CANCEL FLIGHT

[Sixty]

IF ONE'S TRAVEL PLANS CHANGE, IS IT POSSIBLE TO CANCEL A FLIGHT A MONTH IN ADVANCE ?

I DON'T FLY SO THIS IS UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY.

THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Yes.

And depending on the fare class and airline, it will either be fully refunded or can be used as a credit for future flying (usually with a one year expiration).

Make sure to save your TICKET NUMBER (not the confirmation number).  That's the unique identifier that the airline uses to see the credit.

Edited December 9, 2021 by Benjamin_Nicholas

[+ DynamicUno]

It depends on the airline's cancellation policy and the type of ticket you purchase.  Since the pandemic, most of the US domestic airlines have become much more forgiving for flight changes and cancellations, and have eliminated some of the fees.

The general rule of thumb for US carriers is you can cancel for a refund within 24 hours of purchase if it's not a last minute purchase.  After that, if you have a non-refundable ticket, you can usually only get credit towards a future flight.  The big three US airlines will have refundable and non-refundable fares at all cabin classes, the refundable fares are generally more expensive.   If you have any doubt how to book your preferred type of fare, it might be a good idea to use an agent.

 

Always consult your airline's policy page if this is a major concern.

https://www.delta.com/us/en/change-cancel/overview

https://www.aa.com/i18n/customer-service/faqs/customer-service-faqs.jsp

https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/booking/refund-policies.html

https://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/purchasing-and-refunds/refund-info-pol.html

https://customersupport.spirit.com/en-us/category/article/KA-01195

 

 

Edited December 9, 2021 by DynamicUno

[KeepItReal]

26 minutes ago, Sixty said:

IF ONE'S TRAVEL PLANS CHANGE, IS IT POSSIBLE TO CANCEL A FLIGHT A MONTH IN ADVANCE ?

I DON'T FLY SO THIS IS UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY.

THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT

Why are you SHOUTING? I promise, we can hear you just fine.  😁

 

You can cancel your trip at any time. I am guessing your question relates more to whether you can cancel and get your money back? 🤓  That depends on the airline and travel agency policy around cancelations AND if you booked a "no cancel" type cheap ticket.  

 

Most airlines and travel agencies allow you to cancel and get your money back within 24 hours of making the reservation. After that initial 24 hours, there really aren't any hard rules. Sorry. 

[Sixty]

Thank you Benjamin

We can always rely on you.

[Sixty]

Thanks Guys

Not my flight but a friend's flight to me on Jan 7.

he wants me to pay for his flight and I'm thinking there is another solution

[+ azdr0710]

33 minutes ago, Sixty said:

Thanks Guys

Not my flight but a friend's flight to me on Jan 7.

he wants me to pay for his flight and I'm thinking there is another solution

is there a provider involved??!!  😉

if so, I can refer you to several other related threads about THAT!

[MikeBiDude]

Recently with Southwest Airline (which covers a lot of my domestic travel) I’ve just started paying full fare for my self and/or a young man I’m flying in, which is 100% refundable up to 20-30 mins before your flight. This has proved to be a wise investment in the last few months with travel hiccups and friend’s changed plans.

Any fare on Southwest can be refunded for future travel, my full fare tix are refundable to original payment option or to future travel.

[CuriousByNature]

2 hours ago, KeepItReal said:

Why are you SHOUTING? I promise, we can hear you just fine.  😁

 

You can cancel your trip at any time. I am guessing your question relates more to whether you can cancel and get your money back? 🤓  That depends on the airline and travel agency policy around cancelations AND if you booked a "no cancel" type cheap ticket.  

 

Most airlines and travel agencies allow you to cancel and get your money back within 24 hours of making the reservation. After that initial 24 hours, there really aren't any hard rules. Sorry. 

Hahaha - I always used to write my emails in capital letters because I tend to print in capitals, until someone asked me why I was always angry... 🤣

[marylander1940]

3 hours ago, Sixty said:

IF ONE'S TRAVEL PLANS CHANGE, IS IT POSSIBLE TO CANCEL A FLIGHT A MONTH IN ADVANCE ?

I DON'T FLY SO THIS IS UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY.

THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT

Depends on your membership and the airline. Best case scenario you'll get a voucher.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Sixty said:

Thanks Guys

Not my flight but a friend's flight to me on Jan 7.

he wants me to pay for his flight and I'm thinking there is another solution

I'm not sure of the reason the OP is asking the question. One concern might be that he could pay for a ticket for someone, and that person could just switch it to some different trip the person prefers, and the OP would be out of the money. That did happen to me while I was meeting men from "Seeking Arrangements" in between my lyin' Paraguayan and "Chris." I bought him a ticket, and he simply blew off our meeting and switched his flight for some other reason. Prior to the pandemic, if someone didn't show up for a nonrefundable fare, the fare would just be lost. 

If this is the concern, I think that tickets purchased via Priceline or Hotwire are the only ones that are truly "use it or lose it." So if the OP's concern is that he might be ripped off, one solution would be to buy the tickets on Priceline or Hotwire. But the passenger will be boarding Group 9, so forget about any carry-on which won't fit under the seat!

[jtwalker]

I realize this may not help you now, but Southwest always has some form of free cancellation.  Even on their cheapest fare, you can cancel without penalty and use a credit to reschedule for up to one year.

One of the many reasons I fly Southwest whenever I can.

[+ tassojunior]

On 12/9/2021 at 10:21 AM, Sixty said:

Thanks Guys

Not my flight but a friend's flight to me on Jan 7.

he wants me to pay for his flight and I'm thinking there is another solution

I can tell you from much recent experience booking/cancelling, airlines vary a lot, especially international ones. With Delta, American, United etc you're fine. (I've had a little hassle with Avianca from US to Columbia recently while British immediately refunded a MIA to Buenos Aires miles award). If you can book on miles do. Miles are refunded immediately with no fees always.

Here's all the latest reward refund policies.

Edited December 15, 2021 by tassojunior

[socurious]

• The sooner the better.

[Alex93108]

On 12/9/2021 at 10:13 AM, Benjamin_Nicholas said:

Yes.

And depending on the fare class and airline, it will either be fully refunded or can be used as a credit for future flying (usually with a one year expiration).

Make sure to save your TICKET NUMBER (not the confirmation number).  That's the unique identifier that the airline uses to see the credit.

I’m impressed you know how this works . A sign of a well travelled man 

I will add tho that - if the flight is canceled by the airline , in the United states at least , you are entitled to full refund , within 7 days 

The airlines hate this but there are ways to make them comply 

Edited December 17, 2021 by jetlow

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

2 hours ago, jetlow said:

The airlines hate this but there are ways to make them comply 

A helpful trick is to find, read and understand your airline Contract Of Carriage. They're different for each carrier. It's basically the bible of what you can and can't demand when the shit hits the fan. 

In having flown 6+ million miles with American Airlines, it's been a huge help when dealing with agents who want to be difficult.

Edited December 17, 2021 by Benjamin_Nicholas