I purchased 2 tickets on Iberia for a ramble through Austria and Germany. Sadly, my travel companion has chickened out on me, and now Iberia is telling me that I cannot take anybody else on that ticket. And even though I paid for both tickets, the 2nd ticket does not belong to me - it belongs to the individual in who's name it was issued! (yes, I'm a little indignant)<BR>Anybody else have this experience, and any suggestions on how to work around this policy?

Hi Janice, I'm sorry for the frustration you're going through and for the fact that your traveling companion has let you down.<BR><BR>I don't know how much satisfaction you'll receive from the airline, either -- I know all the tickets I buy are clearly marked "nontransferable" and "nonrefundable." Perhaps you can ask the airline to apply the purchase cost of your current unusable ticket towards the purchase of future travel?<BR><BR>Good luck with your refund.

Janice,<BR><BR>Sorry for your predicament.<BR><BR>Certainly in the UK, all tickets are only valid for the NAMED passenger and another person cannot travel on that ticket ( names are compared with the ID upon checkin and boarding even for domestic flights). If it was a fully flexible ticket then you could get the refund and buy another ticket.<BR><BR>Maybe another Fodorite can offer more help?

If the airline will give partial credit (voucher) toward a future ticket with cancellation, the credit will be in the name of the person on the ticket. The airline's policy will dictate whether that person can transfer the credit to another person (you).<BR><BR>I know when I've had credit for cancelled ticket in the past, the airlines I have been with would only let the named person use the credit, but I have not flown with Iberia.<BR><BR>With some airlines, the vouchers issued for a reduction in fare are transferrable when the new person makes a reservation and the original person on the ticket buys the ticket using the voucher.<BR><BR>If you bought the ticket with the agreement that you were just loaning the money to the companion, he/she owes you the money whether or not the ticket is used. If you bought it as a gift for that person, this is how they have decided to use the gift.

Janice, Is this person still a friend? It seems to me she owes you some money and should be dealing with the airlines herself. She's probably more likely to get a credit than you are to transfer a credit to your name.<BR><BR>In my opinion, cancelling a trip out of fear is one thing. Stiffing a friend is inexcusable.

Janice,<BR>Been there,<BR>nothing to do about it.<BR>3 months before a long-planned trip to Italy,<BR>my husband of 16 yrs decided he wanted out of the marriage !!<BR>But, for children's sake, we did not tell them until the school yr finished and trip completed.<BR>we took the trip as a family <BR>and it worked out<BR>very well,<BR> trip -wise, atleast.<BR>BUT, you can D--- well be sure that I called and checked everywhere I could, to see if there was a way around the situation you now find yourself in.<BR>And therre wasn't.<BR>(BTW, I paid for the tickets, AND the whole 3 week trip out of my own pocket, not his)<BR><BR>I guess the only thing is to see if your friend will reimburse you.<BR>You did not mention if you have already brooched that subject.<BR><BR>good luck,<BR>and sorry about this.

Dear Nancy: What a horrible husband you had! I hope you heated up a pan of bacon grease and flung it at him while he was sleeping!

Janice,<BR><BR>This happened to me when I planned to take my sister to Europe a few years ago. Her long-term health condition worstened, however, and we had to cancel the trip. We both went to the airline counter at the airport and begged for a refund (minus the change fee). Because my sister, as the ticket holder, was there, and I, as the purchaser, was there too, the agent was agreeable. Well, actually, the agent was hesitant but his superviser was agreeable. You may have to politely ask to see the shift manager. So I would avise you to try to do it in person and to have the both of you present. The airline gave me a travel voucher in the amount of the ticket price -- in my name.<BR><BR>s

Give her a break: I hope you didn't include me in the people putting Nancy down. I was being sincere. If any man did that to me, I would certainly throw molten bacon grease in his face. In fact, I have done this before. Cheers.