UK’s most popular airline rip off charity!

This has me extremely annoyed.

I book lots of cruises for a charity who arrange and pay for terminally ill and unwell children and their families to experience an all important family trip together.

I take great pride in knowing that I’m playing my part in helping the family to have these important experiences, creating memories that they’ll get to hold on to forever.

Once such family were booked on a trip a few months ago to travel later this year. This involved a cruise with Disney (yay!) and a one way flight with British Airways (booooo).

Last week, it was noticed that one of the family members names had been spelled incorrectly (through no fault of the charity or mine).  I contacted the cruise line and explained that this was a trip organised and paid for by the charity and the reasons for  the trip and the cruise line, within a few seconds, had the name updated to the correct spelling and didn’t charge us a penny for the privilege – not even an admin fee.

I then contacted the supplier that the flights were booked through.  We all know how difficult airlines can be when it comes to these things but I at least thought British Airways have a little sympathy and/or understanding.  WRONGO!!!  Their response??  The charity need to book and pay for a whole new ticket  because they’re ‘unable’ to change the name on the current one (the flight isn’t until August!).

I’ve worked in this industry for many years (about 17 now) and to this day, I still don’t understand why airlines can’t just change a name. Or update a spelling.  What are these rules? How is this justified? How can they justify the fact that a full ticket has already been booked and paid for and to change the spelling of a name, a whole new ticket needs to be bought? So British Airways are getting paid for two tickets when only one is required because they ‘can’t’ change the spelling of a name on their system?

I know they have the functionality to change spelling on their system.  How is this justified? I’d welcome anyone to tell me the answer because I REALLY want to know. Why do airlines make you buy a whole new ticket rather than just charging an admin fee to change the spelling? (Or having the decency to show a little sympathy and kindness like the cruise line did – thank you Disney Cruise Line!)

This is a charity for goodness sake!  Absolutely sickening behaviour by British Airways if you ask me.  I’ve had this with Easyjet, Ryanair and Jet 2 in the past and they have changed names free of charge!  What makes British Airways so much different?

Any comments (or explanations from BA staff!) are welcome 🙂

Lx