If you have ever called an airline to purchase a ticket over the phone, then you probably know that they do not tell you the rules over the phone. You pay the money and are usually not told it is non-transferable.

I understand the policy, and have never run into any serious problem with it. However, it does bother me that I could plan a flight a month in advance for in a company. I cannot hold a seat for a generic person, I need to have a name. And if the person who will travel changes, I cannot simply call and say "change the name of the passenger".

As LemonThrower suggests, the only reason for this is that the airlines can do it -and that doing it is to their financial advantage.

I think he has a right to think this sucks without forfeiting the right to fly.

I'm just glad that this policy doesn't spread to other areas of American life - imagine buying tickets to a baseball game and being required to name the people who will be accompanying you. I guess that would put an end to ticket scalping.