The concept of “thrifting”, long associated with second-hand apparel and refurbished electronics, is now making its way into leisure travel. An emerging set of online marketplaces is enabling consumers to acquire non-refundable flights, hotel bookings, and holiday packages from travellers who are unable to use them. While still a niche segment, the model is gaining traction in overseas markets and is beginning to influence travel planning patterns.
Resale model for non-refundable bookings gains ground
Marketplaces such as SpareFare, Roomer, Plans Change, and Transfer Travel connect sellers of unused bookings with buyers willing to assume the reservations. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, such transactions typically offer discounts in the range of 20–30%. Steeper reductions are available to travellers able to book within 48 hours of departure. In one instance, a $46,000 luxury stay at Fiji’s Turtle Island resort was resold for $33,000.
I tried it out!
Although Sparefare or any of these travel thrifting companies are not providing services for domestic travel or holiday packages in India, you can still book international flight tickets or holiday packages through Sparefare.
The process begins with sellers listing their unused bookings, flights, hotels, or entire packages, along with details like travel dates, airline or hotel brand, and asking price. Buyers can browse listings or search by destination, then place bids. If the seller accepts, SpareFare acts as a middleman: it holds the payment securely until the booking transfer is confirmed.
For flights, this usually involves changing the passenger’s name (possible only with airlines that allow it); for hotels, it’s about amending the guest’s name on the reservation. All the payments, according to their website, are facilitated through PayPal, with credit and debit card transactions also being approved.
Browsing was easy: the site allowed filtering by country, travel dates, and type of booking. The interface is no-frills but functional. At the time we tried the website, there was only one flight ticket available from India, which was from Bengaluru to Manchester, scheduled for 18th August.
The bid for the same started at 90 GBP to 739.77 GBP, with the live price of the ticket being 821.97 GBP. It may also be noted that the seller asked for 300 GBP. The seller has 48 hours to respond to the bid, post which the payment is facilitated. Furthermore, customers can also book hotels with discounts reaching up to 55% at the time we checked.
Flexibility as a competitive advantage
This approach has found particular resonance with retirees, remote workers, and other travellers who have flexible schedules and can adapt to short-notice changes in destination or dates. SpareFare, which earns a commission of 12% on transactions, holds payments in escrow until the trip is completed, reducing the risk of fraud, as mentioned on their website.
A luxury-focused variant of the model is also emerging. Eluxit, founded in 2019 by Los Angeles-based travel advisor Bahar Schmidt, facilitates high-value trip resales and manages administrative requirements such as name changes on behalf of clients.
Operational constraints
Despite the appeal of discounted travel, operational challenges persist. Airline policies on passenger name changes vary widely, and certain requests may be subject to additional scrutiny under compliance protocols. In some cases, bookings have been cancelled when carriers declined to approve substitutions. Nevertheless, proponents argue that in an environment of elevated airfare and accommodation rates, resale platforms offer consumers a means to access premium travel experiences at more competitive prices.
This is not a replacement for conventional travel booking; you can’t count on finding a specific destination for fixed dates. But for travellers with flexible schedules, it’s a clever way to turn someone else’s change of plans into your next getaway. And for sellers, it’s a chance to recover at least some value from otherwise sunk travel costs.