Originally Posted by
SLF3b
I think that in the UK this would come under the unfair contract terms law, which basically says (I am not a lawyer) that if it ain't fair it ain't legal.
Let them levy a charge by all means - but the charge has to be proportionate to the cost incurred.
I am not a lawyer either, but I don't think that is correct. Charges can be below cost, above cost or a blatant rip-off and still be "fair". Do you really think that first class and economy class airfares are priced in proportion to
cost incurred ?
Charges do have to be clear, not hidden, not added in once the customer is signed up etc. If FR hid the charge or had small print that made it practically impossible for the customer to print the boarding card,
then you'd be into the unfair terms - but that's not the case.
Penalties for default (including cancellation etc.) are required to be reasonable, which is what the credit card companies got hit for, but that is not the same. If you forget to pay your credit card you are actually in breach of contract and could be sued for damages, and costs. Nothing in FR contract (I believe)
requires you to print boarding cards, so there is no default if you don't. Simply a charge for them doing it for you. The charge may be a ripoff or a bargain, as may the ticket price, but neither would be "unfair" as a contract term.
As to the poster booking with the wrong name, that has
always been a ticket change (or a no-go), and I am suprised anyone believes different.
I use the short form of my first name exclusively, personally and professionally,
however for
anything to do with international travel (with passport), especially flying, (or the taxman) it's
always the full name as on the passport as only my mother ever calls me. It has always been that way, for decades, and I expect always will be, and for every travel operator I've ever used, as far as I recall. My surname is also frequently mis-spelled, and same applies. I expect an operators typo to cause me hassle, and if it's my typo I expect it to be expensive (check, check, check again before pushing that submit button...).
Ryanair's charge for re-ticketing might be higher than other operators, but so are their other charges e.g. for baggage, and maybe their ticket prices are lower... if you get a better deal overall somewhere else, then take that.
I don't work for them, and nor have I flown with them.