Swaping tickets after security
 

Situation: Work has paid for my flight back home, but I am also traveling with my wife. I'd like to let her use my ticket and I would take a different flight to a nearby city and use public transportation to save money.

Question: Flights leave at similar times so we could both get through TSA with our own tickets. Could we then swap tickets before the gate? How strict are they on this? Think the gate attendant even looks at the name? I know they do not recheck ID for domestic flights.

Rant: To bad I didn't marry a guy, then I wouldn't even have to ask this question :)

The fact that you are asking means you already know the answer to this.

Do you really want to be in a position of having to explain to your bosses what happened when the gate agent noticed that "Jane" was not "Dick"?

Way too much chance of this going wrong. If one or both of you is caught trying to use a BP that is not yours, it seems to me the least that could happen is that you might be forced to buy a new ticket to get home. And in today's security climate, you might find yourself in some windowless room trying to explain why you were attempting to board an airplane with someone else's BP -- and the fact that it's your wife may or may not matter. Not worth it to save a few bucks.

True. Exactly what I was worried about. Don't think I would have to explain to bosses or end up in some interrogation room, but the Jane vs Dick thing would highly increase the chances of me having to buy two new tickets making the risk higher than the reward. If only public transportation didn't scare her...

Maybe more importantly, your employer has paid for your ticket for you to take particular flights for some business purpose. It's fraud to claim reimbursement for a flight that was actually taken by another person, including your wife.

Pony up the few bucks difference it's going to cost to fly vs public transport. It's just a lot more civilised to travel together.

The TSA sometimes does gate checks, a small minority of which include ID checks even for domestic flights.

Gate agents may or may not notice any difference between the gender-connected title or name and the perceived gender of the passenger. But sometimes they may ask for ID (very rare as that is for domestic flights).

If there are flight disruptions, your plan could easily come undone with varying degrees of consequences and problems arising thereafter.

And don't you think it makes sense for you to use your employer's resources in the way the employer intended? Misappropriation of an employer's resources is what this could be considered, and I would suggest not to go down that road.

Instead of public transit at the destination, a rental car, taxi or uber/lyft/car service isn't an option? How much distance is there between your ticketed destination and her ticketed destination? Maybe you can drive to pick her up?

First, what you propose to do is a crime. In and of itself. Even if you and your wife paid for the tickets out of personal funds and swap tickets just for fun.

Second, what you propose to do here is a fraud and income tax fraud because your employer will likely deduct the cost of the ticket as a business expense. If your wife is using the ticket, the expense is not deductible and you must report that to your employer and the employer needs to back the cost of the ticket out of its accounting system.

Third, what you propose is a fraud under the terms of the contract with the carrier.

Real world? Will anybody go to prison for this? Not likely. But, you asked the question of what could happen. More likely if you get caught is being released after a chat up by the cops, an unpleasant episode with your employer (unpleasant TBD by your relationship with your employer), and then a bit of self-reflection about this.

I get the not potentially defrauding your employer bit, but is it really an actual crime to travel on the ticket of another in doing this? Not trying to be pain, I'm just interested in the statute relevant that would designate this something which constitutes a felony/misdemeanor.

Yes.

49 USC Sec. Sec. 446314 make it a crime (1-year misdemeanor to 10-year felony depending on intent) to enter secure area of airport, including aircraft, in violation of DOT rules. For aircraft, as a passenger, this means without proper authorization and that authorization, under the rules would generally require a BP in your name.

Good to know, thanks. ^

And what are the currently appllcable exact words in the text of "49 USC Sec. Sec. 446314"? This ought to be interesting. ;)

46314, however, is another story; but that one needs to be understood in context about under what conditions it is applicable and not applicable. Otherwise it may risk coming off as more of the usual scare-mongering.

A big problem is if the flight is canceled or for some reason you have to go out of security. It sounds like a pretty bad plan for a lot of reasons.

If the airports are public transportation distance apart, then they're definitely within driving distance. How about your wife takes the cheap flight, then she hangs out at her destination while you drive over and pick her up?

Not to be morbid but let's say the flight your spouse is on crashes with all hands.

Interesting to see how that would play out in terms of death certificate and life insurance.