Re-selling flight tickets. Is this possible?

You have booked a flight ticket and unfortunately you can not travel for any reason and therefore no longer use your flight ticket. If your cancellation is not covered by your cancellation insurance (if you have arranged one), re-selling your ticket to another person seems to be a solution. But can you just re-sell a flight ticket? JustGo.Travel gives your answer to this question.

• Can you resell a flight ticket?
• The exceptions
• Why is a flight ticket non-transferable?
• What can you do if a flight ticket is non-transferable?
• Where do you need to pay attention to when you decide to take over a flight ticket?
• The conditions per airline

On regular basis I see that travelers, including on various fora, offer their booked flight ticket for takeover. Whether a return ticket, a single trip or even just the return trip of a return ticket. When the travel date is getting closer and the flight ticket is offered at a favorable price, this seems to be an attractive option for both a buyer and a seller.

Can you resell a flight ticket? 

At 99.9% of all airlines, regardless of whether you have a changeable or non-changeable flight ticket, a full name change is not allowed and/or you cannot transfer a flight ticket to a completely different person. This also immediately eliminates the option of taking over an flight ticket from, for example, a relative, friend or possibly an unknown person.

The exceptions

However, there is a very limited number of airlines that makes an exception and allows full name changes (under certain conditions). Important to know is that:

1. The flight ticket must be unused. When a flight ticket has already been used partially, a name change is not possible anymore.
2. The fare conditions of a flight ticket should allow a full name change or transfer to another person. These are the terms which:
   • Will be shown while booking your flight ticket.
   • Can be found on the booking confirmation of your flight ticket.
   • You can read on the website of the relevant airline.
     

Why is a flight ticket non-transferable?

A common question is: why is an airline ticket not transferable to another person or other name? The answer is that the aviation industry wants to stop the trade in flight tickets, like we know the trade on concert tickets.

If full name changes would be allowed, there would be a possibility that merchants would buy all types of flight tickets at the lowest possible price and are going to sell them at a higher or way too high price.

     Be warned! Never buy a flight ticket from another (unknown or well-known) traveler without any research!

What can you do if a flight ticket is non-transferable?

When a flight ticket is non-transferable, there still are 2 options with which you can (partially) retrieve money of your flight ticket.

1. Claim the costs of your flight ticket at your cancellation insurance

If you have a cancellation insurance and you meet the required conditions, you can claim the costs for your flight ticket with the cancellation insurance. Possibly you will get a partial or a full refund for your flight ticket.

2. Request for an airport tax refund

It is also possible that you have not arranged a cancellation insurance or that you do not meet the conditions. Then a fina option is to reclaim the airport tax.

For the most part, a flight ticket consists of airport tax and the costs that airports charge to an airline. An airline will include these costs in the rates and so these costs will ultimately be passed on to you as a passenger.

How much which will be refunded differs per flight ticket and can sometimes be a minimum amount. The largest part of airport tax consists of fuel surcharge and will not (always) be refunded. In some cases, an airline also charges administrative costs when you request for an airport tax refund. This is to cover the administrative actions.

Where do you need to pay attention to when you decide to take over a flight ticket?

If you still want to try to buy a flight ticket from another traveler, always make the decision well-considered with the following tips:

• As a buyer, ask the seller (before you take over a flight ticket) to give you all the reservation details, like: the reservation number, the flight data, the rate and rate conditions.
  
• Read the fare conditions carefully yourself on the booking confirmation of the flight ticket or on the website of the airline concerned.
• Let yourself be informed and advised well by the booking website or airline itself regarding the possibilities and costs.

If the seller does not want to provide you with the reservation details, then do not buy the flight ticket. Most likely, this person is not aware (well) of the terms and conditions regarding name changes or may not have the best intentions. Taking over this flight ticket may not be reliable.

The conditions per airline

Are you wondering if your flight ticket is transferable? Below find the airline where you have booked your flight ticket and quickly find the information you need in Frequently Asked Questions, Terms and Conditions.

At the airlines listed below, there is no information on the website regarding transferring flight tickets. Therefor you need to contact the customer service of the booking website or the airline itself.