Easyjet charge admin both ways and the difference for a name change!

[Ian]

Hi - sadly - there is quite a lot of bad press when you Google this - here are the rules from EJ's website - I particularly like the underlined bit 


Article 8 Name Changes

8.3 In addition, if there is a difference between the original Fare paid and the current Fare available at the time the change is made, the customer will be required to pay any increase in the Fare since the original Booking was made. No refund will be given if the new Fare is lower.

[Heather Davis]

What a rotten shame Ian - your daughter must be a lovely lady! I had to change flights recently with Easy Jet and in my case the flights I changed to we're considerably cheaper than those originally booked. I seem to remember the price differential was around two hundred pounds. As you say though, no refund which you could argue is fair enough but on top of that they still charged me seventy pounds administration costs for the flight change!....

[stoop]

This is pretty much how all budget airlines work. Some are worse than others but most charge for name change and any difference in price if it's gone up.

Shameful practice in my book!

[stoop]

Monarch offer m-flex for £2.50 per flight but it's still a rip off. Read this:

FAQs Search
 
MFlex Terms and Conditions

We know that, at times, even the best laid plans change. That is why Monarch have introduced M-Flex to give you added flexibility and peace of mind when you book your scheduled flights. By choosing the M-Flex option for only £2.50 per person each way, Monarch will waive any administration fees charged for changing your booking!

For just £2.50 per passenger each way, MFlex offers you the flexibility to make a change to the travel dates or route on your booking without incurring the standard admin fee of £27.50/€34 per passenger each way. Monarch MFlex option waives your admin charges, however you will still be required to pay any fare difference between the price of your current flight and new flight should your new dates of travel be more expensive.

MFlex is valid for flight only and for date or route changes made 15 or more days prior to the departure date.  One date or route change per person is permitted in each direction. For date or route changes made 14 days or less prior to departure, or for additional changes after you have used your permitted allowance, normal admin charges of £27.50/€34 per passenger each way will apply.

If you wish to purchase our MFlex option, you must do so at the time of booking. If you have chosen MFlex but do not use it on your booking, we will send you a voucher for the total amount paid for your Mflex which can be used as payment towards a future flight booking with Monarch Airlines. You will receive the voucher upon completion of your travel and will be valid for new bookings confirmed within 1 month from the creation date (valid for travel until March 2013).

Name change fees are not covered by MFlex and will incur the standard £100/€125 per name change. M-FLEX is valid on scheduled flights only.

So - no admin fees but £100 to change a name and you still have to pay the higher price if it's gone up.

[maclarke1]

Apparently the reason Easyjet say they do this is because there used to be many cases of travel agents buying the flights as soon as released, then selling them on at higher prices to the public and just paying for a name change.

[Ian]

I have read the "travel agents buying up early and selling later at a profit" but I think that is urban myth.

The way Easyjet price their seats and increase prices as each allocation of seating is sold (like most others these days) means they achieve their target revenue whoever buys them as long as the plane is full to forecast capacity.

So if say 20% of the seats were then name changed at £70 per return journey by these so called bulk buying travel agents they would have more than enough "extra bunce" (60 x £70 = £4200 extra) not to worry about their returns without "creaming" the increase in price as well.

Sadly this is just blatant profiteering of the most distasteful kind - almost on par with Ryanair "paying to go to the loo" proposal.

[stoop]

Yes but by stopping them buying up the cheap seats it means prices stay lower that bit longer so that passengers who book early get a better price. If it did go on and they still allowed it then prices would shoot up much quicker.

Still a rip off though. I mean most changes are done by the customer electronically so what 'admin' is there for them to do? No tickets to print these days.

[puma]

also happened to me in july coming back the charges were so high  we went back with tc bl**dy robbers