While airlines have become much more flexible about ticket changes over the course of the pandemic, name changes have always been more restrictive.
I used to have an Airtran corporate account that had free name changes and it was awesome to be able to buy a cheap ticket on sale and be able to use it for anyone. JetBlue used to allow name changes for a small fee and United has allowed me as a Global Services member to make a free name change when needed, but airlines don’t generally want to be in the business of competing with their customers in selling tickets.
With current travel voucher policies, it has been possible to cancel tickets from airlines like Alaska, American, JetBlue, and United and then use those funds for someone else. But you still haven’t been able to give an existing ticket to someone else without paying the difference in fare.
However American is in the process of switching over from flight credits to trip credits. With that switch, you can combine credits from multiple cancelled flights and use the credits for anyone.
As part of that, American is even allowing AAdvantage members to make one free name change on changeable paid or award tickets, as long as the recipient is also an AAdvantage member. You can join AAdvantage before making a change in order to take advantage of this policy. Only one name change is allowed.
You can make name changes for free through 1/31/22. Changes can’t be made on non-changeable basic economy tickets, but if you’re on a changeable basic economy ticket such as a flight booked before 4/1 or a flight originating from the Eastern Hemisphere then you can make a free name change.
Will you take advantage of a free name change on an American ticket?
HT: xJonNYC
Time to start buying and reselling airline tickets !
In what situation would it be beneficial to consider a name change for a ticket?
If you bought a cheap ticket that is now expensive.
So many possibilities, you planned a trip for you and your wife. One of you couldn’t go, so you scraped both tickets and flipped them to someone else going.
Or swapped your wife’s with your son…
And then yes to be a reseller is where the real value lies.
A business class ticket is avlb for purchase from NYC to TLV, I happen to be awake at 3:45am when Dan and JJ decide to post an amazing deal for a RT in Y, or any other insane deal for that price. I book it and now I have the freedom of giving it or gifting it to my daughter and son inlaw or Vice versa. Or selling the ticket at double the price. Endless possibilities, little creativity and you’ll be set with ideas on what you can do.
I can’t wait until they change from trip credits to flying credits.
This great they should make it permanent.
Great to hear. I have a non-transferable travel credit from a canceled flight that’s expiring soon, and I’m excited to be able to book the ticket for myself and then change it to my wife’s name.
Might also be able to convert it to trip credit that you can use for her.
good point. Do you know if that would extend the expiration date for another year?
How do I go about that?
Is United still giving ETCs or just FFCs?
I’ve had success getting ETCs via Twitter DM or asking for a manager.
I’ve had success too, but only after several attempts.
Its nice when the airlines are doing poorly and need to work hard to win business. They will remove every benefit again the minute things are good.
i called them yesterday and only allowed for tickets purchased through aa directly
Name changes are common on European LCCs. Pre-COVID there was a huge second hand market for peak dates between the UK and Israel.
another workaround is cancel ticket, then with creditbook a cheap ticket [e.g lax – sfo for $38] and ou recieve instantly an email with credit good for any passenger.
That’s what you used to have to do to switch credit to someone else, but now you should be able to convert flight credits to trip credits good for anyone without going through that step.
if booked directly from aa…
Wow, this is a real name changer!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBpwIDgJGCs
Are we sure it works for mileage ticket?
Should be fine for a regular award, but I’m not sure about a web special.
If you try let us know!
Purchased an AA ticket on the chase portal that I ended up having to cancel and getting a chase travel credit for. Does anyone know if a name change is possible if the ticket was purchased on the Chase Travel portal using chase points?
I have a delta ecredit on my name that is Non-transfarble is there any work around to use it for my brother?
does it work if you bought the ticket through a third party>?????????
Will I get credit for a partially used ticket? (BE ex-TLV, traveling this week)
does it work if you bought the ticket through a third party>????
Can someone please post a link from the American Airlines website that explains exactly how this works?
You need to call American, or DM them on Twitter.
Thank you!
Not so simple at all. Turns out a $100 fee and fare difference does apply. So cancelling for a trip credit makes more sense, especially since the trip credit can be used for anyone now.
HUCA?
Super dedicated Amex Plat Rep who reached out to a few team leaders at Amex and read me their documentation that AA sent along with this exception policy (he looked up this saleslink article). He also called AA sales support team and spoke to 3 different people.
Did anyone actually use this who can report otherwise or corroborate?
AA says all those reps were wrong: “A fare difference will only be applicable if a voluntary change is requested to the travel date or destination, but if only the name change is made, then the travel partner will specify if there’s a processing fee on their end to complete.”
So HUCA it is, then.