Cancelling a Ticket Reservation or Purchase within 24 hours of Booking. For airline tickets that are purchased at least seven days before a flight's scheduled departure date and time, airlines are required to either: allow consumers to cancel their reservation and receive a full refund without a penalty for 24 hours, ...

The minimum time to cancel a flight ticket varies by airline, fare type, and local regulations, but a near-universal industry standard is the 24-hour rule. Most major airlines allow you to cancel a booking within 24 hours of purchase for a full refund, provided the flight is scheduled to depart at least seven days (or sometimes 48-72 hours) in advance. Beyond this window, the rules get stricter; for "non-refundable" tickets, you can often cancel up until 1 to 2 hours before departure, but you will typically receive a travel credit minus a hefty cancellation fee rather than a cash refund. For "refundable" or "flex" fares, you can often cancel right up until the gate closes, though even then, a "no-show" fee may apply if you wait until after takeoff. In India, the DGCA has proposed and implemented rules allowing for fee-free cancellations within 24-48 hours of booking. Generally, if you are seeking a refund or credit, the "absolute deadline" is considered to be the close of the check-in window, which is usually 60 minutes for domestic and 120 minutes for international flights.