Airtran Ticket Question

[huskies90]

OK so, I called AirTran and no dice...the ticket is non transferable so there is actually no way this can be transfered to someone else. My wife's Date of Birth was entered when I bought the ticket so I assume that will appear on the boarding pass and thus, will require anyone using her ticket to show ID. I could cancel the ticket and use the fare less the $75 cancel fee towards a new ticket (my wife could buy the ticket for daughter's friend) but there are a few problems there, one being the fact that the fare is now over $500 and second we paid for seat assignments and there is no guarentee we will get the seat together once I cancel and re-book. These were the premium seats by the way that I got through Kayak.com so add on an extra $25 each way for the seat assignment...

Unless anyone else has any other alternatives, I am either gonna suck it up and pay for the kids' ticket (can't tell her no now) or use uva185 suggestion which scares the heck out of me but i can see how it could work...

 

[uva185]

My wife's Date of Birth was entered when I bought the ticket so I assume that will appear on the boarding pass and thus, will require anyone using her ticket to show ID.

The boarding pass will NOT have any of the secure flight data on it.

However, I would check "your wife" in online and not let your daughter's friend be present at the check in counter. It wont be a problem after check-in, but the one person who *may* have access to the secure flight data is the check-in agent. If they ask where your wife is say your wife checked in online and you'll be meeting up with her airside.

Unless anyone else has any other alternatives, I am either gonna suck it up and pay for the kids' ticket (can't tell her no now) or use uva185 suggestion which scares the heck out of me but i can see how it could work...

LOL, I understand why you would be scared, but I've personally NEVER had a problem. You should have no problem doing option #1 though.

Have a good trip!

 

[Kriii]

I don't understand all of the suggestions for sneaking around the rules, even if it saves money. It is a matter of security to have passengers correctly identified. I'm no expert, but isn't it federal law? I'd hate to get caught and deal with the consequences. I've had situations where one flier can't make the trip. We just cancel the ticket and take the credits. God forbid if the plane goes down, the wrong person would be identified as a passenger.

 

[NancyIL]

I don't understand all of the suggestions for sneaking around the rules, even if it saves money. It is a matter of security to have passengers correctly identified. I'm no expert, but isn't it federal law? I'd hate to get caught and deal with the consequences. I've had situations where one flier can't make the trip. We just cancel the ticket and take the credits. God forbid if the plane goes down, the wrong person would be identified as a passenger.

Well said!

 

[huskies90]

I don't understand all of the suggestions for sneaking around the rules, even if it saves money. It is a matter of security to have passengers correctly identified. I'm no expert, but isn't it federal law? I'd hate to get caught and deal with the consequences. I've had situations where one flier can't make the trip. We just cancel the ticket and take the credits. God forbid if the plane goes down, the wrong person would be identified as a passenger.

I agree. I do think uva185's idea would work but I do not feel comfortable at all about doing it especially for a few hundred bucks. I will bite the bullet and cancel and re-book. Thanks everyone for your suggestions and ideas!!

 

[crashbb]

Any chance AirTran has changed your flight times? If they have (or do) change them significantly* you should be able to cancel your wife's ticket. It doesn't help with the dramatic increase in the ticket price, but it would save you the $75 cancellation fee.

*significant is in the eye of the beholder - people have reported being able to cancel tickets for a change of 10-15 minutes.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

God forbid if the plane goes down, the wrong person would be identified as a passenger.

As OP will be on the plane... If the plane goes down, the LAST thing OP would be worried about is whose name is on the ticket.

 

[DVCBELLE]

Any chance AirTran has changed your flight times? If they have (or do) change them significantly* you should be able to cancel your wife's ticket. It doesn't help with the dramatic increase in the ticket price, but it would save you the $75 cancellation fee.

*significant is in the eye of the beholder - people have reported being able to cancel tickets for a change of 10-15 minutes.

I would agree that odds are that Airtran has changed your original flight time. You can't always tell online but go to your original email confirmation and check the time on there. IF you don't have it - then call them and ask if the time changed.

If it has tell them the time doesn't work for your wife's ticket only and you would like a refund. You will get a credit back on the credit card and then you can buy the new ticket for your daughter's friend

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

I don't understand all of the suggestions for sneaking around the rules, even if it saves money. It is a matter of security to have passengers correctly identified. I'm no expert, but isn't it federal law? I'd hate to get caught and deal with the consequences. I've had situations where one flier can't make the trip. We just cancel the ticket and take the credits. God forbid if the plane goes down, the wrong person would be identified as a passenger.

Tickets being non-transferrable has nothing to do with security/safety. What is the difference safetfy wise for OP to call the airline to buy a new ticket verses having an existing ticket changed to someone else's name? Either way, they simply check the name/birthdate against the no fly list to see if it needs to get flagged for additonal screening.

The policy is purely economic.

 

[uva185]

The policy is purely economic.

Bingo!!

 

[huskies90]

Any chance AirTran has changed your flight times? If they have (or do) change them significantly* you should be able to cancel your wife's ticket. It doesn't help with the dramatic increase in the ticket price, but it would save you the $75 cancellation fee.

*significant is in the eye of the beholder - people have reported being able to cancel tickets for a change of 10-15 minutes.

I bought these tickets in January and wasn't crazy about the flight times but it is the only non stop flight from HPN to MCO. I have been banking on that dreaded flight time change that AirTran is famous for to get some better times...Of course, I get the one flight that doesn't change and it has been 7 months.

*ETA
Wait, yes there was one change a while back from my original purchase, the departing flight is leaving 3 minutes earlier and the return flight is leaving 2 minutes later. Is that enough of a change? I guess it couldn't hurt to ask...

 

[NancyIL]

*ETA
Wait, yes there was one change a while back from my original purchase, the departing flight is leaving 3 minutes earlier and the return flight is leaving 2 minutes later. Is that enough of a change? I guess it couldn't hurt to ask...

Don't count on AirTran understanding how the 2 and 3-minute time changes affected only one person's trip!

 

[uva185]

I bought these tickets in January and wasn't crazy about the flight times but it is the only non stop flight from HPN to MCO. I have been banking on that dreaded flight time change that AirTran is famous for to get some better times...Of course, I get the one flight that doesn't change and it has been 7 months.

*ETA
Wait, yes there was one change a while back from my original purchase, the departing flight is leaving 3 minutes earlier and the return flight is leaving 2 minutes later. Is that enough of a change? I guess it couldn't hurt to ask...

It never hurts to try, and the #1 rule in the airline industry is if you do not like the answer call back. You have no idea how many times agents give out wrong information. It's impossible to argue, just hang up and call again --- problem only arises when you get the same agent two or three times (has happened to me)

Once I was booked to go somewhere with my niece but plans changed and she could no longer go. I had no problem paying the cancellation fee but I wanted to try to get both tickets converted to a voucher in my name. I called the airline, told them the truth and said "the other traveler is my 9 year old niece and there is no way she is going to be able to use a $900 voucher within a year. Is there any way the voucher can be issued to me as I will definitely use it?" The agent then said "Sir, it appears there has been a schedule change and your connection time is now only 50 minutes. Is that acceptable?" I immediately knew that there was not a schedule change and the connection time did not change but I knew what the agent was trying to do for me. I responded, "Oh, unfortunately that connection will not work especially since I am traveling with a 9 year old. I will need to cancel these tickets and request a full refund to my credit card." The agent said "No problem" and processed the refund.

So he recognized a situation and took it upon himself to help me. For what its worth I did have frequent flyer status at the time (albeit just Silver) and we were flying on non-refundable First Class tickets.

 

[Kriii]

Tickets being non-transferrable has nothing to do with security/safety. What is the difference safetfy wise for OP to call the airline to buy a new ticket verses having an existing ticket changed to someone else's name? Either way, they simply check the name/birthdate against the no fly list to see if it needs to get flagged for additonal screening.

The policy is purely economic.

Aren't we talking apples and oranges here? I agree that tickets being non-transferrable is an economic policy (and since when are airlines not allowed to determine their own pricing policies?) Having passengers fly under false names is a safety and security issue. Think about the big picture here and forget the OP for a minute. Would you feel safe knowing someone on your flight was travelling under a false name? Sadly, there is a very good reason that airline security rules are in place.

 

[NancyIL]

Aren't we talking apples and oranges here? I agree that tickets being non-transferrable is an economic policy (and since when are airlines not allowed to determine their own pricing policies?) Having passengers fly under false names is a safety and security issue. Think about the big picture here and forget the OP for a minute. Would you feel safe knowing someone on your flight was travelling under a false name? Sadly, there is a very good reason that airline security rules are in place.

Excellent point!

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Aren't we talking apples and oranges here? I agree that tickets being non-transferrable is an economic policy (and since when are airlines not allowed to determine their own pricing policies?) Having passengers fly under false names is a safety and security issue. Think about the big picture here and forget the OP for a minute. Would you feel safe knowing someone on your flight was travelling under a false name? Sadly, there is a very good reason that airline security rules are in place.

Now I think you are talking apples and oranges. I do NOT think someone flying under a false name to save some money is a security safety concern. Whether OP chooses to try this, or to purchase a new ticket, does not change how safe that flight is.

Also, UVA's plan is not exploiting a security rule: just an airline economic one. When OP's friend goes through security, she would be doing so with a ticket in her own name (the refundable one). Therefore, she will be going through security following all security procedures (and proper background check), and then given access to the plane. Only the airline's economic policy is being violated (cancelling the more expensive ticket and improperly using the cheaper ticket instead). But, from a secuity standpoint: does it matter which ticket is cancelled (or just not used), if the same people get on the plane either way?

So, to make a long story short (I know, too late), and answer the question directly: I would feel less safe knowing someone could get through SECURITY with a false name/fake ID. After that, it's between the ticket holders and the airline.

 

[huskies90]

It never hurts to try, and the #1 rule in the airline industry is if you do not like the answer call back. You have no idea how many times agents give out wrong information. It's impossible to argue, just hang up and call again --- problem only arises when you get the same agent two or three times (has happened to me)

This is so true...I called and the first agent went right into how non refundable and non transferable the ticket was. Also, after paying the change fee and after I canceled and re-booked, I would have to wait 30 minutes for the seat to show up again as "available" and then I would have to re-purchase the seat assignment to keep all the seats together.

I thanked her and called back and I got a different agent. Before I said why I was calling he asked for all my info and pulled up my ressie. He said the same thing about non refundable and non transferable. I mentioned that the flight times changed and I even said they only changed a few minutes. He didn't even hesitate. He just said yes, since the flight times changed he could cancel out the entire ticket and credit it towards the new one. So at least I saved the $75 change fee. I still had the pay the fare difference but at least now I have the ticket in the kid's name. And he re-did the seat assignments on the spot too so we could keep the seats we had and still all sit together without having to re-purchase.

Don't count on AirTran understanding how the 2 and 3-minute time changes affected only one person's trip!

Never hurts to try, Nancy!!

 

[NancyIL]

This is so true...I called and the first agent went right into how non refundable and non transferable the ticket was. Also, after paying the change fee and after I canceled and re-booked, I would have to wait 30 minutes for the seat to show up again as "available" and then I would have to re-purchase the seat assignment to keep all the seats together.

I thanked her and called back and I got a different agent. Before I said why I was calling he asked for all my info and pulled up my ressie. He said the same thing about non refundable and non transferable. I mentioned that the flight times changed and I even said they only changed a few minutes. He didn't even hesitate. He just said yes, since the flight times changed he could cancel out the entire ticket and credit it towards the new one. So at least I saved the $75 change fee. I still had the pay the fare difference but at least now I have the ticket in the kid's name. And he re-did the seat assignments on the spot too so we could keep the seats we had and still all sit together without having to re-purchase.


Never hurts to try, Nancy!!

Congratulations - you got a cooperative customer service agent!

 

[MaMudduck]

I now have a similar problem, so I'm hoping since Huskies90 as already gone, I'll be able to get some good info from all of you too.
my situation: traveling is myself, my daughter (15) & her friend (15)aka:A
Buf to MCO in early Nov.
I was just told that "A" can't go because of some health concerns. my daughter has asked another friend to go also (15) aka: "M" Problem same as huskies: ticket in "A"s name. Airtrans has change the schedule 2x since I booked and first one I changed & second one I accepted as OK. I have no problem paying the $75 change fee but our flights prices are now $280 higher for the 1 ticket that needs to be changed and of course 840.00 more for all 3. Which is totally undoable for me.

Any help or advise would be totally appreciated!

 

[crashbb]

I now have a similar problem, so I'm hoping since Huskies90 as already gone, I'll be able to get some good info from all of you too.
my situation: traveling is myself, my daughter (15) & her friend (15)aka:A
Buf to MCO in early Nov.
I was just told that "A" can't go because of some health concerns. my daughter has asked another friend to go also (15) aka: "M" Problem same as huskies: ticket in "A"s name. Airtrans has change the schedule 2x since I booked and first one I changed & second one I accepted as OK. I have no problem paying the $75 change fee but our flights prices are now $280 higher for the 1 ticket that needs to be changed and of course 840.00 more for all 3. Which is totally undoable for me.

Any help or advise would be totally appreciated!

Not seeing any good options for you, I'm afraid. The schedule change allowed for the change fee to be avoided (by just fully refunding the first ticket and buying a new one) but does not do anything about the new airfare being more. Assuming, of course, that AirTran lets you renege on your acceptance of the change.

If you bought insurance, you could use that to refund the first ticket, but, again, nothing helps with the new ticket price.

I'm just not seeing a legitimate way around the $280. Maybe someone else can think of something.