MoneySavingExpert.com has seen multiple reports of this issue in the past week, with Ryanair passengers travelling with partners or friends with different surnames claiming that their companions' surnames were automatically changed.

Passengers who book Ryanair flights with an incorrect name have 24 hours to correct it for free. But if they spot the problem later, the fee to change a name is £115, which can be significantly more expensive than the original cost of a ticket.

We first asked Ryanair about this issue on Monday, and on Friday – after we first published this story – it finally responded to say it had been unable to replicate the problem. It insists there is no problem with its booking system, and says customers whose booking is in the wrong name will have to change it within 24 hours or pay the full fee.

See our 20 Ryanair tips for help mastering the airline's mega-strict rules and charges.