You have booked an air ticket, but you fail to fly according to your plan. There might be plenty of reasons that can cancel or delay your traveling. Cancelling your ticket is not a big thing, but getting the refund can sometimes be a big challenge.
One of the big mistakes people do while booking a ticket is they don’t check if the ticket is refundable or not. If you are also concerned about the refund, here are a few important things for you.
Is your ticket flexible or refundable?
The chances of getting back the refund may depend on various factors. Before wondering can you get a refund on plane tickets, you have to check your ticket properly. Read and understand the terms and conditions of flight cancellation and refunds from the concerned airline company. If you are unable to know which type of ticket you are holding, immediately pick your cellphone and dial the customer service number of the airline.
There are different types of tickets available from airlines. Always make sure to check the type of ticket you are getting. If you were unable to check at the time of booking, you can call the airline company or check it online as well. Flight ticket refund is only possible on the flexible or refundable type of tickets.
Special instances when airlines usually issue a refund:
Doesn’t matter what are the terms and conditions on ticket cancellation and refunds from the airlines. There are some special circumstances when the airline companies need to initiate the refund. Extreme travel advisory warnings like a death in the family, extreme atmospheric conditions, and terrorist threats etc. are the major reasons for automatic refund or refund on your request. However, there are some airlines with tough refunds policies, and they do not initiate any type of refund no matter what happens.
Tips to increase the chances of getting the refund:
If you are wondering about can I cancel a flight and get a refund, here are a few important tips for you. You can improve your chances of getting the refund on flight cancellation.
- Call the airline company immediately:
The first thing to do is to call the airline company as soon as possible. If you have to change your mind due to any reason, dial the customer service number. Most of the airline companies are very helpful and supportive. They will assist you on the flight ticket refund. They will access the possibility of a refund and will initiate the process of transferring the refund amount.
You must have to note that, the closer is the cancellation to the departure date, the lesser are the chances of getting your money back. A lot of airline companies have the policy to cancel or change the flight within 24 hours of booking time. In this case, you will get the whole ticket charge without any deduction.
- Be in touch with the booking company or travel agent:
If you have booked your international flight through an agent, you will have to ask them to cancel the ticket. Different travel agents and companies have different flight ticket refund rules, and they also have to contact the airline company to initiate the refund. The possibility of ticket cancellation and refund again depends on the type of your air ticket, destination, and the time left for the departure of your flight. Your travel agent may charge you a little extra for the arduous task of international ticket cancellation. But here you get the maximum chances of getting a good portion of your refund.Â
- Keep flight change into consideration:
If you are a regular traveler, changing the flight is an easy and more realistic option than that of cancellation. Most of the airline companies allow for the change in destination, date or time of the journey even after booking the ticket. If you have the question “can I cancel a flight and get the refund”? Try to change it with “can I change my destination, date, or the time of the journey”. It will keep you in better space as it is a very easy and more realistic option.
If you are opting for the flight change option, you are allowed to do so without any extra cost plus the difference between fares (if any). So, opting for a flight change is a far better option than cancelling your booked flight.
Hope you get the answer to your question, “can I cancel a flight and get a refund?” It is not always the easiest of options and depends on numerous factors, primarily the cancellation and refund policies from the concerned airline company. Always be more than a hundred per cent sure about your journey. If you can’t make to the airport on the day of your journey due to any reason, follow the steps as mentioned earlier to analyze your chances of getting the refund. You can also think about a more realistic option, the flight change.
