Can Plane Tickets be Refunded?

Travel plans change, but you may be wondering if your plane tickets can be refunded?

There are many ways to get money back if you are no longer able to use your plane tickets. We’ll go over the different things you need to check to see if you are eligible for a refund. Plus, what travel regulations may protect your right to a refund, and uncovering any often overlooked credit card benefits that may help you get your money back.

When you’re trying to determine if your plane tickets can be refunded, the type of airline ticket you purchased will be the first thing you want to look at. Typically, there are different tiers of tickets that airlines will offer, and each tier includes different benefits. One of the most popular benefits included in higher tiers is the ability to easily cancel or refund your plane ticket.

Let’s look at Southwest airlines as an example. Their lowest tier ticket option is “Wanna Get Away” gives you the lowest price possible for the flight, but does not include free refunds. However, both of their higher levels “Anytime” and “Business Select” are refundable (with some stipulations).

So if you spent a little more money upfront for a higher tier ticket, you may be in luck! Check out the benefits of your purchased tier to see if your ticket is automatically eligible for a refund. If you know you bought the lowest tier ticket, it is most likely if not going to be easy to get a refund. However, read on to see what you need to check next.

No matter what type of ticket you purchased, there may still be a way to get a refund. The primary question this comes down to is why you are requesting a refund.

If you want a refund because the airline cancelled your flight, good news! In the case of cancelled flights, all tickets for that flight are eligible for a complete refund. If you want a refund because your flight has been significantly delayed, or there has been a significant schedule change, your ticket can also be refunded per the Department of Transportation’s rules.

Now if the reason for needing a refund is of a more personal nature, and not the airline’s fault, read on to the next section to see if you can still get a refund.

If your reason for wanting a refund on your plane ticket is not the fault of the airline, you may still be eligible for a refund. Reasons such as illness, injury, death, or natural disasters, are often still covered by travel insurance.

If you purchased a travel insurance policy for your trip, you will want to check to see if your reason is covered and refundable. Be sure to review what documentation you may need and then submit your claim to be issued a refund.

Now if you didn’t purchase a separate travel policy, you may still be covered by Trip Protection. This is a benefit that is often included on many travel credit cards. Review which credit card you used to make the plane ticket purchase, and then review the travel benefits associated with that card. If your card does include a type of Trip Protection, simply review the documentation needed and submit your claim for a refund.

The last option for getting any sort of refund for your plane ticket is through cancellation. Even if you bought a non-refundable ticket. Or the airline didn’t cancel your flight. Or you don’t have any trip insurance. You may still be able to get some of your money back or get credits to a future flight.

By cancelling your flight ahead of time, there may be some hope to getting part of your plane ticket refunded. Most airlines will charge you a steep cancellation fee, rebooking fee, or just offer you future flight credits.

If we go back to the Southwest example where the lowest tier “Wanna Get Away” is not refundable, but does still have other options. This tier is still eligible to get flight credit for the full amount to be used in the next 12 months, if you decide to cancel your flight.

If you need to cancel your flight, the sooner the better. Many airlines have higher cancellation fees when you get closer to the day of the flight. And even through you weren’t able to get your air plane tickets refunded, you will still get something back!