Airline Name Change Policies 2026

An airline name change is any modification to the passenger name on an existing booking. Airlines split this into two cases that get treated very differently: typo correction (fixing 'Jonhn' to 'John' on the same person's ticket) is usually free or under €30, while passenger transfer (moving the booking from your name to a completely different traveller's name) is what enables ticket resale and costs €30-€160 depending on the carrier.

The answer to 'can I transfer my flight' varies by carrier, fare class, booking channel, origin country, and time to departure. Supplier policies change, so use this guide for orientation and confirm the current rule on the airline's official site or booking screen before listing.

Airlines don't advertise transfer pricing prominently because they'd rather sell you a fresh ticket. The option exists on most low-cost carriers and on flexible/business fares of full-service carriers. Standard economy on legacy carriers (BA, Lufthansa, Delta, United, American, Air France, KLM) generally does not allow passenger transfer at any price.

One regulatory tailwind worth knowing: the EU air-passenger-rights reform approved by the European Parliament on 7 July 2026 will ban fees for correcting name typos (alongside free personal-item-plus-cabin-bag rules). It still needs final Council sign-off and is not expected to apply before the second half of 2027 — and it covers typo corrections, not full passenger transfers. Until then, the fees below are what carriers actually charge.

These are the European airlines where passenger transfer is a normal published service, not an exception. Figures below were checked in July 2026 against carrier fee tables and a cross-airline fee roundup updated June 2026; treat them as a snapshot, not a contract.

Ryanair: €/£115 per passenger online (self-serve), €/£160 via an agent — per the official ryanair.com fee table, July 2026, which words it strictly 'per passenger'. Typo fixes free within 48 hours of booking; after that even one letter costs the full fee. Online deadline is well before departure; agent changes possible closer in. If you're already checked in, Ryanair must undo check-in first.

easyJet: £60 per person per flight online, £65 via customer services — per easyJet's official Fees and Charges page, checked July 2026. All changes must be completed at least 2 hours before departure. Spelling-error and title fixes free. Manage Bookings quotes the live figure before you commit.

Wizz Air: about €60 per person per flight online, roughly €75 via the call centre, up to 3 hours before departure (June 2026 roundup). One free online typo correction of up to 3 characters per booking; Wizz Discount Club membership does not discount name changes.

Vueling: yes on Optima and TimeFlex fares, roughly €30-€50 per person per flight; basic fares can be excluded. The manage-booking flow shows whether your fare qualifies before charging.

Aer Lingus: about £80 per person per flight, phone only, up to around 2 hours before departure (June 2026 roundup). Per-leg charging makes returns expensive — compare against a fresh booking first.

Jet2: £35 per person per flight, no fare difference charged, online until a few hours before departure (June 2026 roundup). Currently the cheapest mainstream UK transfer fee.

Norwegian: about €65 per person per flight on LowFare/LowFare+, free on Flex fares, online up to 3 hours before departure (June 2026 roundup).

Standard tickets on these carriers are not transferable to a different passenger at any price. Typo corrections only. Confirmed against the Lufthansa Group's written agency policy ('name change is not permitted'), British Airways' own help pages, and Delta's published eCredit terms in July 2026.

British Airways: typo corrections to match your passport are free (BA's own FAQ, checked July 2026); no passenger transfer on flight-only tickets at any price. Flexible fares allow rebooking but not a different traveller — same person, different flight. BA Holidays packages are a separate product where a name-change fee can apply.

Lufthansa: the Lufthansa Group's written policy is unambiguous — replacing the traveller with another person is never allowed; a new ticket must be issued. Typo corrections and documented legal name changes (marriage, deed poll) are handled free.

Air France / KLM: identical policy across both. Passenger transfer not available. KLM corrects typos free ('we don't charge you for being human'); Air France handles small corrections free when requested well before departure.

Iberia: standard tickets non-transferable. Flex fares allow paid rebooking. Iberia Plus elite members get more latitude on date changes (still not name changes).

Turkish Airlines: name corrections for a fee, not full transfers. Customer service handles edge cases — not a self-service operation.

Emirates: minor name corrections only (a small per-ticket fee, free for direct bookings in some cases). No passenger transfer on standard fares.

Delta, American Airlines, United: no passenger transfer on any standard fare. Their version of the resale workflow is the cancel-for-credit model — you cancel, they issue a credit valid for a limited period in your name. And those credits are name-locked: Delta's own eCredit terms state the credit is non-transferable and must be used for a ticket in the name of the person on the account, and United's TravelBank terms prohibit sale, barter or transfer. Ignore third-party blog posts claiming a 'Delta Wallet' member-to-member transfer feature — Delta's published terms say otherwise as of July 2026.

Source: each carrier's published policy, checked July 2026. These rules can change, so the airline's current booking screen and written terms take precedence over this guide.

Quick answer for the US searcher: in most cases, no. Delta eCredits are non-transferable and must be used for a ticket in the name of the person on the SkyMiles account, per Delta's published eCredit terms (checked July 2026). American's Trip Credit and United's TravelBank Cash are likewise locked to the original traveller — United's terms explicitly prohibit sale, barter or transfer. The companion workaround (you book someone else's flight using your credit) exists in practice, but it puts the trust gap on the buyer.

Southwest is the partial exception, and its rules changed recently. Since the 28 May 2025 fare rebrand, the tiers are Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred and Choice Extra. Only credits from Choice (formerly Wanna Get Away Plus) and higher tiers are 'Transferable Flight Credits' that can be moved to another traveller — and both parties must be Rapid Rewards members. Basic-tier credits stay name-locked. Also new: credits from tickets bought after 28 May 2025 now expire (roughly 6-12 months depending on fare); only older credits keep the old no-expiry rule. Check the fare brand on your original booking before assuming anything.

What this means for resale: a name-locked US airline credit is much harder to monetise than a Ryanair ticket. The credit is tied to your name, so a buyer would need you to book their trip using your credit — a trust gap a marketplace can't fully protect. SpareHolidays focuses on direct transfers via official name change rather than companion bookings.

Online: most low-cost carriers (Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air, Vueling, Aer Lingus) handle name changes through the website's manage-booking section. Cheapest, fastest, and creates an automatic confirmation email you can forward to the buyer.

By phone: full-service carriers and edge cases (Norwegian Flex fares, Wizz multi-passenger bookings) usually require calling the airline. Have ready: booking reference (PNR), original passenger full name as on the booking, new passenger's full name as on their passport, and a payment card for the change fee. Calls take 15-45 minutes — schedule accordingly.

At the airport: possible on most carriers but at a higher fee and tight on time. Don't plan for this. Use it only if you forgot to request the change online before the deadline.

Third-party 'name change services': avoid. They charge you twice (their fee plus the airline's fee), the airline often refuses changes routed through unauthorised intermediaries, and you may end up out of pocket with the booking still in your name.

On SpareHolidays the name-change step happens after the buyer pays. You then contact the airline, complete the official change, and upload evidence. The transaction shows the buyer action, dispute window, and booking-specific payout timing.

Sequence: buyer pays → you contact the airline → process the name change → upload the new confirmation → buyer confirms or raises a dispute → the transaction applies the booking-specific payout rule.

List only on carriers that support name changes. If your airline blocks transfers, the workflow above is impossible. Your alternatives are an airline credit (most carriers issue one even on non-refundable fares — see the eCredits section above), a travel insurance claim, or holding for a 3+ hour schedule change that triggers a full refund under EU261/2004.