Actually, for almost all major airlines like Delta, United, and American, the short answer is no you can’t just swap your name for a friend’s. Tickets are strictly non-transferable because airlines want to prevent people from reselling cheap seats at a profit later. While you can usually fix a small typo for free or update your name due to a legal change like marriage, you can’t hand the ticket off to someone else. Your best bet is to cancel for a travel credit, which you can often use to book a new flight for someone else.
Are Plane Tickets Transferable In 2026?
In early 2026, the short answer is still no, you can’t just swap a plane ticket from your name to someone else’s. Airlines like Delta and United are still very strict about this to prevent people from reselling cheap seats. However, the industry is getting a little more flexible with how you handle the value of that ticket. While the seat itself isn’t a commodity you can trade, you have a few workarounds to avoid losing your money if you can’t fly.
What You Can And Can’t Do:
- The Hard “No”: You cannot simply edit the name on a confirmed ticket to a different person.
- Southwest Exception: They are the outliers; if you book a “Choice” or “Wanna Get Away Plus” fare, you can actually transfer your flight credit to another Rapid Rewards member.
- The “Purchaser” Loophole: On airlines like Delta, if you paid for someone else’s ticket and they cancel, you can sometimes fight to have that credit put back in your name since you were the one who swiped the card.
- Name Corrections: Small typos (usually up to 3 characters) or legal changes like marriage are still fixed for free or a small fee, as long as the person traveling is actually the same.
- Credit Transfers: For most others, your best move is to cancel for a “Trip Credit.” While the credit is usually stuck in your name, some airlines now let you use that credit to book a new flight for someone else.
Does Spirit Allow Ticket Transfers?
Like most budget airlines, Spirit is pretty firm on their “no transfers” policy. If you were hoping to just swap your name for a friend’s because you can’t make the trip, you’re out of luck. They stick to the rule that the person who was originally booked is the only one who can fly on that ticket. Even if you cancel for a credit, that voucher is tied strictly to your name and can’t be used to book a flight for anyone else. It’s a bit of a bummer, but it’s how they keep their base fares so low.
The Ground Rules for Spirit:
- The Big No: You cannot transfer a ticket or a reservation credit to another person.
- Name Corrections: They will let you fix small typos (usually up to 3 characters) or legal name changes (like marriage) for free, provided you have the paperwork to back it up.
- The 24-Hour Rule: If you realize you made a massive mistake right after booking, you can cancel for a full refund within 24 hours, as long as your flight is at least 7 days away.
- Travel Credits: If you cancel a “standard” fare, you’ll get a Reservation Credit, but remember: it expires in 12 months and stays locked to your specific traveler profile.
- Points Pooling: While you can’t transfer a ticket, Spirit does let you “pool” Free Spirit points with friends and family if someone has a Spirit credit card or status, which is a rare bit of flexibility for them.
Read More: Does Spirit Airlines Have a Student Discount?
Are Frontier Airlines Tickets Transferable?
Frontier is one of the very few airlines that officially allows you to transfer a ticket to someone else, but it’s definitely not free. Unlike Delta or United, where a name change is almost impossible, Frontier lets you swap passengers as long as you’re willing to pay a $75 name change fee. You’ll also have to cover any difference between what you originally paid and the current price of the flight.
While it’s a great option if you can’t make your trip and want a friend to go instead, the costs can add up quickly. If the flight has become much more expensive since you booked it, it might actually be cheaper for your friend to just buy a brand-new ticket. Still, having the choice to transfer the seat at all is a rare bit of flexibility in the budget airline world.
Can I Transfer My United Airlines Ticket to Another Person?
Unfortunately, you can’t transfer a United ticket to another person. They are very strict about this to prevent people from reselling tickets. Even if you can’t go, the seat is essentially locked to your name. Your only real move is to cancel the flight and take a “Future Flight Credit,” but even then, that credit is usually tied to your specific MileagePlus account and can’t be used for a friend.
- The No-Transfer Rule: You cannot swap the name on a ticket for a completely different traveler.
- Typo Fixes: They will let you fix small spelling mistakes (like “Jon” to “John”) or update your name for legal reasons like marriage, usually for free.
- Travel Credits: If you cancel a standard ticket, you get a credit. While most are for you only, certain “Travel Certificates” (like those given for volunteering your seat) can sometimes be used to book a flight for someone else.
- Basic Economy: Be extra careful here; these tickets are the most restrictive and often can’t be changed or cancelled for credit at all after the first 24 hours.
Can You Transfer Your Qatar Airways Ticket?
When it comes to Qatar Airways, the rule is pretty clear: you cannot transfer your ticket to another person. They don’t allow “name swaps” where one person takes the place of another on a booking. If you can’t make your trip, you’re basically looking at canceling for a refund or a travel voucher, which you can then use to book a new flight later. While they’re great about fixing minor typos or legal name changes, they won’t let you hand your seat off to a friend or family member.
What are the Alternatives to Transferring Tickets?
Since you usually can’t just swap names on a ticket, you have to get a little creative to save your money. Most people think they’re just stuck with a useless ticket, but the industry has actually become more flexible in 2026. Instead of a “transfer,” you’re essentially looking for ways to move the value of that ticket into a format that someone else can actually use, or just delaying the trip until you can go yourself.
- Convert to a Travel Certificate: On airlines like United, “Future Flight Credits” are usually locked to your name, but you can sometimes ask support to convert them into a Travel Certificate. Those are often “transferable,” meaning you can use the code to book a flight for anyone.
- The “Cheap Flight” Hack: If you have a large credit stuck in your name (like on American), book the cheapest $50 flight you can find. The leftover balance often gets issued as a Trip Credit, which many airlines now allow you to spend on other people.
- Wait for a Schedule Change: Don’t cancel too early. If the airline changes your flight time by more than a couple of hours or swaps the plane, you often unlock the right to a full cash refund, regardless of your ticket type.
- Use the 24-Hour Grace Period: If you just booked and realized you can’t go, almost every airline operating in the U.S. has to give you a full refund if you cancel within 24 hours (as long as the flight is at least a week away).
- Check Your Credit Card: Many travel cards (like Chase Sapphire or Amex Platinum) include Trip Cancellation Insurance. If you’re skipping the flight for a covered reason like illness, they’ll just pay you back for the non-refundable ticket.
How Can You Transfer Flight Tickets To Another Person?
In 2026, the short answer is that you still can’t directly transfer a flight ticket to someone else’s name on most major airlines. Because of security rules and to stop people from reselling cheap seats, the name on the ticket has to match the ID of the person flying. If you can’t make the trip, you usually have to cancel the flight for a travel credit and then use that credit to book a new flight though many airlines still require the new booking to be for the original passenger.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, while the airline industry is getting way more flexible with things like high-speed Wi-Fi, the rules around transferring a ticket to another person are still pretty stuck in the past. In 2026, your seat is essentially tied to your ID for security and to keep people from flipping cheap tickets for a profit. However, it’s not all bad news with new “travel credits” and more generous cancellation windows, you can usually save the value of your flight even if you can’t be the one sitting in the seat. It’s all about knowing which specific loophole, like Southwest’s credit transfers or Frontier’s fee-based swaps, works best for your situation so you don’t just lose out on your money.
FAQ’s
Q.1 Can Plane Tickets Be Transferred To Another Person?
Ans: You cannot transfer a plane ticket to someone else because most tickets are non-transferable for security and revenue control.
Q.2 Can I Change The Passenger Name On A Plane Ticket?
Ans: You generally cannot change the name on a plane ticket to a different person due to airline security rules.
Q.3 How Much Does It Cost To Transfer Plane Tickets?
Ans: The cost of changing a flight can vary depending on several factors,For domestic flights, change fees typically range from $75 to $200 or more, depending on the airline and the type of ticket purchased.
Q.4 Can I Transfer My Ticket To Another Person?
Ans: Many event tickets (like Ticketmaster or SeatGeek) can be transferred easily through their apps/sites by sending the new barcode to someone else, often for free, though some events or tickets might not allow it.
