What happens if you have to rebook a flight?

You will be responsible for any additional fare difference. However, if your new itinerary is cheaper than your original flight, you will not receive a refund for the fare difference. Flight cancellations will be refunded as a travel credit.



When you rebook a flight in 2026, the outcome depends heavily on your fare class and the reason for the change. If you are changing it voluntarily, most major airlines have eliminated "change fees" for standard economy and above, but you must still pay the Fare Difference. If the new flight is $200 more expensive, you pay that amount; if it is cheaper, you often receive the difference as an eCredit. However, if the airline cancels your flight or causes a major delay (typically 3+ hours), you are entitled to be rebooked on the next available flight for free, or you can request a full refund to your original payment method. In the U.S. and EU, specific passenger rights laws (like EC 261/2004) may also require the airline to provide food vouchers or hotel stays during the wait. If you have "Basic Economy," rebooking is often prohibited entirely, meaning you may lose the value of the ticket if you can't make the original flight, making it essential to read the "Fare Rules" before purchase.

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In many cases you can apply your ticket to another trip in the future, but there may be a steep fee. Many fares also have a penalty for changing flights or dates even if you don't want a refund. You may also have to pay any difference in air fares if your fare-type is not available on the new flight.

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If the change is significant enough and there are no other flights that work with your schedule, you do have the option to request a cash refund (even with a normally non-refundable basic economy fare). Again, this varies by airline; for United it's two hours, for Delta it's 90 minutes and for American it's 4 hours.

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Some airlines might require you to acknowledge and accept the change. On others, you may automatically be confirmed on the new flight. Get a refund. In other instances, the change may be significant enough that you no longer want to take the flight at all, and no alternative itinerary works with your schedule.

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Rescheduling a nonrefundable fare to a different date is usually possible, but it most often comes with a substantial penalty charge. For passengers in some deeply discounted fare classes, like basic economy, rescheduling a nonrefundable fare is not allowed.

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Flight Cancellations
If your flight is cancelled, most airlines will rebook you for free on their next flight to your destination as long as the flight has available seats.

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Check to see if there's a change fee. There's always an option to reschedule your flight instead of canceling it entirely, so check out your airline's policies ahead of time. For example, Southwest doesn't charge a change fee, so you could postpone the trip to a later date.

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Yes, you can change the date of your flight in case of emergencies or change of plans. But depending on the airline you are traveling with, you might have to pay a small change fee.

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If you want to change a ticket, you only have to pay the difference in fare. Refunds on canceled flights are given as a travel credit, which can typically be used within one year of the booking date. If you're looking for a same-day flight change, it will depend on the original ticket purchased.

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Is there a limit on how many changes I can make? No, you can change your flight as many times as you want, but you will be asked to pay a fare difference if the flight you're changing to costs more than your previous itinerary.

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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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Yes, you can reschedule or cancel a flight. However, you may need to pay a change or cancellation fee depending on the airline you booked with and the fare class of your ticket. Luckily during Covid-19, many airlines have reduced change fees or waived them altogether.

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Many airlines have currently waived change fees for economy fares and higher, but still require change fees for basic economy fares. These fees can range from $25 to $100+, depending on the airline's policy.

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