4 Round Trip Tickets to Los Angeles Early January-Unable to Use-HELP

robo99 on 19/10/2024 - 16:14

Los Angeles return in January-unable to use-HELP !!!

We have 4 tickets from Sydney to Los Angeles departing early in January school holidays, 16 nights in USA, which we are now unable to use (a very long story) for 2 adults & 2 kids.

I got onto our travel agent, who said that as tickets are non-refundable, the only thing that she said could be done, was to try to sell them or give them away, as the airline allows a name change for $150/person up until few days before departure.

We paid around $7000 about 6 months ago (think it was $2000 for each adult & $1500 for each child) & we would obviously like to get as much back as possible. We have travel insurance, but that won't cover any loss, name change or cancellation.

The price included the credit card fee, 2 checked bags & food, drinks & seat selection.

The travel agent also said the childrens tickets could be converted to adults tickets by paying the difference between child & adult fare, but if tickets used by 1 adult & 3 children, there's no refund for child using adult ticket.

HELP !!!!!

Does anyone have any suggestions of how to sell them, if the travel agent can't sell them ?

The agent said they would send out an email to their thousands of email subscribers & if they sold them for us they would charge us a small fee, but they want us to put a selling price on the tickets & be prepared to sell any number of them from one to four tickets. They suggested asking 10% less than we paid or near offer & to be very negotiable, as the closer it gets to departure date, the less likely we are likely to sell them for anything like we paid. She also said airlines don't allow name changes, but luckily ours does. If we sold them, they could handle the funds & process any credit card payments & as the tickets have already been paid for, full payment wouldn't be needed straight away, so if someone wanted a ticket or tickets, they could pay them off over a few months.

One of our relatives said they would give us some frequent flyer points for the tickets, but we really need the cash.

Travel

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closed Comments

        • May4th on 21/10/2024 - 13:40
          +3

          I don't know many doctors who will risk their license which only costs about 15years of study to issue a fraudulent certificate to save you a few dollars. what you are referring to is misleading the doctor to issue a certificate, which you are quite welcome to try but you are walking a fine line on a fraud charge. in fact you don't even need to go to a doctor for a certificate depending on what it's for you can make a legally binding stat dec.
          as they say, nothing is illegal unless you get caught, it's up to you to decide whether it's worth the risk

    • SlickMick on 20/10/2024 - 20:49
      +1

      ouch you got the negs you expected, and even accused of lying below (I think).

      We had an airline give a credit on a doctors note that we couldn't make the trip for medical reasons.

      • Slinky0111 on 21/10/2024 - 16:27

        I'm not going to loose any sleep over a few negs, not really sure what the big deal with negs are anyway but anywho.

        I'm sure all these commentators have never called in sick when they weren't really sick or driven 1kph over the speed limit. All model citezens around here.

        • May4th on 21/10/2024 - 17:17

          I didn't neg you and don't see the point but it's not particularly impressive for people to try to get out of obligations and conditions they agreed to by trying to commit low key fraud by wasting a professional's time that can be better spent on actually treating pts who are sick, it's almost impossible to get a GP appointment when you need it here. does it work? yes you will probably get away with it because it cost airlines more to prove you committed fraud, likewise with running a red light, speeding or drink driving most of the time. it's your call.

          • SlickMick on 22/10/2024 - 12:29

            @May4th: lol I just saw an advertisement for discounted medical certificates: $10 for 1 day or a little more for extended leave.

            Impossible to get an appointment? It's only a phone call these days.

    • Oz em on 21/10/2024 - 00:56
      +7

      The stress of not selling the tickets would be enough to make him ill.

    • gromit on 21/10/2024 - 09:06
      +1

      surely no one would neg you for suggesting the solution is to commit a criminal act!

    • Ciderfizz44 on 22/10/2024 - 09:11
      +1

      I also recommend getting a doctor from your GP, saves the phone calls and unnecessary trips. I keep mine in the garage and feed them rice & oranges to prevent scurvy.

  • meowsers on 20/10/2024 - 06:54
    +2

    If you have a death in the family you can usually cancel all tickets with a full refund.

    • Dollar General on 20/10/2024 - 07:23
      +25

      Wellington pie with extra mushrooms for Xmas day?

  • nekro on 20/10/2024 - 08:24

    Have you advertised them in the classified section here on ozb?

    • robo99 on 20/10/2024 - 11:23

      thanks. Didn't know there was one.

    • robo99 on 20/10/2024 - 11:29

      where is that ? I can't find classified section.

      • MS Paint on 20/10/2024 - 12:16

        On mobile, click on the menu, click forum, then scroll to the bottom. You'll see a classifieds link there.

        • robo99 on 20/10/2024 - 12:54

          thanks

    • BobLim on 21/10/2024 - 00:34
      +4

      Accounts must be 1 year old to post in classifieds

      • soaringphoenix on 21/10/2024 - 08:15
        +14

        I can post the ad on the classifieds. I do take a commission if sold through this method, just like the travel agency, of 15% of the sale price.

  • cuy on 20/10/2024 - 08:39
    +3

    I can't remember but don't airlines capture and lock in date of birth and passport details as well? The name changes are for like cases where your name was mispelt or changed completely (IE Married/Maiden name, etc). Even if you can change name, it might be risky as all other details about the person might be locked in and can't be updated.

      • gromit on 21/10/2024 - 09:08
        +6

        It is a huge deal and definitely something many airlines do not permit.

        • MrFunSocks on 21/10/2024 - 10:46
          +2

          Zero airlines permit selling tickets to other people btw. Zero airlines allow you to change the name to a completely different person. I've done lots of dev work for travel agents and airlines in the past, and still have friends in the industries. Absolutely 100% incorrect by OP.

          • gromit on 21/10/2024 - 10:58
            +6

            @MrFunSocks: yeah I have never heard of international tickets that permit change either, but in fairness to OP it is the TA making the claim they can.

            • MrFunSocks on 21/10/2024 - 11:03

              @gromit: My guess is this travel agent is just some random persons dodgy business, and they're just looking to get more money from OP (because they will also add a charge for doing the name change, as this is how most TA's make the majority of their margin), and will then also hit them up with another nice big fee when OP tries to sell them and realizes that they can't and has to pay the cancellation fees in order to get a partial refund.

              • robo99 on 21/10/2024 - 14:47
                -1

                @MrFunSocks: agents apparently get big commissions these days we're told, with demand falling. Airlines don't want to drop prices, but agents can.

          • robo99 on 21/10/2024 - 14:43
            -1

            @MrFunSocks: that's not correct. The agent checked her contract & I posted it above. Sounds like you need to get your facts straight. Agent says she does it a few times every year with this airline & it's no big deal at all. Think junkstar even allows it.

            Anyway, here's the contract wording she sent us

            >

            CHANGES (j) Name change: Before ticketing: permitted free of charge After ticketing: permitted at AUD150.00 per person up to departure

            • MrFunSocks on 21/10/2024 - 14:59
              +9

              @robo99: Again, I've worked in the industry for many, many years. Name change != passenger change. You can change your name as many times as you want with them at $150 a go, but you CANNOT transfer the ticket to another person. Your "agent" is an idiot, quite frankly.

              https://www.justgo.travel/reselling-flight-tickets-is-this-p…

              • robo99 on 21/10/2024 - 15:06
                -5

                @MrFunSocks: no shes' been doing it for many decades. She no newby & knows her stuff. Friends have been booking their work & personal travel with them for many decades. Just go should fix their website. It's obviously wrong. Changing the name IS transferring the ticket. What don't you get ?

                • MrFunSocks on 21/10/2024 - 15:31
                  +4

                  @robo99:

                  Changing the name IS transferring the ticket. What don't you get ?

                  You think it is. It isn't. Name changes are for correcting spelling or when a person actually changes their name on their documents. They are NOT to change passengers on the ticket.

                  Again - I've done many, many years in the industry and I still talk to many people in the industry. You and your TA are wrong.

                  • sumyungguy on 21/10/2024 - 15:36
                    +4

                    @MrFunSocks: Yet the website you linked explains under Exceptions: there is a very limited number of airlines that makes an exception and allows full name changes (under certain conditions). The fare conditions of a flight ticket should allow a full name change or transfer to another person.

                    • MrFunSocks on 21/10/2024 - 16:49
                      +4

                      @sumyungguy: The certain conditions are for corporate fares, when employees that are booked on a flight no longer work for the company, or when someone dies.

                      There are no "I just changed my mind" conditions - that's what refundable fares and cancellations are for.

                      • sumyungguy on 21/10/2024 - 16:58
                        -3

                        @MrFunSocks: How come then I once name changed a domestic JQ discount economy sale fare and transferred it to a wholly different person?

                        • MrFunSocks on 21/10/2024 - 18:34
                          +4

                          @sumyungguy: Domestic and International are very different things. Domestic doesn't need passports and visas and all the other stuff. OP isn't talking about domestic, which is why no one is talking about domestic here.

                    • robo99 on 21/10/2024 - 16:51
                      -3

                      @sumyungguy: yep. Certain conditions in our cases are we can't go !!!!

                      • MrFunSocks on 22/10/2024 - 11:32

                        @robo99: That's not one of the "certain conditions" that you can transfer flights to another person for. That's what refunds and cancellations are for.

                        • 7ekn00 on 23/10/2024 - 00:16
                          +1

                          @MrFunSocks: OP will find out soon enough ;)

                          They will find a gullible person who will give them money and demand it back when they can't xfer the tickets!!

                          I got the popcorn ready for it …

  • MELso on 20/10/2024 - 09:56
    +1

    What about changing the dates of the flights to, say, the easter holidays?

    (I recently flew back from SFO on a FJ 'value' fare and looking at the fare rules for the ticket, you could reissue the ticket for US$150 plus fare difference.)

    • lgacb08 on 20/10/2024 - 10:06
      +2

      The problem is OP doesn't want to lose out more than 10% of the cost and moving the date essentially means he could've bought such trip for at least 25% cheaper out of the peak season and the ozbargainer inside hime just couldn't accept it. His reasoning being $7000 for a peak season holiday is quite a bargain in itself and getting 10% discount out of that is quite a deal already but that's a big gamble to take for an average person.

  • TrumpisKing on 20/10/2024 - 10:06
    +4

    Take the L and sell them at a loss and move on. You're not going to get what you want.
    Should have been prepared to go when you bought them, or suffer. That's the reality of travelling unfortunately.

    • robo99 on 20/10/2024 - 11:24

      the big question is how to sell them, if agent doesn't ?

      • SimpleLeverage on 20/10/2024 - 11:27
        +1

        Your best bet would be to get the agent to do it.

        • robo99 on 20/10/2024 - 11:30

          yep, she's trying, but wanted to be proactive & not just wait.

  • Nutrino on 20/10/2024 - 12:00
    +12

    I think the problem is that anyone who is buying the tickets would want all the 'i' and 't's crossed before handing over any money. Personally if i was buying the tickets, i would have trust issues.

    i would want all the names changed and itenery ALL sorted before i hand over 1c.

    • sumyungguy on 20/10/2024 - 12:02
      +4

      I wouldn't have any issues with this transaction because there's a professional & independent third party involved, OP's TA

      • onetwothreefour on 20/10/2024 - 14:12
        +16

        Unless this TA is the OP's cousin and they are in on the scam together. Too risky for me.

        • robo99 on 20/10/2024 - 17:32
          -5

          why would it be risky ?

          • onetwothreefour on 20/10/2024 - 18:55
            +10

            @robo99:

            Unless this TA is the OP's cousin and they are in on the scam together.

      • ArjaytheGuy on 20/10/2024 - 23:45

        Except in the OPs own words

        "Anyone can sell airline tickets apparently. Was told there has been no travel agents licencing in Australia for over 10 years. Regards name changes, it depends on the airline according to our travel agent. Our airline allows it luckily. We didn't know in advance."

        So…. how "professinal" does a TA need to be?

        • sumyungguy on 21/10/2024 - 00:06
          +1

          I'm not telling you what to do. I would be happy to transact if I wanted the tickets because I'd be able to meet in-person with OP and their TA to make sure everything is legit. But if you wouldn't do it, you do you.

          • supersabroso on 21/10/2024 - 01:49

            @sumyungguy: Exactly, if everyone was street smart, Australians wouldn't lose $2.7 billion dollars to scams every year! Do your due diligence people!

    • robo99 on 20/10/2024 - 17:31
      -5

      that would work as long as the purchaser paid the $150 name change fees.

      • nigel deborah on 21/10/2024 - 00:05
        +5

        Accepting a partial sum like that just makes it sound even more scammy honestly.

        You're going to have an extremely difficult time shifting these unless via TA or to family. It'd need to be someone trusting and be a bargain.

    • robo99 on 21/10/2024 - 16:52
      -1

      payment by credit card is safe. No tickets arrive then, get a full refund from bank/credit card co.

  • yessum on 20/10/2024 - 17:09
    +1

    Typically even non-refundable tickets, can be cancelled and you can get the taxes portion of the ticket refunded. Worth asking the travel agent/looking at the fare rules on your e-ticket

    • robo99 on 20/10/2024 - 17:32

      the taxes on the adult tickets are $290 each & kids we about $200 each.

    • MrFunSocks on 21/10/2024 - 10:49
      +5

      Not sure why you're downvoted when you're (mostly) correct. Non-refundable does not mean you can't cancel. Non-refundable means you can't get a full refund. With non-refundable flights you can CANCEL them and pay the cancellation fees, and you will be refunded the total minus the cancellation fees - which will be hundreds of dollars per person.

      • yessum on 21/10/2024 - 15:02
        +2

        Yeah my comment is based on my experience as a former travel agent. I've cancelled and put in requests for refunds from the airline for non-refundable tickets before and was always able to get clients the taxes back. Which is why I suggested asking their travel agent about it and also why I said typically and not always but guess I won't chime in next time

      • robo99 on 21/10/2024 - 16:53
        +2

        if we cancelled the only refund would be the taxes.

  • Capo93 on 20/10/2024 - 22:05
    +1

    How can you have travel insurance but they won’t cover it? Or it doesn’t cover for you cancelling the trip?

    • MrFrugalSpend on 21/10/2024 - 07:48
      +9

      Maybe it's just me… but I don't think "I don't have enough money left to take the time off and pay for the rest of my trip because international travel is really expensive" would likely be an insurable item. Usually you have to be medically unfit / had an accident / death in the family amongst other prescribed reasons. So unless some sort of unexpected event that is insurable caused OP's "Financial" reasons to cancel…

      • serpserpserp on 21/10/2024 - 09:13
        -2

        With two kids, likely to be sick before they travel anyway. Just call it in to a GP, get the medical certificate and claim away (if it allows for that).

        • MrFrugalSpend on 21/10/2024 - 13:00

          not sure why negged, depending on kids age they are sick all the time so you may have a point.
          Not so much in school holidays / January tho, probably about the only time of the year not so likely

          • MrFunSocks on 21/10/2024 - 13:04
            +5

            @MrFrugalSpend: Probably negged because of the suggesting they commit fraud.

            • MrFrugalSpend on 21/10/2024 - 13:07
              +1

              @MrFunSocks: Except it isn't fraud if the kids do actually get sick.

              • MrFunSocks on 21/10/2024 - 15:00
                +3

                @MrFrugalSpend: Travel insurance companies aren't going to pay out because you got a doctors note saying your kid has a cold and can't fly lol. Have you ever had to deal with an insurance company? It's not as simple as "having a note".

            • serpserpserp on 21/10/2024 - 13:30
              -1

              @MrFunSocks: Kids are sick. Can't travel

        • Slinky0111 on 21/10/2024 - 17:22

          Have my +. We both don't need to suffer.

    • samfisher5986 on 21/10/2024 - 10:54
      +1

      Travel Insurance is mostly useless for anything outside of medical/theft.

    • robo99 on 21/10/2024 - 16:53
      +2

      need a good eg. medical reason to cancel & get funds paid less excess from any insurance company, am told by agent

  • 91rs on 20/10/2024 - 22:06
    +13

    I'd be wanting 50% off and even then its high risk on the buyer given how often concert tickets are sold/resold/reissued or don't exist as a comparison.
    I also don't trust travel agents to get anything right, they're in the middle to make their cut and don't care if it goes bad is my experience with corp travel agents.
    I'd also want 110% clarification on the name change section if its to another person or just a variation due to incorrect APIS data.
    Or just go yourself and leave the wife and kids at home, surely you can afford to do that?!?

    • 91rs on 20/10/2024 - 22:09
      +5

      People might also be wary given what's happening in Nov and the handover in January.

      • AustriaBargain on 21/10/2024 - 07:25
        +1

        Biden got almost twice as many votes as Trump got in CA, not much chance of a civil war affecting California right away.

        • MrFrugalSpend on 21/10/2024 - 07:53
          -1

          One might argue being a very politically slanted / motivated state, may make them likely to stir up trouble and try to become an independent Bear Flag Republic again etc if say Trump does win, November to January might be enough time for a "Not My President" independence rebellion to heat up..!!! - Potentially not as likely as the trouble that may arise in Republican heartland and/or Washington DC if Trump narrowly doesn't win and starts calling it rigged though!

        • robo99 on 21/10/2024 - 16:54
          -2

          trump will tighten up borders

      • May4th on 21/10/2024 - 15:30
        +1

        another open day at capitol building?

  • DeadlySaber on 20/10/2024 - 22:16

    I'm interested, what the age bracket for 2 kids tickets?

    • robo99 on 21/10/2024 - 16:55
      -1

      they must be under 12 on day fly out. Kids kids can be converted to adults, by simply paying the difference about $500.

  • Serapis on 20/10/2024 - 23:56
    +1

    I'm willing to offer around tree fiddy

  • SM1LE on 21/10/2024 - 01:29
    +2

    Do you accept cryptocurrency?

  • AustriaBargain on 21/10/2024 - 07:23
    +7

    We might have better luck helping you solve the problem that is preventing you from going.

    • robo99 on 21/10/2024 - 16:56

      not unless you can lend up $20k at very low rate

      • AustriaBargain on 21/10/2024 - 17:33
        +4

        Do you need to cancel the holiday because you need to stay in Australia and work to earn 20k?

  • thousandsuns on 21/10/2024 - 07:37
    +17

    Let's put this into perspective. You stuffed up by getting non-refundable tickets. Fair enough, emergencies cam occur or issues can come up.
    You are panicking to sell your tickets yet you do not want to be negotiable and reduce them to a price where someone would actually be genuinely interested.

    Why on earth would anyone here take a 10% discount and buy the tickets from you through agent, etc. When they have flexibility to buy directly from the airlines or have their own choice or carrier and dates, etc.?

    If you are that desperate to get something out of them rather than nothing, put them out with a decent discount which gives someone incentive to buy from a stranger and 3rd party instead of through the airlines. Mind you, your selling point of ot being peak time, etc is all pointless. No buyer cares about any of that, they only care about the value of trip. Take the loss and lower it a reasonable price where someone will even consider it. Nobody is dumb enough to take them off you at a mere 10% off. Then again there some shmucks and you may get lucky.

    Hard luck for you. You'll have to learn to deal with scarifices and at the end of the day you can't always win in life.

    • samfisher5986 on 21/10/2024 - 10:56
      +3

      non refundable tickets is normal for most people, I wouldn't say they stuffed up.

      The biggest issue is spending $7000 on a trip with two kids, who does that? Just take them to your nearest beach city and pay a hotel.

      • thousandsuns on 21/10/2024 - 11:00
        +1

        Agreed. $7k on a non-refundable trip booked with an agent seems like the silly idea here.

      • TEER3X on 21/10/2024 - 12:51

        I spent way more than that but traveled for a month. Sometimes you really don't have a choice.

        • samfisher5986 on 21/10/2024 - 13:06

          You spent $7000 on plane tickets? I mean you certainly can but you don't need to if you buy the right flights.

          • robo99 on 21/10/2024 - 15:42

            @samfisher5986: school holidays. Have a look online & see what airlines are asking for flights syd to lax early jan back few weeks later for 2 adults & 2 kids. The only airline around that price now, excluding part of the way with jetstar, requiring nights in hawaii or via some chinese airline taking 40 hours, in hawaiian & theor timings are awful. Arrive la late at night, come home at 7am, which means paying for 2 nights accommodation, but can't do anything arrival or departure days.

          • TEER3X on 21/10/2024 - 21:21

            @samfisher5986: No, expenses including accommodation.

      • MrFrugalSpend on 21/10/2024 - 13:05
        +1

        Cost of things in school holidays in Australia - sometimes (perhaps not at the price OP paid), international travel in January when not a big holiday season for the northern hemisphere can present better value. I took mine to Japan last year at Christmas school holidays on Jetstar sale fares that just caught the edge of the holiday period, stayed at AirBNB type accommodation… Apart from the rail passes, it was not much more expensive than a decent beach holiday / hotel and certainly better value for experiencing some different culture.

        • robo99 on 21/10/2024 - 15:44

          $7k is not expensive for early Jan for 2 adults & 2 kids syd lax syd

          • samfisher5986 on 21/10/2024 - 15:59
            +1

            @robo99: Early January is new years… thats a bad decision.

            April 2025 School Holidays. $4779 Sydney to LAX. Two Adults, Two Kids

            You've overpaid by 2k just to go during the most expensive time of year.

            • robo99 on 21/10/2024 - 16:05
              -2

              @samfisher5986: no we haven't. We want to go in early Jan. Late dec was around the same airfares, but accommodation was much more expensive. Can't do what we want to do in April, plus the plan was to meet up with other families.

              Just look on skyscanner 12-25 april & cheapest was air canada via brisbane & vancouver through some dodgy eu travel mob, or $6200 through air canada or flight center. What dates were you looking at & with which airlines ? Not jetstar I hope ?

              • samfisher5986 on 21/10/2024 - 16:21
                +1

                @robo99: April 3 to 21 but now I'm thinking Sydney probably has different school holidays to QLD.

                That was with Fiji Airways but United is only $300 more.

                • robo99 on 21/10/2024 - 16:25

                  @samfisher5986: yes nsw school holidays 12-27 April (including anzac day) for most schools. Catch is a much narrower window than dec-jan, most families want to go right at start ie. 12 or 13 April & come home 24 or 25 April (which means arriving 26 or 27 April)

      • robo99 on 21/10/2024 - 17:01

        we'd like to go every year before kids get too old. The main reason we can't go this year is financial & we're never going to ask anyone to loan us money. Banks weren't keen as new house already has a big mortgage & not much equity.

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