Things you need to know about changing and cancelling flights
For many of us, booking a vacation is a significant expense. Sometimes, despite all intentions, life gets in the way and our plans change unavoidably. Perhaps you have an emergency at home, or there is a situation at your destination that is best avoided i.e. a natural disaster, political unrest or worse, a global health pandemic like the COVID-19.
When this happens we want to know ‘how can I change my flight without paying a fee?’ ‘Are plane tickets refundable?’
Here we will set out how best to get a refund or change your flight.
Purchase refundable flight tickets
Choosing fully refundable airline tickets is the ideal safety-net. If you want complete peace of mind that you can get your money back in the event of a problem, this is the route for you. To get a refundable flight, check the terms and conditions when purchasing your ticket to ensure that all cancellations are eligible for a full refund.
Such flexibility will come at a cost, though. Fully refundable flight tickets tend to be considerably more expensive than your standard non-refundable airfare ticket. For example, a refundable seat on a Delta Airlines flight from New York to Texas in January 2020 was $692 more expensive than a non-refundable ticket.
Choose your airline carefully
Some airlines, for example, Southwest, have no cancellation (or change) fees on the majority of their tickets. Another option is, therefore, to choose an airline that will allow flexibility when unfortunate circumstances arise. Always check your airline’s flight cancellation policy before booking.
Though purchasing refundable airline tickets or using certain airlines are the best guarantee of receiving your money back, these are not always an option if the ticket cost is prohibitive or preferred airlines do not fly your desired route. We will take a look now at the alternatives if refundable flights are not an option.
Change your flight date
If your circumstances allow, it may be cheaper to decide to change flight, rather than cancel altogether. How much does it cost to change a flight? This depends heavily on the airline you choose. Some airlines will allow you to do this free of charge (though you may still have to cover a fair difference cost). Southwest again, is a leading example of an airline offering no flight change fee. In some cases, the free flight change will only be if the alteration is made 60 days in advance of the departure date (this is the case with Frontier Air) so act as quickly as possible if you know you won’t be able to travel.
If you have booked with an airline that does charge a flight change fee, this could be less than losing the whole cost of your ticket. Air Asia, for example, allows for flight changes for low fare tickets up to 48 hours before departure. Check the terms and conditions attached to your ticket and contact the airline for details.
How to change flight date
If you decide to postpone your trip, call your travel agent or airline with your confirmation, ticket number or reservation number ready. They will assist you to change the flight date. You may also be able to use the airline website to make changes. Try to make your changes through the airline’s own website even if you booked through a third party like Expedia.
Use airline schedule changes
You bought non-refundable flights and postponing your trip is not an option. Can you get a refund on a non-refundable airline ticket? In theory, no, but you may be able to take advantage of airlines’ own schedule changes to get a refund.
Again, airline policies vary, but a schedule change can give you the chance to successfully request a refund (or flight change). With tickets sold far in advance, airlines make schedule changes fairly frequently as it gets closer to the departure date. A schedule change could mean:
- Alterations to your arrival or departure times
- Changes to the length of a layover
- Switching planes
- Swapping from a direct flight to flights with connections (or the other way around)
If any of these occur on your booking, make a request to the airline for a refund. This is not guaranteed, unlike for refundable flights, but there is no harm in trying.
Be persistent and prepared
If you have exhausted all the options above (or if they don’t apply), our last tip is to be persistent. The first airline agent you speak to may refuse to pay out a refund as you did not choose refundable airline tickets, but if you call again you may speak to another agent who is more obliging. If calling does not work, try the website. There are instances where travelers have had their whole flight cost refunded.
Your credit card or travel insurance would cover the cost of canceled airline tickets if it has a comprehensive policy, BHTP’s ExactCare Extra is just one example. Though you will need to complete claims forms and paperwork, in some situations you may be eligible for a refund even for non-refundable flights.
In conclusion, refundable airline tickets are the safest option to select when booking your flight if you are worried about having to alter travel plans. However, there are ways to ensure you do not lose out completely when unfortunate circumstances arise, even when cancelling non refundable tickets.
