Ryanair passenger legally changes name to dodge $336 fee

LEEDS, England, June 5 (UPI) -- A British student said he paid $157 to change his name and get a new passport to avoid a $336 fee to correct his name on a Ryanair plane ticket.

Adam Armstrong, 19, a student at Leeds City College, said his girlfriend's stepfather obtained the tickets for a June 11 trip to Ibiza and mistakenly put his last name in as "West" because the student's Facebook name was "Adam West" as a joking tribute to the Batman actor.

Armstrong said Ryanair officials were not helpful and told him the $336 fee for changing the details of his booking would not be waived or reduced.

Armstrong said he was able to have his last name legally changed to West free of charge via deed poll and it only cost him $157 to purchase a new passport in Liverpool using his new name.

Ryanair released a statement to explain the $336 charge.

"Customers are asked to ensure that the details they enter at the time of booking are correct before completing their booking and we offer a 24-hour grace period to correct minor booking errors," the statement read. "A name change fee is charged in order to discourage and prevent unauthorized online travel agents from 'screenscraping' Ryanair's cheapest fares and reselling them on to unwitting consumers at hugely inflated costs."