A family in mourning criticized Ryanair for its lack of empathy following the death of their mother. The family was particularly offended by the airline’s request for a fee along with a “generic message” in response to their situation.
Sophie Taylor, residing in Chudleigh, Devon, had purchased two tickets from Ryanair last October to mark her mother Sharon Watkin’s 60th birthday during a planned holiday in Lanzarote. Unfortunately, Sharon passed away in August, two months prior to the scheduled trip.
In a surprising move, Ryanair informed Sophie that she would need to pay €115 (£100) to change the name on her mother’s ticket to her father’s name.
After Sophie lodged an online complaint to Ryanair, attaching the death certificate, the airline simply responded with a request for payment to proceed with the name change. Sharing her dismay with the BBC, Sophie expressed, “In addition to losing the most important woman in my life, receiving a generic message requesting more money was heartbreaking.”
Sophie had initially booked the holiday through Love Holidays and was set to depart from Bristol on 2 October with Jet2holidays, returning a week later with Ryanair. She praised Love Holidays and Jet2holidays for their understanding, as they waived the admin fees for the name change, unlike Ryanair.
Love Holidays stated that in cases of medical issues or bereavement, they typically waive their standard amendment fees. Jet2Holidays has yet to comment on the situation. Sophie’s father, Peter Watkins, mentioned that his late wife had battled neuroendocrine cancer for about 12 years before her passing in August.
Reflecting on their trip, Peter shared, “Lanzarote Puerto Del Carmen held special memories for us, having visited around 15 or 16 times. Therefore, the trip brought mixed emotions for myself and Sophie.” He explained his decision not to cancel his wife’s return seat to prevent it from being resold, opting instead to book a separate seat for £52 on the same flight.
Peter emphasized the emotional turmoil faced during such situations, stating, “You don’t need that emotional turmoil, as you are already in emotional turmoil.” Ryanair defended its position, citing the non-refundable nature of the promotional fare sold through Love Holidays and recommending customers to secure travel insurance.
Ryanair noted that in light of the original passenger’s demise, the family could request a full refund. The Mirror has reached out to Ryanair for further comments.
Ryanair stated, “This package was sold to the passenger by Love Holidays as a non-refundable promotional fare. As the fare is non-refundable, we recommend customers take out travel insurance for cases such as this. Ms. Taylor requested a name change on 24 Aug & 5 Sept and was offered this facility upon payment of our name change fee. She opted for a cheaper one-way fare, providing better value. As the original passenger, Ms. Watkins has passed away, Ms. Taylor can apply for a full refund of Ms. Watkins’ fare.”
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