Grandparent traveling with minor needs to cancel flight

[Erod262]

Hello, 

Grandparent returning home with grandchild has to cancel their flight because their husband passed.  Aunt is available to travel with the grandchild, but the flight is this Saturday, and the policy states there are no name changes. 

What are my options for switching the adult tickets name so that the grandchild's return home will not be delayed? The return flight is scheduled this Saturday from New Orleans to Oakland. 

[dfwskier]

Sorry to hear of the death in the family.

No airline allows a name change on a ticket So that is not possible. 

So the options are:

1) Buy a new ticket

2) If cheaper, buy 2 tickets on a different day or a different airline.

3) If young enough (under 12)), the child could travel as an unaccompanied minor. There is an additional cost for this option. It would be possible to walk the child to the gate in NOLA by getting a gate pass. Same on the Oakland  side. It is much easier with a nonstop flight.

[TheMiddleSeat]

There do not appear to be any non-stops between New Orleans and Oakland so a child age 5-11 could not fly unaccompanied, but a child age 12 or older could fly alone.  Tickets for most routings on this Saturday are available, albeit a little more expensive than they probably are if booked ahead of time if a different adult wanted to fly with the child.

--TheMiddleSeat