Budget airline Ryanair have been slammed over charges to amend a ticket after a passenger’s mum, sister, niece and nephew were killed in a horror smash, Anita Kozłowska, from Coventry, was left appalled by Ryanair after being hit with a £115 fee to change a booking in the wake of the tragedy.
Anita had planned a birthday getaway in Lanzarote for her sister Ada who was due to celebrate her 30th birthday in August. But just days after booking the trip through On The Beach, Anita was devastated to learn that her mother, sister, three year old nephew, and six year old niece were killed when their vehicle collided with a train in Masuria, Poland, on November 3, 2024.
Anita told CoventryLive that on November 28 last year, she reached out to Ryanair to transfer the booking to another name but was informed by the airline they didn’t have procedures for such changes, a response she branded as ‘ridiculous.’ She then found out alterations were possible via the Ryanair app, but at a cost of £115—an extra financial burden during an already painful period.
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Speaking from her home in Finham, Anita said: “I booked a holiday package through On The Beach as a surprise birthday present for my sister for her 30th birthday, and unfortunately, a couple of days after I booked that, she died in a car accident alongside her two kids and our mum so as you can imagine, that was a very traumatic time, especially because it was meant to be a present for her, and I never got to tell her.”
After the funeral of her loved ones in Poland, Anita decided to change the booking, which was under the name of her late sister Ada. She explained: “I obviously needed to change the passenger on the booking because my sister is no longer here, so I decided to take my little cousin with me instead.
“When I contacted On The Beach because they were the third party I booked through, they were absolutely brilliant and amended the hotel and transfer lounge booking, but they said I needed to contact Ryanair directly with regards to the flight change.”
Anita reached out to Ryanair and was informed that they do not have procedures to amend bookings, a policy she described as ‘bonkers.’ She claimed they offered her a refund and suggested the holiday to Lanzarote could be rebooked.
Anita contacted Ryanair on November 28
(Image: Anita Kozlowska)
But she said: “I never wanted that because I was still planning on going on holiday, and with the refund, the problem is I am not guaranteed that I will be able to get on the same flight and that I will be able to sit with my little cousin, who is underage and very anxious. Also, it could cost me more than I have already paid for it.”
Anita did some research and discovered that the booking could be changed via the Ryanair app, but at a staggering cost of £115. She expressed her outrage, saying: “I just feel it is absolutely disgusting to be paying that much.
“I just find it absolutely bonkers, and I do not know how they can get away with it! It is just a crazy situation because regardless of the circumstances I am in now, how can that be justified?” Overcome with emotion, Anita shared her personal loss: “I have lost four family members in the blink of an eye… that was meant to be a present for my sister that I never had a chance to even surprise her with, and I have explained that to Ryanair.”
Despite her circumstances, Ryanair stood firm on their policy. When CoventryLive reached out for a statement, a spokesperson from the airline responded: “As per our TandCs, which this passenger agreed to at the time of booking, we allow name changes on all bookings, which can be made online at the cost of a standard name change fee.”