Non-refundable vacations can leave travelers out thousands of dollars. However, buying someone else’s canceled vacation is emerging as a way to travel for less while helping others recoup part of their money.
The concept is simple: when illness, emergencies or last-minute changes force people to cancel trips they’ve already paid for, platforms like SpareFare, Roomer, Plans Change, and Transfer Travel step in.
These marketplaces allow sellers to post non-refundable flights, hotel bookings or vacation packages they can no longer use, and eager buyers can scoop them up — often at dramatic discounts, typically between 20% and 30% off the original price.
It’s like an outlet store for vacations.
Sites like these have existed for nearly a decade, but have really taken off with globe-trotters in recent years.
One of the most popular sites is SpareFare, which connects sellers of non-refundable bookings with eager travelers looking for deals.
The site charges a 12% commission and holds funds in escrow to prevent scams, only releasing payment after the trip occurs.
Samina Ahmed, 46, books most of her travel on SpareFare, she told The Wall Street Journal.
She once paid around $1,200 for a week-long all-inclusive trip to Thailand that originally cost around $4,700.
Using the site has allowed the single mother from Leeds, England, to take her toddler all around the world. Ahmed admitted her young son has likely gone on “more holidays than most people have in a lifetime.”
Some reservations don’t allow for transfers, but these sites typically work out any kinks for the customers. If not, they claim to bear the brunt of the issue.
When Ahmed was unable to swap her son into a package she purchased for a trip to Spain — because he was a minor — SpareFare refunded her.
However, they also don’t want to scam the seller.
“We understand these people are already going through a difficult time because you don’t sell a holiday if you don’t have to, so we want to help them as much as we can,” SpareFare owner Erik Ritland told The WSJ.
It’s a win-win for everyone.
The experts noted that last-minute travelers who wait a few days before departure to book something will likely get the best deal possible.
“Last-minute bookings are on the rise, especially among younger travelers who are waiting for price drops instead of planning in advance,” travel website Skiplagged CEO Aktarer Zaman told Travel + Leisure.
So if you’re ready for a random vacation at a discount, take someone else’s. And if you break up with your partner and don’t want to get stuck on a trip with them — sell it.
