Hi all. I recently had an interesting discussion with Qantas staff regarding changing a time of a flight I had booked. Circumstances changed and the person that I had booked to travel with cancelled and I had to get someone else to come on the trip, Qantas wanted to charge me $88 to change the passengers name on the ticket. $88 seems ridiculous just to change the name! I was thinking of just giving the ticket to the other person, ID checks do not occur when there is no checked baggage, so shouldn't really matter? Just wanted to see if anyone had a similar experience. Can you perhaps go in on the day to the counter and ask for the name to be changed? Thanks for any help offered
Changing Flights/Passengers Names on Qantas flights
Dboc1987 on 10/10/2016 - 11:37
Comments
thanks very much! yes same gender. I'll just tell her to be aware that it she will be someone else for the flight. You're a star!
Also, not 100% sure if all airports have the self check luggage facility… so maybe check first
Adelaide and Melb, so should be fine
I assume this is for a domestic flight ?
Sorry, yes, sure is
cool. just use the self check in kiosk :D
is that better than checking in online within 24 hours before?
@Dboc1987: yield the same result. have to talk to nobody so no ID check is required.
Just make sure at the boarding gate she keeps a straight face.
Its a regular charge. Check in online before you get to the airport and you will have no worries at all.
Agree with the above - last few times I've flown they haven't checked my ID after I checked in online with only carry on baggage
Cheers all for the advice. Hope it will be ok. The only concern that I have is, because I already asked about changing the specific details of the flight, that they might have flagged it to check ID to be sure or if they will just not bother
I'm sure it'll be fine but officially travelling under another name is an offence and I think arranging for someone else to travel under another name is also illegal.
Remember those guys in Perth a while back used false names to fly to avoid detection and got jailed.https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/aug/06/junai…
I think this is the law that applies to air travel and ID
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/num_act/cladicaoma201…Oh wow, I didn't think of that!
Interesting, but you linked to the amending legislation. I think the correct provision is Division 376 of the criminal code:
http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp/au/legis/cth/cons…
Would be interesting to know how many people have actually been fined or prosecuted under this section or if there's even any case law about it (other than the case of Mostafa Shiddiquzzaman and Mohammad Junaid Thorne). There might be stats published somewhere. I don't think it's very reasonable for a judge to want to lock someone up for using a flight ticket without changing the name to save on the fee. Whereas the Thorne case was about a terrorism-related investigation and avoiding detection by authorities.
Actually I doubt the AFP would even bother to investigate someone travelling with a friend's ticket to avoid an $88 change fee, and the AFP certainly wouldn't bother to prosecute or press charges.
The Chaser's actually booked tickets for "Al Kyder" and "Terry Wrist" and it was broadcast on primetime tv…
But maybe that was before the current laws were introduced?
Last time I flew domestic my ID was checked at Sydney airport but not Perth. It was with Virgin Airlines and a worker walked up the lines reminding us to get out our ID before reaching the counter. We were checking in luggage. It makes you wonder about security though. You are doing it for a seemingly harmless reason but what about people using it to fly to avoid detection as in the cases above.
That's exactly right! I hadn't thought of it like that. Virtually anyone could get someone to book a ticket for them and travel with carry on only, no one would know!
You'll be right. Self serve kiosks will be fine to use - if they are working. have been there on a few occasions and they werent working and counter check in was required for everyone. I would still do online check in just in case.
This is probably a valid point! Maybe best to check-in online incase the self-service kiosks are down which can happen, albeit rarely.
So? Did you get checked and feedback on using ticket under another name?
Flight hasn't been yet. Will let you know after! :)
How did you go?
Poorly. They didn't do anything about it.
@Dboc1987: They didn't do anything - so does that mean they didn't check ID and your companion flew under another person's name?
Sorry, i hadn't re-read the thread. I didn't end up trying. I just absorbed the cost and didn't have anyone travel with me. They wouldn't credit any of the cost.
I fly very frequently and I have literally never had ID checked any time other than at the check in desk. These days there is even self serve for check in baggage (so no ID check). Just watch out when you actually get on the plane. The attendant will look at your boarding pass and say "welcome Mr Jones" (example). So might want to make sure whoever the replacement person is has the same gender as the original ticket holder.