Airlines Refund Rules And Terms
Occasionally, plans change, and you may need to get your airline tickets as well as any additional services you paid, such as baggage and seat fees, refunded. To determine if you’re eligible for a refund for services or airfare associated with a scheduled flight, you can use the information on this page.
When You Are Eligible For Refund ?
Under the following circumstances, customers are eligible for a refund of the ticket price and/or any applicable fees.
- Cancelled Flight : Regardless of the cause, if an airline cancels a flight and the customer decides not to fly, he or she is entitled to a refund.
- Schedule Change/Significant Delay : If an airline makes a major schedule change or delays a trip and the customer decides not to fly, they are entitled to a refund. What constitutes a “significant delay” has not been defined by DOT. It depends on a number of variables, including the duration of the flight, the length of the delay, and your unique circumstances, whether you qualify for a refund. In cases of substantial delays, the Department of Transportation decides whether to refund your ticket on a case-by-case basis.
- Class of Service Change :If a customer is unintentionally transferred to a lower tier of service, they are entitled to a refund. For example, if they purchased a first-class ticket and were later upgraded to economy, they are entitled to a refund .
- Optional Service Fees :If a customer cannot utilize an optional service because of a flight cancellation, delay, schedule change, or circumstance where the customer was unjustly refused, they are entitled to a refund of the money they paid for the optional service. In order to get your money back if an optional service is unavailable or malfunctions during the flight, you might need to report the issue to the airline.
- Baggage Fees :In the event that a passenger pays to check their baggage and the airline later determines that it has gone missing, they are eligible for a refund. Each airline may have their own guidelines for determining when luggage is considered officially lost. While most airlines will report it as lost within five to fourteen days of travel, there may be variations in individual airline policies. The Department of Transportation (DOT) has the authority to take action against any airline that unfairly refuses to recognize a bag as lost after an unreasonably long period of time.
- Fully Refundable Ticket :In the event that a customer purchases fully refundable tickets and decides not to use them for the entire trip, he or she is entitled to a refund.
When You Can’t Ask For Refund ?
Refunds are not permitted in the following situations, except in extremely rare cases:
- Non-refundable tickets : Non-refundable tickets cannot be refunded unless the airline promises to reimburse customers or cancels a flight or makes significant schedule changes.
- Personal Issue :When customers purchase nonrefundable tickets, but are unable to fly due to private reasons (such as illness or late arrival at the airport), they are not eligible for a refund.
- Unsatisfactory Service : Flying customers who voluntarily board a flight but have a negative experience with the airline or the flight are not eligible for refunds.
- Incidental Expenses :The customer is not entitled to reimbursement for incidental expenses incurred due to a considerable delay or cancellation, such as a rental car, hotel room, or dinner.
In lieu of a refund, airlines may offer a credit or travel voucher for future use on the airline, even if they are not obligated to do so for nonrefundable tickets. Besides keeping their word, airlines may agree to provide passengers with extras like rooms or other perks that they are not compelled to offer. To find out about additional features or perks, contact the airline directly.
Major Airline Refund Type In Case Flight Cancellation
| Refund Type | Alaska | Allegiant | American | Delta | Frontier | Hawaiian | JetBlue | Southwest | Spirit | United |
|---|
| Rebook a traveler for free on the same airline. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rebook at no extra cost on a partner airline or another airline with which it has a contract. | Yes | NO | Yes | Yes | YES | Yes | Yes | NO | NO | Yes |
| Meal or meal voucher if the cancellation makes the traveler wait three hours or longer for a new flight | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free hotel stays for any traveller impacted by an overnight cancelation. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free ground transfer from the hotel to the passenger in question in the event of an overnight cancellation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| If a cancellation causes a passenger to wait three hours or longer beyond the scheduled departure time, they will be compensated in cash. | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO |
| If a cancellation causes a passenger to wait three hours or longer after the original departure time, they will get a credit or travel voucher. | Yes | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | Yes | NO | NO | NO |
| When a cancellation causes a passenger to wait three hours or longer before the scheduled departure time, frequent flyer points are awarded. | Yes | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO |
Major Airline Refund Type In Case Flight Delay
| Refund Type | Alaska | Allegiant | American | Delta | Frontier | Hawaiian | JetBlue | Southwest | Spirit | United |
|---|
| Rebook a traveler for free on the same airline. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rebook at no extra cost on a partner airline or another airline with which it has a contract. | Yes | NO | Yes | Yes | YES | Yes | Yes | NO | NO | Yes |
| Meal or meal voucher if the cancellation makes the traveler wait three hours or longer for a new flight | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free hotel stays for any traveller impacted by an overnight cancelation. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free ground transfer from the hotel to the passenger in question in the event of an overnight cancellation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| If a cancellation causes a passenger to wait three hours or longer beyond the scheduled departure time, they will be compensated in cash. | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO |
| If a cancellation causes a passenger to wait three hours or longer after the original departure time, they will get a credit or travel voucher. | Yes | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | Yes | NO | NO | NO |
| When a cancellation causes a passenger to wait three hours or longer before the scheduled departure time, frequent flyer points are awarded. | Yes | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO |
