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(c) Elliott Publishing.

Transfer Trouble
ChrisCrossings · September 16, 1999

Q: Is it possible to change the name of the passenger on a nonrefundable ticket? My friend and I were going on a trip and and he is unable to go. I found someone else to take his place, but airline says that they can't change the name on the ticket.

-- William Oliver

A: It all depends on who you're asking. I put the question to three different people and got three different responses, so I'm about as confused as I'll ever be.

My first call was to the public relations office of American Airlines. I love calling AA because I get to talk with a nice woman named Ginger who usually tells me that everyone is in a meeting, and can she take a message? This time was no different: everyone was busy, I was put on hold, and then told that no one could take my call at the moment, but that it didn't matter anyway, because this wasn't an American Airlines policy, but an industry-wide policy. I should check with the Air Transport Association.

So I called the ATA and got public relations manager Diana Cronan on the line. Is it really an industry-wide policy, and if so, what is it, I asked. Diana called me back 15 minutes later with my answer: Every carrier has its own set of transferability criteria. Some will let you transfer a ticket. Some won't. As a general rule, all tickets purchased over the Internet can't be transferred, she added. The more expensive the ticket, the better the chance an airline will let you change the name.

I checked several airline contracts of carriage and found no specific mention of transfers. Then I called the US Airways reservations department to ask them about exchanging a ticket. The reservationist, whose name I won't mention because I don't want her to get into trouble, cleared up my confusion: No, you can't transfer a ticket unless it's completely refundable. If it is, then you simply get a refund on the ticket and buy another one.

The reasons behind the restrictions vary based on who you ask. The reservationist said the airline is concerned about scalpers buying cut-rate tickets and reselling them at a profit. The ATA says it's because of security concerns, and AA says they do it because everyone else does it. I'm sure they're all right.

Where does that leave you? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you're holding a worthless ticket. Here are a few options:

Beg for mercy. Show up at the gate with your friend, tell the ticket agent the sad story of how your other friend couldn't make it, and throw yourself on the mercy of the airline employee. You'd be surprised at how far a little groveling will take you.

Wheel and deal. Offer to pay a change fee for the ticket or to pay the difference between that ticket and a more expensive fare, while not shelling out the cost of a new ticket. Ticketing agents can bend some rules, and it helps if you flash that frequent flier card.

Lie. Sometimes, a forged drivers license will cost far less than a new ticket. I'm not suggesting that you should seriously consider this strategy, but I also don't think it's right that your friend has to pay for a new, full-fare ticket. When you show up at the gate, you'll just show the agent what he wants to see and you'll get what you want.

Given all the confusion about ticket transferability, I would suggest not getting into this situation in the first place. Many nonrefundable tickets can be changed for a hefty fee and reused. Just buy another ticket and stop worrying about it. I once watched a young woman try to talk her way into using a Continental Airlines ticket that she'd traded with a friend. The gate agent caught her and refused to issue a boarding pass. She started crying. Finally, the gate agent offered to sell her a ticket at a special price - it was a bereavement fare.

Who says airline employees don't have a sense of humor?

Christopher Elliott's column appears on Thursdays. All e-mailed questions to ChrisCrossings become property of Ticked.com and may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion. You may reach Elliott at christopher@elliott.org. Or visit his home page at http://www.elliott.org.