Can airlines refuse to refund money?

Note: While airlines are not required to issue a refund for non-refundable tickets, they are free to do so or they may issue a credit or travel voucher for future use on the airline.



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Non-refundable tickets - Consumers who purchase non-refundable tickets are not entitled to a refund unless the airline makes a promise to provide a refund or the airline cancels a flight or makes a significant schedule change.

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To be clear: Refunds are required by law when the airline cancels the flight itself, for any reason, whether in the airline's control or not. If you want a refund and paid by credit card, you must get that refund within seven days.

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If airlines cancel a flight for any reason, passengers are legally entitled to a full refund, including for ticket price, taxes, baggage fees, extra charges and ancillary fees.

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What to do if your flight is canceled. If your flight has been canceled, remember that federal law entitles you to a full cash refund for the cost of your airfare (regardless of the reason). Follow these steps to rebook your itinerary and claim compensation.

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Covered reasons for Trip Cancellation
  • Medical reasons (unforeseen ailment, injury or death in the family)
  • Inclement weather or natural disasters (tropical storms, hurricanes, etc.)
  • Terrorist attack (in or around where you're planning to visit)
  • Financial default (of a carrier)
  • Involuntary layoff or termination.


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You can get a full flight ticket refund only if you booked a refundable ticket. However, airline ticket refund rules vary from airline to airline. Thus, it is better to refer to the airline's website or contact it directly for possible airfare reimbursement.

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If you contact the airline or ticket agent to obtain a required refund and you are refused that refund, you should file a complaint against the airline or ticket agent with the Department at https://secure.dot.gov/air-travel-complaint.

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Request cash—even if you volunteer
When your flight is overbooked, they may ask for volunteers in exchange for a voucher or a gift card. But it's your right to request money instead. In fact, under federal law, you have the right to a cash option.

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Unfortunately, the answer is probably not. In the United States, airlines are not required by law to financially compensate you for a canceled flight, and even theories like breach of contract fall flat given the “small print” provisions of most airlines' ticketing policies.

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If a flight is cancelled more than 14 days before it is due to depart, the airline is responsible for providing you with a full refund. The airline may offer you an alternative flight, either on their airline or another airline. This is known as re-routing.

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The bill would address airlines' refunds and reimbursement obligations to passengers, enhance protections for passengers with disabilities, boost hiring of air traffic controllers, shore up aviation safety, unlock funding to modernize airport infrastructure, invest in upgrades to the agency's technology and more.

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Tweeting at the airline's customer service team, submitting a request for compensation online or writing a letter the old fashioned way are other options that have met with success…

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If a flight you're booked on is delayed or cancelled you may be entitled to compensation. Under UK law, airlines are required to pay compensation to passengers when their flights are delayed or cancelled.

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Federal law doesn't require airlines to pay compensation to passengers for delays, Palmer said. If airlines cancel a flight for any reason, passengers are legally entitled to a full refund, including for ticket price, taxes, baggage fees, extra charges and ancillary fees.

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If your flight has been cancelled or delayed 3 hours or more (on arrival) and is caused by a reason within the control of Ryanair, you may be entitled to compensation, click here. Expenses claims will not be accepted for delays less than 2 hours.

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Has easyJet Rejected Your Claim? Airlines can be quite creative with their excuses for not paying out compensation for flight delays. If you've been told your claim is not valid it could be for a number of reasons including: Delay was due to a 'hidden manufacturing defect'

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