Last Updated on July 27, 2026 by Daniel Globe
Airline tickets work differently from most things you buy. A ticket is tied to a specific traveler, fare, and airline contract rather than functioning like a freely transferable concert seat. If your plans change and you cannot fly, selling the reservation to someone else usually is not an option—but refunds, credits, corrections, and a few airline-specific transfer rules may still protect some or all of its value.
Quick Answer
In most cases, no. Major U.S. airlines generally make passenger tickets non-transferable, so you usually cannot privately resell your reservation to a stranger. Your better options may include a refund, rebooking, flight credit, name correction, an eligible Southwest Transferable Flight Credit, or an airline-approved passenger change where the carrier specifically permits one.
Key Takeaways
- Most major U.S. airline tickets are non-transferable, meaning another person cannot simply use the ticket issued in your name.
- A name correction keeps the same traveler and fixes an error or documented legal-name change. A passenger change replaces the traveler with someone else.
- Passenger-change rules vary internationally. Some airlines permit a full passenger change for a fee even though they may still prohibit reselling the reservation for profit.
- Sites such as StubHub and Viagogo are designed around concerts, sports, theater, and other live events, not a mainstream airline-ticket resale market.
- Southwest’s eligible Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra fares can generate a Transferable Flight Credit after cancellation. That is a credit transfer, not a direct transfer of the original ticket.
- U.S. travelers may also have refund rights when they cancel qualifying bookings within 24 hours or when an airline cancels or significantly changes a flight.
- Airline contracts, fare rules, and consumer-protection laws vary by carrier and country, so always verify the rules attached to your exact booking.
Why most airline tickets can’t be sold
When you buy a plane ticket, you enter into a contract of carriage with the airline. The reservation identifies the passenger who is entitled to use that transportation, and major carriers commonly prohibit replacing that person with someone else after ticketing.
For example, American Airlines states that changing a ticket from one person to another is not allowed. Delta’s current domestic Contract of Carriage likewise states that its tickets are not transferable.
Several practical considerations support these restrictions:
- Identity and security screening. Passenger identity information is connected to the reservation and U.S. Secure Flight screening. Airlines therefore distinguish corrections involving the same traveler from substitution of an entirely different person.
- Fare controls. Airline fares can differ sharply based on booking date, demand, route, cabin, and restrictions. Non-transferability prevents an ordinary discounted fare from automatically becoming a tradable reservation.
- Fraud control. Keeping a booking connected to its named traveler makes unauthorized use of bookings and tickets harder.
Trying to bypass the airline’s rules can result in the reservation being invalidated. The exact consequences depend on the airline’s contract and fare conditions.
Name correction vs. passenger change: know the difference
This distinction causes a lot of confusion. A name correction keeps the same traveler on the booking. Examples can include correcting a misspelling, fixing an inverted first and last name, or documenting a legal surname change.
A passenger change or name change to another person replaces the original traveler. Major U.S. airlines commonly prohibit that on individual tickets. American’s current guidance specifically defines a name correction as a change involving the same passenger while stating that a change from one person to another is not permitted.
| Situation | What it usually means |
| Typo or spelling error | Name correction; often possible when the same person is traveling. |
| Marriage, divorce, or legal name change | Usually handled as a correction when documentation proves the same traveler is involved. |
| Giving your ticket to a friend | Passenger transfer; commonly prohibited by major U.S. airlines. |
| Canceling and passing an eligible credit to someone | Possible only when the airline’s credit rules specifically allow it, such as certain Southwest credits. |
Note: A minor formatting difference does not necessarily mean you need a full ticket reissue. Check the airline’s rules before paying anyone to alter a reservation, particularly when a middle name, suffix, or spacing difference is involved.
Can any airline let you change the ticket to another person?
Yes, but this depends entirely on the airline and should not be confused with an open right to resell the ticket.
Some carriers outside the United States permit a complete passenger-name change for a fee. For example, easyJet’s current terms allow the passenger on a booking to be changed to someone else for a Name Change Fee. However, those same terms state that customers cannot resell the ticket and that easyJet may cancel a booking it reasonably believes has been resold or offered for resale.
That distinction matters: an airline-approved passenger change is not automatically permission to operate a private resale business or sell the booking through an online marketplace.
For U.S. carriers, passenger substitution is much less common on ordinary individual reservations. Always check the exact fare conditions and the carrier’s contract before assuming a ticket can be transferred.
Pro Tip: Search the airline’s official website for both “name correction” and “name change.” Airlines often use those terms for two very different processes.
Where the “sell it online” advice breaks down
You’ll sometimes see advice suggesting sites like StubHub or Viagogo for reselling an airline ticket. That advice is misleading. Those platforms are built around concerts, sports, theater, festivals, and other events rather than a mainstream airline-seat resale system.
More importantly, putting a reservation up for sale does not change the passenger information stored by the airline. Unless the carrier officially allows the passenger to be replaced, the buyer generally cannot simply arrive and use a ticket issued to someone else.
General marketplaces and social-media groups also lack an airline-controlled process for validating that a reservation can legally be reassigned under the carrier’s terms. That creates payment, identity, and cancellation risks for both sides.
If someone offers to buy your unwanted reservation directly, verify the airline’s passenger-change and resale rules before accepting payment.
Warning: Do not assume that having the confirmation number is enough for another person to travel. A ticket presented by someone other than the named passenger can be treated as invalid under airline rules, and a carrier may cancel or refuse to honor the reservation.
What to do instead if you can’t use your ticket
Since private resale usually is not available, start with the options the airline or ticket issuer officially provides:
- Check whether the fare is refundable. A fully refundable fare can generally be canceled for a refund under its fare conditions.
- Check the U.S. 24-hour rule. For qualifying bookings made at least seven days before departure, U.S. DOT rules require airlines to provide either a 24-hour penalty-free cancellation/refund option or a 24-hour reservation hold. The federal airline requirement does not apply in the same way to tickets bought through an online travel agency or other third-party ticket agent.
- Cancel for flight credit. Many non-refundable fares retain some value as a credit for the original traveler, although restrictions, expiration dates, fees, and Basic Economy-style limitations vary.
- Change the flight. Some fares permit changes without a separate change fee, while others charge one. A higher fare on the new flight can still require an additional payment.
- Request a name correction. This is appropriate when the same traveler is flying but the reservation contains an error or documented legal-name change.
- Check for an officially transferable credit. Southwest has a specific program for eligible credits.
- Review a group-booking contract. Group reservations can have different substitution rules from individual tickets.
- Review travel insurance. A covered cancellation reason may qualify for reimbursement under your policy. Cancel for Any Reason coverage, when purchased, has its own reimbursement limits and deadlines.
Know your U.S. refund rights before accepting a credit
A voluntary decision not to travel on a normally operating non-refundable flight usually does not create a federal right to a cash refund. An airline-caused disruption can be different.
Under current U.S. Department of Transportation refund rules, passengers can be entitled to a refund when an airline cancels a flight or significantly changes it and the passenger chooses not to take the changed or alternative transportation.
DOT’s current definition of a significant change includes situations such as:
- departing at least three hours earlier or arriving at least three hours later on a domestic itinerary;
- departing at least six hours earlier or arriving at least six hours later on an international itinerary;
- a change in the origin or destination airport;
- an itinerary with additional connections;
- an involuntary downgrade to a lower class of service; and
- certain accessibility-related changes affecting travelers with disabilities.
If a refund is due after an airline cancellation or significant change and you reject the alternative transportation or other compensation, DOT requires qualifying refunds to be returned to the original payment method within the applicable federal timeframe.
Note: Before accepting a voucher after an airline-caused cancellation or major schedule change, check whether you are entitled to a cash refund instead. Accepting and using an alternative can change your refund rights.
How Southwest Transferable Flight Credits work
Southwest is unusual among major U.S. airlines because certain canceled fares can produce a Transferable Flight Credit.
For current Southwest bookings, eligible Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra fares can generate a Transferable Flight Credit when canceled according to Southwest’s rules. The credit may then be used by the original customer or transferred to another Rapid Rewards member.
Important limits apply:
- The existing ticket itself is not simply renamed and handed to someone else.
- The original reservation is canceled and a credit is created.
- The recipient must be a Rapid Rewards member.
- Only one transfer of the eligible credit is permitted.
- Current credits can have an expiration date tied to the original booking rules.
- The recipient is responsible for any fare difference when purchasing a new ticket.
Southwest’s Contract of Carriage still generally describes tickets themselves as nontransferable. The transferable-credit program is therefore best understood as an official exception for unused travel value, not as an airline-ticket resale marketplace.
How to request a name correction or permitted passenger change
Start by reviewing the airline’s official policy and the fare rules attached to your reservation. Search the airline’s website for “name correction,” “name change,” or “passenger change.”
Then:
- Confirm whether the same passenger will still travel or whether you are trying to replace that passenger.
- Contact the company that issued the ticket—the airline, online travel agency, traditional travel agency, or other ticket agent.
- Have the booking reference and correct legal passenger information ready.
- For a legal-name change, be prepared to provide any documentation the airline requests, such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court-issued document.
- Ask about reissue fees, agency fees, fare differences, and deadlines before authorizing a change.
- After the request is processed, confirm that the updated reservation or newly issued ticket contains the correct traveler information.
Do not describe a true passenger substitution as a typo correction. Airline correction procedures are designed to preserve the identity of the original traveler, and attempting to use them to move a ticket to someone else can cause the booking to be canceled.
The role of airlines and third-party platforms
The airline’s fare rules and contract ultimately determine whether its transportation can be corrected, changed, refunded, or credited. A third-party booking site cannot create a passenger-transfer right that the airline itself does not permit.
If you purchased through an online travel agency or another ticket agent, you may need to deal with that company first. The U.S. Department of Transportation advises travelers who purchased through an agency to check that agency’s restrictions and contact it about ticket issues.
Third-party service or processing charges can also differ from the airline’s own charges, so review both sets of terms before approving a correction or rebooking.
Group bookings can follow different rules
Group contracts are one situation where passenger substitutions may be available even though an ordinary individual ticket cannot be transferred.
For example, JetBlue’s current group-booking policy allows name changes for a fee of $100 per name, plus applicable taxes and fees, when the change is completed at least 72 hours before departure. Name corrections on qualifying group bookings are handled separately.
This does not mean the same rule applies to an individual JetBlue fare—or to another airline. Group reservations are governed by their own contracts, deadlines, deposits, and substitution rules.
Alternatives to selling an airline ticket
If you’re stuck with a ticket you cannot use, these are the realistic paths to check before assuming the money is lost:
- Request a refund when your fare or applicable consumer-protection rules make you eligible.
- Cancel before departure and preserve any available flight credit.
- Change the date, time, or destination for the same traveler when the fare rules permit it.
- Wait to see whether a major airline-initiated schedule change creates a refund option, while remembering that you still need to follow the booking’s cancellation and no-show rules.
- Use an eligible Southwest Transferable Flight Credit rather than attempting to sell the original reservation.
- Use an airline-approved passenger-change process when a carrier such as easyJet specifically permits one.
- Check group-reservation substitution rules if the booking was made under a group contract.
- File a valid travel-insurance claim when your reason for canceling is covered.
The safest approach is simple: check the exact ticket issuer, airline, fare type, and country rules before exchanging money with another person. A carrier may allow a correction, a future-travel credit, or even a passenger change without allowing private resale of the reservation itself.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can you sell an airline ticket that you have purchased?
Usually not. Major U.S. airlines commonly make individual passenger tickets non-transferable, so selling your booking does not give the buyer the right to use a ticket issued in your name. Always check the carrier’s specific terms because policies vary internationally.
Can you sell an airline ticket through a third-party platform?
There is no mainstream airline-sanctioned resale marketplace comparable to event-ticket sites such as StubHub. Listing a reservation elsewhere does not override the airline’s passenger-transfer or resale restrictions.
What happens if you try to sell a non-transferable airline ticket?
If someone other than the named passenger attempts to use a non-transferable ticket, the airline can treat the ticket as invalid under its contract and may refuse transportation or cancel the reservation.
Can you change the name on an airline ticket?
Often, yes, when you are correcting the name of the same traveler. Fixing a spelling error or documenting a legal-name change is different from replacing that traveler with another person. Full passenger changes depend on the airline.
Can you transfer a Southwest ticket to someone else?
The original Southwest ticket is generally nontransferable. However, canceling an eligible Choice, Choice Preferred, or Choice Extra fare can create a Transferable Flight Credit that may be transferred once to another Rapid Rewards member, subject to Southwest’s current rules.
Are there airlines that allow a different passenger to use the booking?
Yes. Some carriers permit a full passenger-name change for a fee. easyJet is one current example, although its terms separately prohibit reselling bookings. Always distinguish an approved passenger change from permission to sell the ticket.
What should you do if you can’t use your airline ticket?
Check whether you qualify for a refund, flight credit, rebooking, name correction, transferable credit, group-booking substitution, or travel-insurance reimbursement. Contact the company that issued the ticket before the scheduled departure to avoid losing value under no-show rules.
Can you get a refund if the airline cancels your flight?
For flights covered by U.S. DOT rules, you are entitled to a refund when the airline cancels the flight and you choose not to accept alternative transportation, a credit, voucher, or other compensation in place of the refund.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Transportation — Buying a Ticket — 24-hour cancellation and reservation rules, ticket restrictions, and third-party booking guidance.
- U.S. Department of Transportation — Refunds — refund rights for canceled and significantly changed flights.
- American Airlines — Name Change Restrictions — confirms that switching a ticket from one person to another is not permitted on covered American tickets.
- Southwest Airlines — Transferable Flight Credits — eligibility and transfer rules for qualifying Southwest flight credits.
- easyJet — Terms and Conditions — example of an airline that permits passenger-name changes for a fee while prohibiting resale.
- JetBlue — Group Bookings — current group-booking name-change and correction rules.
This article is for general informational purposes only and isn’t legal or financial advice. Airline contracts of carriage, fare rules, refund rights, travel-credit restrictions, and consumer-protection laws vary by carrier and country. Check the rules applying to your specific ticket before selling, transferring, canceling, or changing a reservation.
