Real Talk on Buying and Selling Airline Vouchers Online

By Mike Grasso

These days finding a great bargain often means a simple visit to Ebay or Craiglist. On these sites a potpourri of goods are available, often for a fraction of their retail price. Included in these listings are airline travel vouchers and free tickets. But most airlines restrict the sale or barter of travel credits, and word of harsh punishments, such as voiding the credit, and/or closing members' frequent flyer account, have been reported in a few cases. So what do you do if you are in the market to unload your travel credits or find heavily discounted certificates? Here are some suggestions:

Selling your credits? This often happens for people receiving electronic discount codes or paper certificates which reduce the airfare price and/or offer a free ticket. The rules of use are usually spelled out on the certificate, so read them carefully. Usually a "transfer" to another person can be done, provided no money or goods are exchanged. If you do opt to sell it (I did tell you selling is probably not allowed, right?), then consider selling to a trusted buyer, or a friend. Another suggestion: Free travel credits make great stocking stuffers for the holidays, and without the worry about getting caught selling them.

Buying travel credits? Really think this through folks. There are plenty of scammers out there as well as many honest folks trying to sell (albeit "illegally") legitimate goods. If it sounds to good to be true...ya, it probably is. If the person selling the travel credit on Ebay has few or no previous ratings, would you trust them? Similarly, if buying from Craigslist, how will you ensure an electronic credit, for example, hasn't already been redeemed, or the seller won't redeem it shortly after you buy it? Although sellers often list the terms & conditions of transferability in their posting, how will you know they have listed ALL of them? These are many of the questions you should be asking yourself before considering a purchase. And the obvious - do the benefits outweigh the potential risks?

Having said all that, I personally know people who've bought and sold airline credits over the years with few difficulties. But, as mentioned earlier, the airlines have reportedly penalized some unlucky folks for doing the same. So before you decide to put yourself in the market for travel vouchers, weigh the pros and cons, and if you decide to buy or sell, do so with plenty of caution.

Use Caution when buying airline coupons on Ebay

Scam Alert: Auction site Ebay is filled with attractive coupons and discounts for many airlines in the U.S. Whether you need discounted tickets on Southwest, Continental, Northwest and Alaska (to name a few), Ebay seems to have the discount your looking for. Most have rules however stating the certificates cannot be sold, traded, etc., so you need to be mindful of this.

But this story is really about United Airlines $100 off e-certificates on the Ebay site. It seems someone very creative, arguably bored, may have found a way to "crack the code" and is trying to sell fraudulently obtained e-certs by transposing numbers. The technique for doing this is described on travelglitch. The result: some people on Ebay are selling these codes at a steep discount.

This causes duplicated e-certificate numbers, with one person using the code they legitimately obtained from United, the other using the code they ultimately obtained from a fraudster.

inFLIGHTout recommends you ask the seller for a scan or other documentation showing they have the actual e-certificate from the airline before deciding to purchase. If they airline becomes tuned in to the fraudulent situation, you may find yourself, and your mileage plus account under scrutiny. (Yes, they have suspended & closed accounts for not adhering to frequent flyer program rules).

History about to unfold: Airbus 380 flies in October

The grand mamma/pappa (you can choose the gender) of planes will soon be put into service for everyone to enjoy. This will truly be an amazing moment in aviation history. The Airbus-380 will begin flying passengers by the end of October.

First though, Singapore Airlines will auction off their inaugural flight to some lucky folks through eBay. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to charity organizations.

More information can be found here.