Transferring a plane ticket?

My family and I are going to Florida on the 27th October with my uncle (There's 5 of us - my mam, dad, brother, uncle and I). Unfortunately, my uncle isn't able to go anymore, but we have someone that could come in his place. We're flying from Dublin-Orlando with United Airlines and the ticket is an economy ticket. I know there's a fee for name changes on a ticket. I also know that it is generally the price of a new ticket. Our ticket originally cost each but now would cost to buy for the same flights. I was just wondering, If we wanted to change my uncles name to my cousins name…
1. How difficult is it to do?
2. I seen that you can separate travellers on united airlines so that they have their own, new reservation for the flight. Can you make name changes if you do this?
3. Would I have to pay or towards the name change?
4. Does it make it any easier that we booked through Skyscanner and not directly from United Airlines?

Does Alaska airlines give you snacks and drinks for free like southwest?

Because I know every airline is different like when I used to fly frontier to Las Vegas the snacks and beverage service used to be free but now you have to pay for the snacks and beverage.

Because this Friday I'm flying Alaska airlines from denver to Seattle Washington because I'm going to see my cousin because his wife just had a baby girl. And I'm wondering if I have to pay for snacks and beverage like soda on Alaska airlines or not because frontier you have to pay like southwest you get soda and snacks for free is it like with Alaska airlines

Am I entitled to compensation on my delayed flight?

I have just arrived home after travelling with easyjet

Our flight was delayed by a grand total of 6hrs and 32mins and we were told that, in spite of the delays, we were still expected to be at the airport for the original boarding time.

Initially, we received a notification that the delay was due to a 'technical fault' with the plane (the latest pilot informed us that the staff and passengers could smell smoke coming from the cockpit)
Then, we were assigned a second plane, which was unable to land at another airport and eventually depart to us due to hurricane Ophelia
After a further 1hr 30mins of attempting to land in the strong winds at home, a third plane was sent to us from Amsterdam. The plane reported the same issue with regards to smelling smoke in the plane and returned back to the airport
A fourth plane was scheduled to collect us, travelling from Barcelona, but the pilot refused to make the journey and so another pilot was brought in as an emergency contingency…

This pilot finally managed to fly us home
However, he explained to us that the airline, after 4 planes reported the same technical fault of 'smoke in the cockpit' made the connection between the incoming hurricane Ophelia and the sudden appearance of matching technical issues
Apparently, the hurricane had drudged up sand and dust particles from the Sahara desert and, once coming into contact with the plane engines, caused a smoke-like smell to emit into the cockpit

Am I still entitled to compensation?

Added (1). I'm aware that they could use the 'exceptional circumstances' card but it just seems beyond unreasonable.
They altered the expected flight time approximately 5 times, forced us to arrive and wait for 7hrs in spite of the known delays and although they could argue that this was entirely a result of hurricaine ophelia, surely they are at fault for not only misdiagnosing a supposed 'technical fault' 4 TIMES, but further for insisting that the passengers linger at the airport for 7hrs