Refunds

Travel plans sometimes change and you may want a refund for a purchased airline ticket or other related services such as baggage or seat fees.  This page contains useful information to determine whether you are entitled to a refund for air fare or services related to a scheduled flight. 

Am I Entitled to a Refund?

In the following situations, consumers are entitled to a refund of the ticket price and/or associated fees.

• Cancelled Flight – A consumer is entitled to a refund if the airline cancelled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel.

• Schedule Change/Significant Delay - A consumer is entitled to a refund if the airline made a significant schedule change and/or significantly delays a flight and the consumer chooses not to travel.
   
  • DOT has not specifically defined what constitutes a “significant delay.”  Whether you are entitled to a refund depends on many factors – including the length of the delay, the length of the flight, and your particular circumstances.  DOT determines whether you are entitled to a refund following a significant delay on a case-by-case basis.

• Class of Service Change - A consumer is entitled to a refund if the consumer was involuntarily moved to a lower class of service.  For example, if the consumer purchased a first-class ticket and was downgraded to economy class due to an aircraft swap, the consumer is owed the difference in fares.
   
• Optional Service Fees - A consumer is entitled to a refund of fees paid for an optional service (for example, baggage fees, seat upgrades, or in-flight Wi-Fi) if the consumer was unable to use the optional service due to a flight cancellation, delay, schedule change, or a situation where the consumer was involuntarily denied boarding.
   
  • Note: In situations where you have purchased an optional service and that amenity either does not work or is not available on the flight, you may need to notify the airline of the problem to receive a refund.

• Baggage Fees - A consumer is entitled to a refund if the consumer paid a baggage fee and his or her baggage has been declared lost by the airline.
   
  • Airlines may have different policies to determine when a bag is officially lost.  Most airlines will declare a bag lost between five and fourteen days after the flight, but this can vary from one airline to another. 
     
  • If an airline unreasonably refuses to consider a bag lost after it has been missing for an unreasonable period of time, the airline could be subject to enforcement action by the DOT.
     
  • Learn more about lost, delayed, or damaged baggage.

• Fully refundable ticket - Consumers who purchase fully refundable tickets are entitled to a refund when they do not use the purchased ticket to complete their travel

In the following situations, consumers are not entitled to refunds except under very limited circumstances: 

• Non-refundable tickets - Consumers who purchase non-refundable tickets are not entitled to a refund unless the airline makes a promise to provide a refund or the airline cancels a flight or makes a significant schedule change.    
   
• Personal Issue - Consumers who purchase nonrefundable tickets, but are unable to travel for a personal reason, such as being sick or late to the airport, are not entitled to a refund.
   
• Unsatisfactory Service - A consumer who willingly takes a flight but has a bad experience with the airline or the flight is not entitled to a refund.
   
• Incidental Expenses – A consumer who incurs incidental expenses such as a rental car, hotel room, or meal due to a significantly delayed or cancelled flight is not entitled to a refund of the incidental expenses. 

Note: While airlines are not required to issue a refund for non-refundable tickets, they are free to do so or they may issue a credit or travel voucher for future use on the airline.  Airlines must also comply with the promises they make, and in some instances, they may be willing to offer passengers accommodations or other benefits that they are not required to provide.  Contact the airline directly to inquire about additional accommodations or benefits. 

What if I purchased or reserved my ticket through a travel agent or online travel agency?

• Ticket agents and online travel agencies are required to make “proper” refunds when service cannot be performed as contracted on a flight to, within, or from the United States.

• The Department interprets the requirement for ticket agents to provide "proper" refunds to include providing refunds in any instance when the following conditions are met:
   
  • (i) an airlines cancels or significantly changes a flight; 
     
  • (ii) an airline acknowledges that a consumer is entitled to a refunds; and
     
  • (iii) passenger funds are possessed by a ticket agent.

What should I do if I am entitled to a refund and would like to receive one from an airline or ticket agent?

• You should proactively request a refund in writing from an airline or a ticket agent if you believe that you are entitled to a refund.

• If you contact the airline or ticket agent to obtain a required refund and you are refused that refund, you should file a complaint against the airline or ticket agent with the Department at https://secure.dot.gov/air-travel-complaint.

Cancelling a Ticket Reservation or Purchase within 24 hours of Booking

• For airline tickets that are purchased at least seven days before a flight’s scheduled departure date and time, airlines are required to either:

  • allow consumers to cancel their reservation and receive a full refund without a penalty for 24 hours, or

  • allow consumers to reserve a ticket (place it on hold) at the quoted prices without paying for the ticket for 24 hours.

• Airlines are not required to offer both a hold and a refund option. Check your airline’s policy before purchasing a ticket. However, if an airline accepts a reservation without payment, it must allow the consumer to cancel the reservation within 24 hours without penalty. If an airline requires payment with a reservation, it must allow the consumer to cancel the payment and reservation within 24 hours and receive a full refund.

• Although airlines must hold a reservation for 24 hours or provide a refund to consumers at their request within 24 hours of making a reservation, airlines are not required to make changes to a ticket free of charge (for example - change your ticket to a different date or correct a misspelled name on the reservation).

  • In some cases, instead of paying for a change fee and a potential difference between the original ticket price and the current ticket price, it may be cheaper to request a refund for the ticket and rebook. However, please keep in mind that ticket prices can change quickly.

Does the 24-hour refund/reservation requirement apply to tickets purchased or reserved through a travel agent or online travel agency?

• No, the 24-hour refund/reservation requirement for airlines does not apply to tickets booked through online travel agencies, travel agents, or other third-party agents.  However, these agents are free to apply the same or similar procedures to provide equivalent or similar customer service.

• If you purchased your ticket through an online travel agency (or other agent), you should contact the travel agent directly to obtain a refund before contacting the airline.

How quickly are airlines, travel agents, and online travel agencies required to process a refund?

• Airlines and ticket agents are required to make refunds promptly.

• For airlines, “prompt” is defined as being within 7 business days if a passenger paid by credit card, and within 20 days if a passenger paid by cash or check.

• For ticket agents, prompt is not defined.

  • This may be addressed in a future DOT rulemaking. More information can be found here: 

    • Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer Protections

    • Air Transportation Consumer Protection Requirements for Ticket Agents