What's the right thing to do?
 

Well I think I know the right thing but just in case here is my question.. I typically buy my business tickets well in advance of planed meetings like a $1,300 ticket to HNL next month for a business trip. The problem...I just resigned today...CO says the ticket is non-refundable and the name can not be changed under any circumstances. Is the right thing what I think...leave it behind? Thanks!

The ticket is a contract between you and the airline, so it cannot be put under another name. The value of the non-refundable ticket could possibly be used toward the purchase of another (in your name).

Had a similar situation happen to me with NW.

You can cancel the ticket, and apply the price of the ticket to future travel. You will have to pay the $75 change fee, but only once.

They gave me up to 1 year to rebook another flight, BUT I don't have to use up my entire $1200 in one flight. When I book my next flight, they will give me the difference in non-transferable/non-refundable travel vouchers. I then have 1 year from that point to use the vouchers. I will only have to pay the $75 fee once.

Now, this is how it was explained to me on several seperate occasions by NW customer service. If anyone has a different opinion, feel free to reply!

[This message has been edited by mat123 (edited 06-01-2000).]

When I left my last position, I had several sets of non-refundable tickets in hand. I thought for I while this would be a nice parting gift, but this was short-lived. The corporate travel person ordered me to send them back. She said the airlines would allow them to apply the value of the tickets to future corporate travel. Not sure what the official rules are, but airlines can obviously break the rules when they choose to.

Mat123 is right; you can take a credit towards future travel with the airline. I have had this happen on DL--I purchased a non-refundable ticket (for business), then plans changed; there was a $150 fee (it was international), plus I had a credit remaining on DL (the new ticket was less costly). My father has done the same on US, and carried the credit for the full year before rebooking.

Of course whether this belongs to you or the company (Pudding Guy's comment) is an entirely different matter. It depends on whether it's your money on the line, or theirs (whether you have been reimbursed yet), and if it is still your money outstanding if they would give you the cash instead.

You didn't say who purchased the tickets, you directly or a corporate travel office. Also, did you pay for them yourself, or were they charged to the office.

Our corporate travel agent is usually able to apply the tickets of people who have left that they have booked towards other's flights. Don't know how they do it, but they always do, and it usually works out.

As others have said, you can change the tickets for some other dates or maybe apply the cost to some other routes depending on your airline for the $75 change fee if you want to. Lots depends on how they were purchased, and who paid for them.

If the company has paid for them, either directly or through reimbersment, then the Tix belong to the company.

If you have not yet been reimbersed, they are yours. That is unless you can negotiate reimbersment as part of your seperation.

If you have a non-refundale ticket for $1300 you can pay $75 to change that ticket to any other non-refundable ticket. If your new ticket is less than your original ticket you will get a voucher for the difference. That voucher can be use by anybody no matter what the name on the voucher is. I only know this for sure on AA.

Every couple of years our corporate travel people seem to have an "amnesty" month, where unused non-refundable tickets can be returned for credit. This just occurred.

If your ex-employer has any size behind it, they may be able to do the same.

I think you have answered your own question.

Yes I think regardless of what you can actually do with the ticket if the company purchased it, it is theirs. That said, on what terms did you leave the company? If it was favorable and this ticket has some value to you, you may want to approach you old boss (give him time to forgive you for leaving if necessary, then say you were cleaning out your breifcase, etc and found it) and explain to hiim that you dont thing it is refundable etc and ask if since they cannot use it if it would be alright if you kept it. Who knows maybe he still likes you and you have fulfilled your moral responsibility but still get to go to HNL!

Agree-think you answered your own question! Regardless of whether or not it is refundable, if the company paid for it, it should go back to the company. As others have suggested, if you parted on good terms, try to negotiate the use of it, and get it in writing.

Non-refundable tickets to Hawaii usually incur a $75.00USD service charge to reuse ticket as credit toward a new non refundable ticket to any destination by same carrier for same passenger, occasionally that fee is $100.00USD on the Hawaii market. If the ticket is on AA, the ticket is valid indefinitely.

Best of everything to you in your future endeavours!

Interesting that Pudding Guy says the airlines will allow the company to apply the ticket value to some other employee's travel. Of course, the airlines won't do that for individuals http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif.

I was on the losing end of this situation in a "divorce" two years ago: I had paid for tickets for my partner and me to visit my parents. Of course his ticket was in his name, and the airlines wouldn't budge even though it had been my charge card. The split was less than amicable, so no, he didn't reimburse me.

Since then, I've read exposés of how easy it is to make fake ID on the Web. Maybe I should have just printed out an ID in his name and my photo, and used the ticket myself (just kidding)!

The policy on how a nonrefundable ticket can be reused varies widely by airline. For example:

With UA,a ticket is good forever, the $75 change fee can be deducted from the ticket value, and if there is a residual they issue you a voucher that is good for a year.

But with Alaska, a ticket is good for one year, you pay the $50 change fee in cash (even if the new ticket is
less expensive), and if there is a residual they won't issue a voucher - you lose it.

So be VERY sure you know the rules before planning to reuse a nonrefundable ticket!!!

I always say "honesty is the best policy."

IN my company, our travel rules state "Anything that is booked for the the company is the property of the company. that includes air tickets, hotels and other stuff."

The good thing is that our travel department does not want to be "bothered" with Frequent Flyer and Frequent Guest programs. I think there are five people in my whole company who belong to FF programs so we get to keep the miles.

I would talk to your company and see if any reinbursement is possible. But never try to pull any tricks...they come back to haunt you eventually.

Once you start to use a ticket on UA (1st half of a round trip) the rest is good for one year. they will also change the name for $100. I just left three tickets worth $1300 with my last employer

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