Questions regarding the sale of an already purchased ticket and its transfer to another person are among the most frequent in travel circles.

You have bought a ticket and you find out that you can't go anywhere. The vast majority of cheap tickets cannot be refunded, so logically the idea of selling the ticket or at least giving it to someone else so that it doesn't get completely lost comes to mind.

We'll explain in this article whether you'll pay a fee for changing your name and whether it's even possible to transfer your ticket to another person.

If you only want to change the date of your flight, these articles explain how to do it:

• How to make changes to a flight booking
• What to do if the airline changes your flight
• Name on the ticket - typos

Changing the person on the ticket vs. changing a typo

In airline terms and conditions, travellers often confuse the terms.

The phrase "name change" means correcting a typo or changing your surname after you get married. We deal with this issue in detail in the article Name on the ticket and how to deal with various mistakes and typos.

In contrast, changing your name and transferring it to another person is a much more complicated task and in most cases an unsolvable problem.

Which airlines allow ticket transfers and how much does it cost

For starters, it is important to note that the vast majority of airlines will not allow a change of passenger on a ticket at all, even for a fee. The main exceptions to this are the low-cost airlines listed below.

When trying to sell a ticket, it is always important to check how much the change fee is. In most cases, the fee itself will be more expensive than buying a new ticket.

Transaction fees are fixed for each airline. Let's take a look at the amounts for each company that allows name changes. This is always the amount per flight, so in the case of a return ticket you will pay the fee twice.

Airlines that allow the change only charge an administrative fee:

• Ryanair - 115 eur
• easyJet - 60 gbp
• Wizz Air - 70 eur
• Aer Lingus - 100 eur

Airlines that allow change for a fee + the difference in ticket price:

• Eurowings - 70 eur
• Norwegian - 65 eur
• Transavia - 55 eur
• Volotea - 50 eur
• KM Malta Airlines - 25 eur (Economy Plus and above only - name change not possible on cheaper fares)

No other major airline will allow a passenger to change their name at all.

Don't forget the fare difference, or When a change pays off

In particular, beware of situations where you have to pay a fare supplement in addition to the fee itself. What does this mean in practice?

The original ticket cost, for example, 50 eur and is bought for the dates 1-5 September. So I have to pay the difference between the original price and the current price.

Simply put, a name change is only worthwhile if the change fee is less than the original ticket price.

If the airline does not require a top-up to the current fare, then the change is only worthwhile if the new ticket is no more expensive than the sum of the override fee and the original flight price.

Group tickets

If you are travelling in a large group of more than 9 people and arranging a group ticket individually with the airline, special conditions will always apply.

One of these includes the ability to add or change passenger names at a later date at no charge. Usually within 72 hours of departure, but deadlines can vary from airline to airline.

Conclusion

When buying a ticket, expect to fly it as well.

If you really can't fly and want to offer the ticket for sale, always find out in advance if a transfer is even possible and if so, how much it costs.

No major airline will offer a change of person even for money, and if they do, the fees are so high that most of the time your ticket will be unsellable. Buying a brand new ticket will cost the potential buyer less.