If you cancel the ticket, you may be charged a fee. If the airline cancels the flight, you're entitled to a full cash refund. You can cancel a ticket essentially up until the day of travel, so there's no sense in canceling early and paying a fee.

Whether you can get a refund after canceling a flight depends on the fare type you purchased and the timing of the cancellation. Most "Economy" or "Basic" tickets are non-refundable; if you cancel, you may only receive a "Travel Credit" or voucher, or you may lose the money entirely. However, if you have a "Refundable" or "Flexible" ticket, you are entitled to a full refund to your original payment method. In the United States, a key rule is the "24-Hour Grace Period," which mandates that airlines must provide a full refund if you cancel within 24 hours of booking, provided the flight is at least seven days away. In 2026, new regulations from the DGCA in India have also introduced a 48-hour "free-look" window for flight bookings. If the airline cancels the flight themselves, you are legally entitled to a full cash refund, regardless of your ticket type. Furthermore, if you are canceling due to a significant schedule change (usually more than 3 hours), many airlines' "Contract of Carriage" rules allow for a refund. Always check the specific "Fare Rules" before clicking buy, as the "Non-refundable" label is very difficult to overturn once the 24-hour window has closed.