Yes, airlines do give refunds, but their willingness to do so is often dictated by federal law rather than just their own company policies. In the United States and many other regions in 2026, you are entitled to a full refund to your original payment method if the airline cancels your flight for any reason or makes a significant schedule change (typically defined as a change of more than 3 hours for domestic or 6 hours for international). You are also eligible for a refund if you cancel a booking within 24 hours of purchase, provided the flight was booked at least 7 days before departure. For "non-refundable" tickets where the flight still operates, you typically cannot get cash back if you choose not to fly, though you may receive a "Future Flight Credit" minus a change fee. Some airlines have introduced "Medical/Bereavement" exceptions, but these are increasingly rare and often require extensive documentation. A major 2024–2026 regulatory shift has also mandated that airlines must provide "automatic" refunds for cancelled flights rather than forcing passengers to jump through hoops to request them.