UK: Flexible flights up to '17 times more expensive' than standard tickets

In a time when the ability to change travel plans has become key, choosing a flexible option when booking flights can increase the cost of that booking by as much as 17 times the original price, when you may be able to change the flight for free. That’s according to new research by consumer organisation Which?. Which? compared the prices of standard fares and flexible fares for flights from some of the UK’s biggest airlines, to check if paying extra for flexibility is worth it after nine months of travel disruption and uncertainty. In every example Which? looked at, the difference in cost between a flexible ticket and a standard fare was greater than the cost of the standard fare. This would suggest passengers could be better off simply paying for a standard fare and making a new booking if they were unable to travel on their original dates and had some flexibility about when they were taking the trip, rather than paying for a flexible fare. Additionally, many passengers could benefit more from the flexibility provided through airlines’ “book with confidence” policies, which most carriers have introduced to allow passengers to make changes to their bookings for free in the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak, than they would by paying for a flexible fare. The biggest increase in price that Which? found between a standard and flexible fare was for a BA flight from London Heathrow to Barcelona in February 2021.<br/>