Posted on: Sunday, February 25, 2007
What can I expect if I cancel my flight?
By Alfred Borcover
Chicago Tribune
Here's one question you must ask the next time you buy a non-refundable airline ticket:
What are the rules of the fare — the exact information on applicable fees and penalties should you not be able to take the flight?
While you can't get your money back for them, nonrefundable tickets can be used within a year of the date of issue provided you cancel your flight usually an hour, sometimes less, before departure. Expect to pay a fee to rebook.
The reason you should ask about the rules of the fare — not always easy to find online, if that's how you book — is because e-tickets don't detail those rules. And rules and fees vary among airlines.
What follows is an alphabetical listing of most major U.S. carriers — and several foreign-based carriers — and their non-refundable policies.
AirTran Airways. Cancellations must be made at least one hour before your scheduled departure, and there is a $60 charge for changes. The $60 is deducted from the fare you paid, and the balance becomes a credit. The credit is valid for one year from your original date of purchase. If the new flight costs less than you originally paid, less the change fee, the balance remains in your credit file for future use.
Alaska Airlines. Tickets can be canceled up to two hours before flight time, but can be rebooked and used within a year of the original departure date. The fee to rebook is $50. Customers are encouraged (but not required) to make their new itinerary equal the price of the original ticket. No credits for the difference if the new itinerary is priced lower than the original non-refundable category.
American Airlines. A passenger who cancels a flight anytime before departure can rebook and travel within a year of when the ticket was issued. The change fee is $100 domestically and varies internationally by market, but $200 is typical. If the new itinerary costs less, the customer gets a voucher for another flight minus the change fee.
Continental Airlines. Tickets can be canceled up to the time of departure; reissued tickets are valid for one year from the original date of purchase. Change fees vary based on different fares and different markets, but typically range from $50 to $100 on domestic and $100 to $200 on international nonrefundable fares. If the reissued ticket is less than the original, the difference, minus the change fee, is credited in the form of a travel certificate. The travel certificate would have an expiration date a year from the original date of ticket purchase.
Delta Air Lines. A ticket can be canceled anytime before departure and remains valid for one year from the date of issue. The domestic change fee is $50; international is $100. If the customer converts the original ticket to a lesser price fare, the refund — less the change fee — comes in the form of a flight voucher.
JetBlue Airways. Customers can cancel anytime before departure to get a JetBlue credit minus a $30 processing fee. The flight credit can be used up to a full year after it is issued. It is fully transferable as well. If a customer cancels a reservation online, the processing fee is $25 instead of $30.
Midwest Airlines. Customers can cancel anytime before departure. Nonrefundable fares carry a $100 change fee. Tickets are valid for one year from the date of purchase. If the rebooked flight costs less than the original ticket's fare, the difference is applied toward the $100 administrative fee. If the savings is more than $100, the customer receives a voucher, good for one year from the date of purchase.
Northwest Airlines. Tickets expire one year after the originally scheduled date of departure. It's preferred that you cancel the night before, but you can cancel up to departure time. However, to remain valid, the ticket must be exchanged for a new flight within 90 days after the first missed flight date. There's generally a $100 change fee. The same rule applies to international tickets, but the change fee generally is $200. If the rebooked fare is less than the original fare, the savings are applied to the change fee, with any additional savings given as a voucher.
Southwest Airlines. Customers can cancel up to 10 minutes before departure. The money from a canceled flight is held for one year in the original reservation number and can be applied toward another reservation. There are no penalties or cancellation fees.
United Airlines. Domestic and international passengers who cancel anytime before the scheduled departure will be issued a flight credit, minus a $100 change fee, good for a year from the date the ticket was issued. If the new flight costs less than this flight credit, international passengers will not get a refund or further credit, but domestic passengers will receive a flight voucher, good for a year from the original ticket issue date, for the difference.
US Airways. If you cancel anytime before departure, the rebooking fee is $100 domestic, $200 international, and travel must be completed within one year of the original date of issue. Any further refunds due are in the form of a travel voucher.
Air Canada. Cancellations must be made two hours before flight time. Outbound travel on the rebooked flight must begin within one year of the original ticket issuance. A $34 (U.S.) change or reissue fee applies to each one-way segment. If the replacement ticket is cheaper than the original, the customer forfeits the difference.
British Airways. Cancellations must be made at least 24 hours before departure, but each Economy Class fare category is subject to its own fare rules. The change fee is $200; rebooked tickets are good for a year from the date the original ticket was issued. If the new ticket is less than the original ticket minus the change fee, the customer receives a flight voucher for the difference.
Lufthansa. You can cancel any time before departure. Lufthansa issues a flight voucher for the value of the ticket minus a $200 service fee, good for one year from the date of the original ticket issuance. Each Economy Class ticket, depending on the fare, has its own rules that govern such things as cancellation. Other rules may apply depending on the type of fare purchased.
An exception to the nonrefundable ticket rules comes from airline ticket consolidators, agencies that specialize in discount international tickets, who generally refund your money — for a fee.
"Most of the time, consolidator tickets are changeable and refundable," said Ajay Gidwani, executive vice president of Evanston, Ill.-based Intra World Travel & Tours. "The fee is anywhere from $200 to $250 in Economy Class, and from $300 to $400 in Business Class."
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