how to apply unused travel funds I paid for an adult child towards my flight

[sinv7172]

hi...i've never had to cancel a flight and had to last october for my 20 year old son.  i purchased his flight and he ended up cancelling on family vacay.  now i'd like to use those funds to fly myself to my cousins wedding in july this year.  can i use funds i paid if i bought the original ticket under my son's name?

thank you!

[franktravel · Accepted solution]

Hi 

When someone cancels a ticket and receives a credit, that credit can only be used by the person who's name was on that ticket.  

[qb]

WHY is this a policy?

And why if this is the policy does your booking site have entry boxes for the Confirmation Number (of the canceled flights) PLUS First and Last names? Duh - they have to be the same as the new ticket being booked so why ask.

Not asking for the name all over again might have clued me into the fact the Funds could not be used for anyone else.

[chgoflyer]

Southwest used to allow travel funds to be used by anyone, but they ended that in 2011.

[rosa463]

I had this happen on American for a BUSINESS CLASS flight... i paid over 2 thousand dollars for the ticket. i was so upset. but they told me it was a TSA rule? so i'm not sure but this seems ridiculous. and we prob have to write congressmen or something to get it changed.

[chgoflyer]

It's not a TSA rule, although airline reps will often say that. It's simply a policy that, unfortunately, most -- if not all -- domestic carriers have.