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How to Get a Refund on Non-Refundable Flights

How to Get a Refund on Non-Refundable Flights
Credit: Brendan Smialowski - Getty Images

Buying a nonrefundable airline ticket is a risky proposition; if your personal circumstances change, you’ll end up saddled with the cost of a useless ticket. But despite its label, the “nonrefundable” ticket is refundable—under the right circumstances.

For one, if your flight is canceled for any reason, you’re entitled to a refund on any nonrefundable ticket. If there’s any scheduling change⁠ ahead of time, too—as in, a change in departure or arrival time or time spent during a layover—you may also be entitled to a refund, though this depends on the airline’s exact policy. As Airfarewatchdog writes, you should still contact the airline and explain that the flight no longer works for you.

But what about instances in which you can’t make your flight for personal reasons? Well, it’s possible to obtain a refund—but it’ll take a little extra legwork.

“Sometimes, life happens; passengers fall ill before their flight or declare personal bankruptcy,” writes Elliot Advocacy, a non-profit consumer group. “Airlines review these refund requests on a case-by-case basis.”

If you’re feeling ill, for instance, you should provide an airline with a doctor’s note, which might get you out of paying for your ticket. As USA Today writes, if you aren’t sick, a kind word with an airline representative and an otherwise valid excuse might also help your case.

“I wrote the nicest, most gracious note I could think of,” one traveler who successfully received a refund for her United flight told USA Today. “I figured the employees reading these are drowning in accusations and negativity, so I made sure to lift them up and acknowledge how hard they worked and how much I love flying United.”

A nice email or phone call and some persistence are key. You might also try to leverage any elite status you have with an airline, too. At the very least, you can try to salvage the ticket and ask an airline representative to rebook your flight.

“Some airlines give you a refund minus a cancellation fee in the form of airline credit which can be used to book future flights with them for a small additional change fee,” writes u/wilfko on a Reddit thread. If you buy a nonrefundable ticket on Southwest, for example, you can cancel your flight for free and receive a travel credit that lasts a year; you’ll be responsible for paying for any airfare difference, which is still an excellent cancellation policy for an airline.

And if you want to know just how much you’ll have to pay to change your flight, take a look at our guide to change fees⁠—just be sure to change your flight sooner, rather than later.