Why can't e-tickets be transferred to another pax?

Hi experts,

Can someone please explain to me exactly why passanger names on e-tickets (purchased via a travel agent) for VA flights (LHR > LAS) can not be transfered to another passanger name? Due to personal issues (which aren't insurance claimable), two friends will not be able to joing us on the said flight in two weeks time.

I've spoken to the travel agent who says "the system won't allow a change". I've spoken to Virgin who said "it's the responsibility of the travel agent until the flight is in the air". What's frustrating is that all parties blames the 'system' but nobody has given me a valid reason for why names can't be changed. After all, we have paid for the tickets and want to use the seats, just with different people.

I've given thought to the security issues, but then someone with bad intent could purchase a 6,500 ticket on the day of the flight, and I guess to avoid questioning they probably would have booked it 6 months ago.

I would appreciate any information on this. It's very frustrating that regardless of the ticket (in this case UC) there seems nobody who is willing to help provide a solution. It seems that the airlines/agent makes a fortune on people who can't change the flight details. Any body no the real reason for why this occurs or does anyone know how I am best to tackle this?

Regards,
Mutley.

[preiffer]

Mutley - as you've correctly noticed, a lot of it is a commercial decision. It makes the airlines a lot of money.

If you could pre-book a ticket (an apex one) and THEN decide who's travelling, a LOT less last-minute full fares would be purchased. This all has absolutely nothing to do with the fact it's an e-ticket: They're the fare rules, regardless of ticket issue type.

They're commercial issues, which have a element of security guidelines - but it's not solely down to security. Check the fare rules on your ticket itself, and you'll find a line about name changes (ie: they're not allowed). Always been there, it's likely it always will be...

[RichardMannion]

ANother angle to look at it from is the implications if it were very easy to change names on tickets - which is one that plagues tickets for msot events. Say Pink Floyd annouce they are going to do a reunion concert - lots of people would want to go, but a lot of touts would buy tickets with no intention of going. Apply the logic here if you wnet to booka flight and all the cheap sale fares had gone because some 'tout' had taken them all and would sell them on to you because its easy to change the name.

Of course if its a refundable fare, you can get your money back, if its not, you can at least claim the taxes back - just call Virgin and they will process the tax refund.

Thanks,
Richard

Perhaps some regulatory body should look at this. The joke is, even if we had purchased fully flexible tickets it wouldn't cover this eventuality. I'm sure the small print says no name transfers, but surely there's a way to escalate it through to VA management? Although I'm assuming the buck stops with the carrier?

[preiffer]

Umm - Mutley, without wanting to side with the airline...

They're the rules you happily purchased the ticket against. The rules haven't changed - your plans have; that's not the airline's fault [?]

A fully flex ticket would have helped, as it could have been completely refunded. As Richard says, however, you can claim the taxes back.


The alternative, as Richard has pointed out, is that you buy all future air travel from "ticket touts" who buy the £299 tickets up front and resell them to you for £1,000 in economy with a name change. I know which option I'd prefer... [:I]

I know how this sounds. But... when you buy tickets you don't think of the bad things that can happen. I guess what I was hoping for was a way or recommendation to escalate my request. If the airline has the power to fix this for us, what is the best approach? I'm not looking for something free, blimey, I would be happy to pay an admin fee, but it's the "it's tough luck" approach that stings.

It's true, if these were economy seats I'd be upset, but for UC priced seats I hoped for a bit more. I'm just bugged by the fact there seems to be no where to turn. It's not even a lesson learnt, unless I wont the Lotto and not realised it, I won't be buying fully flexible/refundable tickets.

Any last ditch suggestions?? [?]

[preiffer]

Not sure, but if it's not insurance claimable - I'd have to guess that you might be short of luck I'm afraid.

The airlines only provide for death or death of a family member - everything else is up to your own insurance policy. As you say the issue is not covered by them, you could TRY VS, but they're under absolutely no obligation to help out. Sorry [:I][?]

[Decker]

Sorry Mutley - I know that when things happen to "us" we look for an exception to the rules for "them". It hurts when we can't find that exception. It's only natural.

I guess they could try to pay to upgrade the tickets to a changeable fare and use them another time?

[preiffer]

If they're apex Upper tickets, they can only usually be changed up to a full J2R fare.

Unfortuantely, with that difference, my guess would be it'll end up costing more than the original ticket would have cost in the first place to upgrade to a flex fare.

Thanks everyone for your help. This is indeed a very odd situation which I wish hadn't come up, but I'll give VS a final go and I'll report back.

I don't mind paying for flights, but I hate the idea of losing money and some pax (probably on this forum - no disrespect intended) who will hand over more cash to the airline for the same seat. Grrr.

Anyhow. Thanks again all. [oo]
Mutley.

[preiffer]

Good luck [y]

[Decker]

But if you ran an airline you'd factor it into your annual projections... "how many times will I be able to resell the same seat because someone took the risk of booking a non-flexible ticket?".

Good luck and I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say I hope you are able to make some progress. It seems unlikely but we'd LOVE to hear that you did .

Maybe the ticket allows for date change on the tickets, so your friends could travel at another time rather than loose the flights totally?

jules.

[ChuckC]

Hi Mutley,
Am afraid the "non-transferable" ticket is here to stay. Here in the States we've had them for many years. I recall that early on the reason given by the airline was "if you want a deeply discounted ticket, you can't switch the name of the pax". Of course, security concerns later caught up with the airline's preferences.

Sorry for your troubles, and if you do manage an exception from VS, well, we'd all be happy for you!

Chuck-

VS Might let you upgrade to a full fat fare - I know that might be more expensive than buying a future discounted fare, but at least your friends can use it whenever in the future and could most likely even change the legs to another destination.

I'd call FC and ask what options they could offer you..
Of course it might be cheaper just to bin and rebook?

I would make a seperate thread but this seems to fit in here. If a person who has a ticket dies is it up to the airline reviewing the particular unique situation surrounding the death as to how they behave in regards to the ticket - i.e. a full refund/part-refund/taxes etc, or is it down to the travel insurers or just the ticket conditions?

[preiffer]

Originally posted by flyingtomyego
If a person who has a ticket dies is it up to the airline reviewing the particular unique situation surrounding the death as to how they behave in regards to the ticket

It's all down to the fare rules.

Here are VS' for a non-refundable ticket:

WAIVED FOR ILLNESS OR DEATH OF PASSENGER OR FAMILY MEMBER. NOTE - WAIVER FOR ILLNESS ONLY APPLIES IN THE EVENT OF CERTIFIABLE HOSPITALIZATION.

Thanks for that!

It's always worth asking VS though as sometimes they can show compasion.. and it never hurts..

Seems computer says no....

In terms of Name Changes, its not just Virgin, but pretty much all IATA airlines that won't allow this, and most are pretty much absolute about the rule.

When easyjet started flying my mate used to log on to their site on sale days and buy 20 one or two week returns on the popular beach routes for easter and summer... he'd then resell them on ebay for a huge increase paying easyjets £10 name change fee, often when their flights were already full... made a fortune for the year they allowed this!

Ultimately when we buy tickets we have the choice of going for a flexible expensive option or the cheaper no flexible ones.

Its worth remembering this if you ever book anything via the internet... often people put what they like to be called into the web rather than whats on their passport, and sometimes this can totally invalidate the ticket.

[ChuckC]

Originally posted by catsilversword
Seems computer says no....

Claire,
Actually, I believe "she" says "compu-er"[:o)].

Chuck-