These Affordable Travel Websites Let You Buy Other Travelers' Non-Refundable Trips

Savvy travelers often book trips months in advance to get the best deals on flights and hotels. But even the best-laid plans can go sour. Unexpected emergencies or illnesses are just some of the reasons people are forced to cancel vacations, and they often receive no refunds for their trip. Some innovative travel websites are attempting to solve this problem by allowing travelers to buy someone else's non-refundable trip at a cheaper rate.

Websites like SpareFare, TransferTravel, Plans Change, and Roomer act like eBay or StubHub for vacations. Travelers who can't make their trips list them on the website, while other travelers swoop in and buy them at a cheaper rate. "Like most startups, this one was created out of personal need... it all started when my co-founder, Georgi Stavrev, realized he would not be able to use a flight due to unpredictable work commitments," said Galena Stavreva, founder of SpareFare, in an interview with PhocusWire. After trying to sell to close friends, Stavrev realized travelers needed a trustworthy marketplace to buy and sell trips. Many non-refundable trips allow transfers for a fee, but most people aren't even aware that transferring trips is an option.

While airline ticket transfers had long been a thing — usually sold secondhand on newspaper classifieds or Craigslist — they were also rife with scammers. Secondhand travel marketplaces like SpareFare and TransferTravel only list legitimate trips that can be legally transferred to a new name, unlike the Craigslist listings of yore. You can purchase flights, hotels, some of the world's best luxurious cruises on a budget, or entire trips,  and the deals can be excellent. Samina Ahmed, a single mom, revealed to The Wall Street Journal that she was able to snag a week-long, all-inclusive vacation to Thailand for only $1200 through SpareFare (originally valued at $4700).

Most of these websites have a similar process. Sellers list their trips, or just the flights or hotels, and enter their payment information. Customers can then purchase the trip and transfer money to the travel websites, which hold the money in escrow to prevent fraud. Once everything has been transferred to the buyer's name, the money held in escrow is released to the seller. While most of them list trips at specific prices, SpareFare lets buyers bid on trips in an auction. Customer reviews for SpareFare on Trustpilot reveal that many people have purchased vouchers or trips for as little as 50% to 60% of the original cost.

These websites charge a commission (12% to 30%) on the final price of the trip. SpareFare and TransferTravel expect sellers to handle the process of transferring trips to the buyer's name, while Roomer and Plans Change handle the transfer process themselves. While SpareFare and TransferTravel allow you to sell any part of your trip, including flights and vouchers, Roomer and Plans Change cater to hotel bookings only.

Secondhand travel marketplaces take advantage of a previously ignored part of the travel industry — wasted trips. Airlines make billions off unused flight credit and are reluctant to offer full refunds. But non-refundable trips aren't just financially wasteful; they also have an environmental impact. "We haven't been educated in the recycling of unwanted travel. For every wasted holiday there is a dream destination available," says Simon Powell, founder of TransferTravel, in conversation with StartUs Magazine. He believes that as customers grow to care more about the environmental impact of travel, secondhand travel marketplaces could become the next step in sustainable travel.

While travel marketplaces like SpareFare and TransferTravel present incredible opportunities, they aren't for everyone. Many of their listings include last-minute trips. And while it's certainly possible to make the most out of a spontaneous trip, not everyone has the flexibility to jetset with little to no notice. That's why people with flexible travel plans make up the majority of the customer base for these websites.

The best deals on secondhand travel marketplaces are usually for trips happening very soon, often within a few days. But a few days isn't usually enough time to plan a trip if you need to organize visas, ensure your passport is up to date, or plan for childcare or petcare. Plus, these trips are already planned and fully booked, so there's no way to change any of the details, including hotels or experiences. These platforms reward spontaneity. Sellers who urgently need to get rid of their trips in the next few days are paired with buyers who aren't constrained by time or destinations.

The biggest hurdle for Americans is flight transfers. SpareFare and TransferTravel are both based in the UK, where many airlines allow customers to transfer non-refundable tickets to another name for a fee. However, American airline carriers usually have strict policies against ticket transfers due to their pricing structure and the security policies put in place post 9/11. While the websites try to vet all listings, ultimately it's the seller's job to contact their airline carriers or trip organizers and make sure the trip is transferable.