How to Sell Airline Tickets

Co-authored by Stef Katz and Sophia Bell

Last Updated: April 6, 2024

When your plans change, selling your airline tickets will help you recoup money that may otherwise be lost. In order to legally sell an airline ticket, it must be transferrable, meaning that the airline will change the ticket from your name to someone else’s. Transferrable tickets can be sold through classified or auction websites as well as third-party marketplace sites. With just a little time and effort, you can sell airline tickets that you can’t or don’t want to use.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Ensuring the Tickets Can Be Sold

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1
Confirm that the tickets are transferrable. Airline tickets can only be sold if they are able to be transferred to someone else’s name. Contact your travel agent, broker, or the airline to ask a customer service representative if your tickets are transferrable if you are unsure.^{[1]
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- If your ticket is non-transferrable, that will usually be printed directly on the ticket.
2
Find out if there’s a fee to change the name. Some airlines may charge a fee to transfer a ticket from your name to someone else’s. Speak with the customer service department of the airline to determine if there is a fee and how much you’ll have to pay.^{[2]
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- Fees range from $30 to $130 or more for transferring a ticket.
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Decide if you want to sell the tickets yourself or use a third-party site. Sites like eBay and Craigslist allow you to handle every aspect of the sale. However, you must be wary of frauds and scams, as the responsibility of the sale lands solely on your shoulders. Alternatively, you can use a third-party marketplace site that will handle the details for you and guarantee the sale.^{[3]
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- If you’re interested in using a marketplace, check out sites like https://sparefare.net/.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Making the Sale

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1
Create listings on a classified or auction site to sell them yourself. Once you’ve chosen a site, create a listing with the number of tickets, airline, flight number, date, time, and seat numbers of the tickets that you wish to sell. Include your contact info as well as the price of the tickets and the preferred method of payment—PayPal is a secure and reliable option. Respond to inquiries until you find a buyer that agrees to the price.^{[4]
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- Make sure you ask for the buyer’s full name so you can transfer the tickets.
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Post the tickets for sale on a marketplace site for help from a third party. Register for a marketplace site and create a listing of the available tickets. The site will determine the price for you based on demand, and may charge up to 15% of the selling price for helping you find a buyer. You’ll be notified when the tickets are sold, but the site will hold the buyer’s funds until you transfer the tickets.^{[5]
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Transfer the tickets into the buyer’s name. If you sell the tickets on a classified or auction site, you should transfer the tickets to the name of the buyer once the buyer has paid for the tickets. If you use a third party site, you must change the name and upload the tickets within 72 hours of being notified of the sale. In both cases, you’ll need to reach out to the airline’s customer service department to get the tickets transferred.

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Tips

If you’re looking to buy cheap airline tickets, check sites like eBay, Craigslist, and https://sparefare.net/.

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Warnings

Selling a non-transferrable airline ticket online is illegal.

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Selling an airline ticket in your name to someone else is illegal.

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