Change your mind about that plane ticketor find a better deal?
There is a way to get your money back even if you bought a nonrefundable ticket. And there are no pesky change fees involved.
The catch: You have to cancel within 24 hours of booking.
Airlines are required by the U.S. Department of Transportation to refund your money if you cancel a flight within 24 hours of booking unless they offer a free 24-hour hold option when shopping for tickets. The policy covers even basic economy tickets, those no-frills fares that come with a bunch of restrictions, including no ticket changes.
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Think of it as insurance for buyer's remorse orimpulse ticket purchases you made without checking the vacation schedule at work. It's helpful, too, if you buy a ticket one day and find a better deal or flight option the next. And many airlines also offer free ticket changes within 24 hours of booking under this policy in case you need to tinker with dates or the name on a reservation. (Note that any fare differencesince you booked will usually apply.)
"Planning a trip can be complicated; hurdles tend to pop up when you're least expecting them,'' Alaska Airlines says on its website. "No matter what sort of surprises life has in store, you have the flexibility to cancel your travel with our 24-hour cancellation policy.''
There is fine print, of course. TheDOT's 24-hour cancellationpolicy does not covertickets purchased for last-minute travel, defined by the DOT as less than seven days before departure.
The good news for travelers, though, is that some airlines have even more generous policies. A few allow refunds within 24 hours of booking any ticket, even if it's for travel that day or the next day.
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Note that the DOT policyapplies only to tickets purchased directly from airlines, not from travel agents or online travel agencies.
Expedia,for example,says its flightcancellation policies are based on individual airline rules and restrictions.
That's not to say you'll get your money back immediately. Many airline policies note that refund timetables are largely determined by credit card companies.
After the24-hourcancellation period, of course, travelers holding nonrefundable airline tickets face onerousfees on most major airlines except Southwest unless they are able topolitelyplead their casewith the airline. Major airlines routinely charge $200 and up to change or cancel a ticket, making lower-priced tickets useless in the process. And no changes are allowed on basic-economy tickets.
What to know about airline free 24-hour cancellation policies
► American Airlines: Covers tickets booked at least two daysprior to departure.American also offers a free 24-hour hold optionon certain flights booked at least seven days in advance, as well as paid extended holds on some routes.
► Delta Air Lines: Covers eTickets purchased through the airline's website,Reservation Sales,airport ticket counters andDelta ticket offices. Tickets purchased with cash over the phone are not eligible for the guarantee, but the airline will hold fares for those tickets for 24 hours. Delta also does not charge change or cancellation fees on most tickets, excluding flights from. Travelers who cancel more than 24 hours after their purchase will receive a credit for the value of their ticket, which can be used to purchase future flights. The ticket value can also be used directly on flight changes, but fare differences will apply.
► United Airlines: Covers tickets purchased at least seven days prior to departure.The airline does not charge change or cancellation fees on most tickets for domestic and Caribbean flights.
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► Southwest Airlines: Covers all tickets, regardless of travel date. For ticket changes and cancellations outside the 24-hour window, Southwest will issue a credit in the amount of the ticket. The airline does not charge change fees, but fare differences apply.
► JetBlue Airways: Covers tickets purchased for travel at least seven daysbefore departure.
► Alaska Airlines: Covers tickets purchased for travel more than 24 hours before departure.
► Frontier Airlines:Coversticketspurchased for travel at least sevendays before departure.
► Spirit Airlines: Covers tickets purchased for travel at least sevendays before departure.
► Allegiant Air: Covers tickets purchased for travel at least seven days before departure.
► Hawaiian Airlines:Covers tickets purchased for travel at least seven days before departure.
Contributing: Zach Wichter and Nathan Diller, USA TODAY
