Airlines face pressure to scrap charges for name changes on tickets, as Civil Aviation Authority signal crackdown

Airlines could soon be ordered to end the rip-off charges for changing the name on a ticket, as passengers face costs of up to £160 for mistakes.

The Civil Aviation Authority is urging carriers to make their terms and conditions more transparent amid concern a typo during the booking process can incur “significant” costs.

Richard Moriaty, the CAA’s chief executive, last week told the Airlines UK conference in London that a review was under way into the myriad booking rules used across the industry.

Analysis by Which?, the consumer group, found passengers can face charges of up to £160 from one leading airline if they need to make changes to a name at the airport.

Several other airlines do not impose costs to correct basic name changes, but larger alterations come with a price.

It was suggested by the CAA chief that some carriers are likely to face criticism for the transparency of their rules in the forthcoming review, to be published this summer.

Mr Moriaty said: “Some terms and conditions can feel downright unfair to some passengers – charging a significant amount of money to correct a simple typo made during the booking process, for example.

“Passengers should be able to make informed choices based on transparent and fair terms and conditions.”

He added: “We have been undertaking a review of airline terms and conditions which we are due to publish this summer.

“You won’t be surprised to hear that we would like to see greater openness and transparency, albeit some airlines deserve credit for their policies and approach.

“Increasingly consumers are simply not going to accept anything they regard as unfair or does not represent value for money.”

His intervention marks the latest stage of a wider crackdown against so-called “hidden costs”, which are imposed by airlines on top of the ticket fare.