You can cancel a ticket essentially up until the day of travel, so there's no sense in canceling early and paying a fee. If, for example, there's some unrest in the area or bad weather, the airline may end up canceling your flight altogether and then you can get your money back.

Whether you can get a refund for a flight canceled 24 hours before departure depends entirely on the type of ticket you purchased. If you bought a Refundable/Flexible fare, you are entitled to a full refund back to your original payment method. However, most travelers buy Non-Refundable fares (like Basic Economy), which generally do not offer cash refunds. Instead, most major airlines in 2026 will allow you to cancel for a Flight Credit (minus a possible change fee), provided you cancel before the flight departs. In India, new DGCA rules in 2026 provide a 48-hour "cool-off" window for free cancellation, but this only applies if the booking was made at least 7 to 15 days before departure. If you are canceling due to a medical emergency or a death in the family, you may be able to claim a refund through travel insurance or by providing documentation to the airline’s "Bereavement" or "Customer Relations" department for a discretionary exception.