# Possible to give airline tickets away?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 19, 2018, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999 "2018-01-19T21:54:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@joe.russell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joe.russell)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2018, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/1 "2018-01-19T21:54:03Z")
Feel free to move if this is the wrong forum.
Here’s my situation. My wife and I are taking a trip to Phoenix in a few months. We bought round trip tickets all at once. My wifes grand-parents are also wintering in Phoenix and her grandpas health has deteriorated from dementia. We figured a 21+ hr drive for her grandparents would be a huge headache considering her grandpas health, so we offered our “return” tickets to them and we would make the 21+ hr drive for them, and they can take the 2 hr flight.
Well, turns out our (all?) tickets are not transferable. Apparently there is absolutely no way for us to ‘give’ anybody airline tickets. We’ve made phone calls, talked to supervisors, no luck. Does anybody have any idea how to ‘give’ someone airline tickets, without us having to eat the cost. To cancel the tickets would cost more the tickets themselves.
Do airlines even check the name on the tickets anymore? Do they check IDs and tickets at the same time? Should we make the switch and see if anybody has the guts to tell a frail old couple that they cant fly? Any advice for an infrequent flier?
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### Author:  [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2018, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/2 "2018-01-19T21:58:05Z")
> [@joe.russell](#):
>
> Do airlines even check the name on the tickets anymore? Do they check IDs and tickets at the same time? Should we make the switch and see if anybody has the guts to tell a frail old couple that they cant fly? Any advice for an infrequent flier?
Even if the airlines didn’t the TSA would. Even in a “Pre” fast-lane, they’ll insist on cross-checking the photo ID they require, the face of the passenger standing before them, and the name on the boarding pass. With any mismatch, you can expect some extra attention.
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2018, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/3 "2018-01-19T22:16:52Z")
Yea, your gonna have to use the tickets yourself. Can the family not get together and try to come up with cash to buy gramma and grampa a ticket on your flight so you can help them travel safely?
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### Author:  [@joe.russell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joe.russell)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2018, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/4 "2018-01-19T22:21:42Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> Yea, your gonna have to use the tickets yourself. Can the family not get together and try to come up with cash to buy gramma and grampa a ticket on your flight so you can help them travel safely?
Thats plan B. But we really hate to have the tickets wasted since they will have to buy 2 tickets, and a family member will have to buy a ticket down just to drive their vehicle back.
I appreciate all the replies. Apparently ‘all’ tickets are non transferable? live and learn i guess.
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### Author:  [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2018, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/5 "2018-01-19T22:27:35Z")
Airlines do generally bend over backwards to facilitate people in bereavement situations, I’m not sure if that might extend to something like a serious health crisis in the family. If you feel there’s a case for them making a compassionate exception, it my be worth appealing to their goodwill through customer services. I think it’s unlikely though, you can imagine a lot of people would “try it on” if they were too accommodating.
As for somebody different (even with the same last name) trying to fly on your ticket, that’s a big no-no. They cross check very carefully i.d. vs ticket for security reasons, they would catch it, and you’d be in trouble.
Not quite sure of your plans here, but be aware also that if you don’t fly each leg of a trip in sequence as planned, your whole ticket will usually be cancelled (unless ticketed separately), and you won’t be able to use it for subsequent legs.
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### Author:  [@sbunny8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sbunny8)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2018, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/6 "2018-01-19T22:41:13Z")
> [@joe.russell](#):
>
> Do airlines even check the name on the tickets anymore? Do they check IDs and tickets at the same time? Should we make the switch and see if anybody has the guts to tell a frail old couple that they cant fly? Any advice for an infrequent flier?
The airlines themselves do not check ID unless you’re crossing a international border.
Suppose you tried this: #1 Buy her grandparents refundable tickets (very expensive!) that leave on the same day from the same airport as the tickets you already have. #2 All four of you go to the airport that morning and go through security. All four of you have tickets, so the TSA will let you through security. #3 Hand your tickets to the grandparents. Call the airlines and cancel the refundable tickets. #4 You and your wife walk out of the airport, get in your car and leave. #5 The grandparents board the plane using you and your wife’s boarding passes.
I think this plan would work. The part that I expect most likely to fail is where you call the airlines on the phone and cancel tickets after you’ve already gotten boarding passes and gone through security. They might refuse to refund your purchase price at that point. But I’m 90% sure the grandparents would end up on the plane.
Of course, this kinda ruins your plan to drive 21 hours on the previous day so you can be there to pick them up at the destination.
Note, I’m not suggesting the switcheroo is a good idea. If I were you, I wouldn’t do it.
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### Author:  [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2018, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/7 "2018-01-19T22:47:23Z")
One airline industry spokesperson [explains](https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2013/12/23/airline-ticket-transfer-name-change/4174145/):
> [@](#):
>
> Airlines don’t allow name changes for two reasons, according to Victoria Day, a spokeswoman for Airlines for America, an industry trade group. The first is airline policy. An airline needs to know who the customer is so it can “provide quality service,” she says. It also relies on tickets being non-changeable in order to manage its seat inventory.
>
> “Since air transportation is a service that perishes when the aircraft door is closed, it is in both the passengers’ and airline’s interest to closely match the number of passengers to seats available, from both a customer service and revenue management perspective,” Day says.
In other words, we want to exploit you to make money. This is bullshit because once a ticket is sold, the seat is out of inventory no matter who sits there. This is simply to prevent a secondary market for plane tickets.
> [@](#):
>
> The second reason is security, or ensuring that the ticketed passenger is the same person going through the TSA checkpoint and getting screened.
True but this seems to have nothing to do with reticketing under a different name.
> [@Riemann](#):
>
> As for somebody different (even with the same last name) trying to fly on your ticket, that’s a big no-no. They cross check very carefully i.d. vs ticket for security reasons, they would catch it, and you’d be in trouble.
Maybe not in trouble but they wouldn’t allow the passenger to check in for the flight.
Two related stories:
Man advertises for woman with a specific name to use a [plane ticket he had bought for his girlfriend](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/04/plane-ticket-ex-name_n_6100010.html) of that name before she broke up with him
A Southern California father said he and his family were [booted from a Delta flight](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2017/05/04/family-booted-from-delta-flight-and-threatened-with-jail-after-refusing-to-give-up-toddlers-seat/?utm_term=.5fc61cc774a8) after they declined to give up a seat they had bought for their teenage son and were attempting to use for his 2-year-old sibling.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2018, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/8 "2018-01-19T22:51:26Z")
> [@sbunny8](#):
>
> The airlines themselves do not check ID unless you’re crossing a international border.
>
> Suppose you tried this: #1 Buy her grandparents refundable tickets (very expensive!) that leave on the same day from the same airport as the tickets you already have. #2 All four of you go to the airport that morning and go through security. All four of you have tickets, so the TSA will let you through security. #3 Hand your tickets to the grandparents. Call the airlines and cancel the refundable tickets. #4 You and your wife walk out of the airport, get in your car and leave. #5 The grandparents board the plane using you and your wife’s boarding passes.
>
> I think this plan would work. The part that I expect most likely to fail is where you call the airlines on the phone and cancel tickets after you’ve already gotten boarding passes and gone through security. They might refuse to refund your purchase price at that point. But I’m 90% sure the grandparents would end up on the plane.
>
> Of course, this kinda ruins your plan to drive 21 hours on the previous day so you can be there to pick them up at the destination.
>
> Note, I’m not suggesting the switcheroo is a good idea. If I were you, I wouldn’t do it.
**Moderator Note**
This is almost certainly highly illegal and could get them into big trouble. From the registration agreement:
> [@](#):
>
> You agree not to post material that in our opinion encourages activity that is illegal in the U.S.
No warning issued, but do not do this again.
To everyone else, you may provide advice, as long as it does not involve breaking the law.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
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### Author:  [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2018, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/9 "2018-01-19T23:01:39Z")
nm
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### Author:  [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2018, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/10 "2018-01-19T23:09:20Z")
> [@sbunny8](#):
>
> The airlines themselves do not check ID unless you’re crossing a international border.
>
> Suppose you tried this: #1 Buy her grandparents refundable tickets (very expensive!) that leave on the same day from the same airport as the tickets you already have. #2 All four of you go to the airport that morning and go through security. All four of you have tickets, so the TSA will let you through security. #3 Hand your tickets to the grandparents. Call the airlines and cancel the refundable tickets. #4 You and your wife walk out of the airport, get in your car and leave. #5 The grandparents board the plane using you and your wife’s boarding passes.
>
> I think this plan would work. The part that I expect most likely to fail is where you call the airlines on the phone and cancel tickets after you’ve already gotten boarding passes and gone through security. They might refuse to refund your purchase price at that point. But I’m 90% sure the grandparents would end up on the plane.
>
> Of course, this kinda ruins your plan to drive 21 hours on the previous day so you can be there to pick them up at the destination.
>
> Note, I’m not suggesting the switcheroo is a good idea. If I were you, I wouldn’t do it.
I will add that the airline does occasionally check ID at the gate, and that DHS will occasionally do random gate check, complete with a check of every passenger and ID, and with random passenger interviews, at randomly selected gates and flights.
I would pay for the extra fare, if customer service cannot help you.
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### Author:  [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2018, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/11 "2018-01-19T23:23:27Z")
> [@joe.russell](#):
>
> Apparently ‘all’ tickets are non transferable? live and learn i guess.
All tickets are non-transferable. Some tickets are fully refundable, but they generally cost more (much more).
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### Author:  [@joe.russell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joe.russell)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2018, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/12 "2018-01-19T23:32:21Z")
Thanks everyone for the replies. Yes, we’ve talked to customer service many times and plead our case. But we have very ‘restricted’ tickets. There is nothing they can do unless we cancel, which would cost more than our tickets.
We’ve thought about going the airport together and telling them, these are our tickets, we would like to give them to our grandparents due to their circumstances. Figured it most likely wouldn’t work, but it also wouldn’t hurt.
Otherwise, i suppose a separate flight would be the way to go.
Just one of those things that they’re still getting their money, their flight will still be full. Lets make it work.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2018, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/13 "2018-01-19T23:45:59Z")
> [@joe.russell](#):
>
> We’ve thought about going the airport together and telling them, these are our tickets, we would like to give them to our grandparents due to their circumstances. Figured it most likely wouldn’t work, but it also wouldn’t hurt.
I think (and as you’ve likely gathered from the posts here) the odds of this working are, unfortunately, vanishingly small.
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### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2018, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/14 "2018-01-20T16:18:42Z")
there was a guy who was going on a trip with his GF but then they broke up. He found another woman with the same name and took her along. He did not want any kind of romance with the new woman but that’s all I recall about the story.
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### Author:  [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2018, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/15 "2018-01-20T16:22:23Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#):
>
> there was a guy who was going on a trip with his GF but then they broke up. He found another woman with the same name and took her along. He did not want any kind of romance with the new woman but that’s all I recall about the story.
The whole thing is fresh in my mind from yesterday 😃
> [@CookingWithGas](#):
>
> Man advertises for woman with a specific name to use a [plane ticket he had bought for his girlfriend](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/04/plane-ticket-ex-name_n_6100010.html) of that name before she broke up with him
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### Author:  [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2018, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/16 "2018-01-20T22:12:06Z")
Now I’m curious. You mention that “to cancel the tickets would cost more than the tickets themselves,” which sounds a bit strange to me. I’m pretty sure you do not mean that you will have to pay the airline MORE money if you cancel your tickets. After all, you can just not show up for the flight. It’s not like they will send you a bill for additional fees.
The reason I mention this is that I’ve had quite a bit of success in pleading to cancel non-refundable tickets in exchange for some portion of their value. For example, I might get credit for $150 for a $250 ticket, with several restrictions on what I can use the credit for (e.g., same destination, use within a year, same passenger).
I’m just thinking of ways you can keep it from being a total loss.
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### Author:  [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2018, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/17 "2018-01-20T23:22:36Z")
Alternatively, I have an idea that would still involve buying airline tickets for your grandparents, but wouldn’t involve you or anyone else in your family schlepping their car for 21 hours. A million years ago in college (Christmas break 1986, to be precise), a friend and I drove a car for free from NY to Chicago for [Auto Driveaway,](http://autodriveaway.com/about-us/drivers/) a service which I confess I am shocked to discover still exists. I have no idea what it would cost, but it couldn’t hurt to get a quote - for all I know it’s a lot cheaper than a RT plane ticket.
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### Author:  [@joe.russell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joe.russell)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2018, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/18 "2018-01-21T15:41:38Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#):
>
> Now I’m curious. You mention that “to cancel the tickets would cost more than the tickets themselves,” which sounds a bit strange to me. I’m pretty sure you do not mean that you will have to pay the airline MORE money if you cancel your tickets. After all, you can just not show up for the flight. It’s not like they will send you a bill for additional fees.
>
> The reason I mention this is that I’ve had quite a bit of success in pleading to cancel non-refundable tickets in exchange for some portion of their value. For example, I might get credit for $150 for a $250 ticket, with several restrictions on what I can use the credit for (e.g., same destination, use within a year, same passenger).
>
> I’m just thinking of ways you can keep it from being a total loss.
You are correct in that we could just not show up and be out the price of our tickets. We asked about refunding and in order to officially ‘opt-out’, there would be a $200-$400 fee.
Appreciate the information from everyone. At this point it looks like we’ll either be out the cost of our tickets and buy 2 tickets for the grandparents, or we’ll have to a family member fly one way, and drive their vehicle back with the grandparents buying their own set.
Again, thanks everybody!!
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### Author:  [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2018, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/19 "2018-01-21T22:06:12Z")
Regarding bereavement fares, check Expedia or other online seller first. The only time I had reason to ask for a bereavement fare, it was much more expensive than just buying a regular ticket.
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### Author:  [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2018, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-give-airline-tickets-away/806999/20 "2018-01-21T22:49:42Z")
> [@TSBG](#):
>
> Regarding bereavement fares, check Expedia or other online seller first. The only time I had reason to ask for a bereavement fare, it was much more expensive than just buying a regular ticket.
Same here, it was more expensive then just going on line and buying a ticket. IIRC $550 to $350.
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