An Australian family was told it would cost $800 to change the name on a plane ticket so they could travel together to a major football match.
Abby Woodruff and her family were due to fly from Melbourne to Brisbane this weekend to cheer on their beloved Carlton in a must-win AFL elimination final against the Brisbane Lions at The Gabba.
Die-hard Blues fans learned at the last minute that Ms. Woodruff’s father would not be able to make the trip.
The family decided to take their eight-year-old daughter instead.
Ms Woodruff’s husband, Kade, called Jetstar to make the change, only to discover that the simple request would cost a considerable amount.
The couple expected to pay a fee for the change, but were shocked by how much they would have to shell out.
“When they said $800, we were stunned,” Woodruff said. Yahoo.
The couple considered booking another ticket, but discovered it would cost them a whopping $1,250.
Ms Woodruff’s husband (pictured left), Kade (pictured right), called Jetstar to make the change only to discover that the simple request was going to cost them a huge amount.
“That wasn’t really an option,” he explained.
Ms. Woodruff said they had already paid $550 for the reserved seat for her father.
She posted on Facebook to reveal how much the couple would have to pay, where Australians were quick to express their fury.
“How can they justify so much?” wrote one person.
“It’s outrageous,” wrote another person.
Others said they faced a similar situation when they tried to rebook a ticket under a different passenger’s name.
“I had the same problem last year. They said they would cancel the ticket and refund me, but the flight was full so they couldn’t repurchase the ticket under another name,” one person wrote.
A Jetstar spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that they did not charge the extra fee for changing the name on the ticket.
“After speaking with Mr. Woodruff to better understand the family’s specific circumstances, out of compassion we have transferred his grandfather’s ticket to another passenger’s name,” the spokesperson said.
Jetstar waived the extra fee for changing the name on the ticket on compassionate grounds (file image)
Daily Mail Australia understands that the process of transferring the name on a booking to another person involves a change fee.
The fare also includes a fare spread, which is the difference between the original price and the advertised fare, for the same flight when the name change request is made.
The aim of the policy is to prevent customers from buying cheaper tickets and selling them at a higher price.
The cost of changing a passenger’s name on a ticket is specified in Jetstar’s terms and conditions.
