Student changes name to avoid £220 Ryanair fee
 

Seems a bit extreme to me. Won't he now have to also change his name on everything else in his life -- bank accounts, credit/.debit cards, drivers license, student ID, etc?

Student changes name by deed poll to avoid £220 Ryanair admin fee | Money | The Guardian

You have to ask yourself if it was worth it in the end. At least he's had his five minutes of 'fame'.

It's 2015, paying a change fee plus the difference in the fare has been common for years on manh legacy and LCCs. Everyone has their own way dealing with them. Either pay to change, buy a new ticket, change your name or don't fly. Whatever works best for you.

Being an LCC, surely it would have been substantially cheaper just to buy a new ticket ?

Not necessarily, LCCs are low cost and usually offer low fares but they follow the laws of supply and demand just like the legacies. I can recall a specific case where U2 was offering their last teo seats to London at a price higher than BA's business fare. everyone else was full and it was a Friday evening.