bloke down t'pub.

I really don't mind if someone disagrees with what I'd do.