Advice on plane ticket refunds, including what kinds of tickets are refundable and non-refundable, exceptions to the rules and how to apply for a refund.
Getting a refund of the price of your ticket from your airline is - like many other aspects of air travel - a little bit more confusing than it should be. The first obstacle is that many tickets are simply non-refundable, although as long as you cancel your trip before the departure date, you can re-use the ticket within a year for a fee - plus any difference in the price. If the new ticket price is lower, you get a refund of the difference.
In general, to have a ticket that is fully refundable, you will need to pay more for that privilege. Full price tickets in economy, business and first class are usually fully refundable. Certain promotional or "˜special' fare tickets are refundable too, including military fares, senior fares, government fares and "˜emergency' or "˜bereavement' fares. Always ask your airline sales representative or travel agent exactly what the rules are as far as being able to refund your ticket. If you book your ticket on line on your airline's website, the rules regarding this should be displayed too. Be warned - they are not always clearly displayed, nor are they always easy to understand, as they are often written in airline "˜jargon'. If you book a cheap ticket on some of the travel websites such as Expedia or Travelocity, be sure to read the rules - your ticket may be nonrefundable as well as not allowing any changes. It may be worth paying a little bit more to have the flexibility of a ticket that's refundable - especially if you are booking a long way ahead and your plans may change.
Assuming that the plane ticket you have purchased is refundable, and you want your money back, what next? If you purchased your ticket on a travel website or through a travel agency, you may have to process the refund through them. If you bought your ticket directly through the airline, the easiest way is to contact the airline. Today, around 90% of all tickets are "˜electronic' tickets - the refund is simply processed over the phone and the money refunded back to you. If you have a paper ticket, you will either have to take it into the airport to have the refund processed; or mail it back to your airline. If you mail it, send it overnight or registered mail, and make a photocopy of it, or at least note the ticket number.
Don't expect the refund process to be quick - most plane tickets are paid for with credit cards and your refund amount will be put back on the card. Depending on the timing of the transaction, this may take one or two billing cycles - in other words, up to two months before you get your money back. If you paid by cash or credit card, the procedure is usually quicker. If you paid in a foreign currency or at an overseas location, it may take more time to process the refund. If you have lost your paper ticket, but still are unable to travel, this may further delay the refund process. There may also be a "˜lost ticket charge' deducted from the refund amount. If you paid for a ticket in someone else's name, the refund is always given to the actual purchaser, rather than the person traveling.
Even though most cheaper tickets are non-refundable, there are generally some exceptions to this rule. If you or someone in your party is unable to travel due to illness or death of a relative, you can probably get a refund on your ticket. It may depend on where you were traveling - most international plane tickets have this flexibility built in. The airline may ask you to supply proof in the form of a doctor's note or a death certificate. If the airline has a schedule change - a change in flight times - that you find unacceptable, you are usually entitled to a full refund.
Mileage tickets - tickets obtained with frequent flyer miles - have their own rules. In the event of you being unable to take your trip you can generally "˜refund' the miles back into your account. Any taxes you paid will also be refunded to you - again, it may take a while for the amount to go back on your credit card. There may be a charge to put back the miles, and any fees you paid to have the miles taken out or the tickets sent to you, won't be refunded. If you paid to purchase extra miles, this money is usually not refundable. The good news is that you will get all your miles back.
