24 Hour Cancellation & Refund Policies for Leading U.S. Airlines
When you book a flight with any major or minor airline then there could be scenarios where you will have to make modifications or even cancel your flight ticket. It comes in handy when you have the golden policy of 24 hours cancellation of almost all the leading U.S. Airlines. The Department of Transportation (DOT) mandates that US airlines give passengers the option to hold, modify, or cancel an airline ticket without incurring fees within 24 hours after making a reservation for a flight. They mandate that if a passenger cancels their reservation seven days or more before the flight's scheduled departure time, the airline must issue a full refund in the original manner of payment.
What does the 24-hour cancellation policy entail?
According to a customer service requirement established by the Department of Transportation, airlines must permit customers to hold reservations at the quoted fare for 24 hours without making a payment or to cancel them within 24 hours of making a purchase without incurring any fees and receiving a full refund to the original method of payment. The 24-hour rule must be followed by all airlines flying to, from, and within the United States. After the ticket is bought, the timer starts running for 24 hours.
The rule is especially helpful for travelers who want to take advantage of a last-minute airfare discount or who need an extra day to finalize their plans. The best course of action is to book the offer right away to lock in the cheap price and give yourself 24 hours to determine if you want to keep the tickets or request a full refund.
All rates, including those with restrictions like basic economy tickets or other frequently non-refundable reservations, are subject to the 24-hour refund rule. There are rare situations, nevertheless, where the return policies do not apply.
24-Hour Cancellation Policies
American Airlines:
The 24-hour hold option provided by American Airlines really expires at 11:59 PM CT the following day. Accordingly, if you purchase a ticket early in the day, the hold will remain considerably longer than 24 hours. For flights leaving at least seven days later, these holds are available. However, American permits free cancellation for both revenue and award tickets within 24 hours of buying for flights departing within two days.
United Airlines:
United Airlines offers free adjustments and cancellations up to 24 hours after the purchase, starting at that time. FareLock is a paid hold choice provided by United. These holds can last three or seven days and vary in price depending on the ticket. Additionally, Basic Economy rates are not subject to cancellations or changes within 24 hours, although they are still subject to full refunds if changed. This is valid provided that the purchase was made at least a week before departure.
Delta Air Lines:
If a ticket is canceled by midnight on the day after it is purchased or by midnight on the day before the first flight, whichever comes first, Delta will offer a full refund. Awards tickets are also subject to this condition. However, Delta does not allow free adjustments to award tickets that are less than 72 hours from departure.
Alaska Airlines:
Alaska Airlines' policy is fairly lenient, allowing free modifications and cancellations if done at least 60 days before departure. On revenue tickets for flights that are entirely within the state of Alaska, Alaska additionally provides free changes.
Southwest Airlines:
If the reservation is booked at least a week before travel, JetBlue allows cancellations without fees up to 24 hours after booking. The full fare is refunded to the original method of payment in this sort of cancellation. Similar to Southwest, cancellations made within 24 hours of the original booking are only eligible for a JetBlue credit return. In the event of a "no show" without a cancellation before departure, the payment will be lost.
JetBlue:
If the reservation is booked at least a week before travel, JetBlue allows cancellations without fees up to 24 hours after booking. The full fare is refunded to the original method of payment in this sort of cancellation. Similar to Southwest, cancellations made within 24 hours of the original booking are only eligible for a JetBlue credit return. Without a cancellation made before departure, a "no show" will result in the loss of the deposit.
The exceptions
It's vital to remember that there are a few situations in which the DOT rule does not apply. Only reservations made at least seven days prior to travel are subject to the refund policy. The 24-hour restriction does not apply to reservations made fewer than seven days prior to the flight's departure date, therefore you will not have a grace period to cancel and receive a full refund.
Additionally, airlines can decide whether to offer refunds for reservations that are cancelled within 24 hours of purchase or to let clients hold their flights without making a payment for 24 hours. (American Airlines, for instance, offers the choice to keep the fare rather than issue refunds.) They don't need to carry out both. You won't be qualified for a refund under DOT regulations if you decide to cancel if you have already held your fare for one day without payment and then decide to buy that ticket.
Only tickets bought directly from an airline are covered by the 24-hour cancellation policy. The DOT rule won't apply to your ticket if you purchase it from an online travel agency like Orbitz or Expedia; instead, the third party's refund policy will apply to your reservation.
How should one respond if an airline doesn't adhere to the 24-hour rule?
Airlines are required by the DOT to inform customers clearly about the one-day refund grace period on their websites and whenever a passenger contacts them. This means that customer service agents must not only explain the 24-hour reservation requirements to passengers who call them with questions about canceling, but they must also do so on the refund policy pages of the airline's website (such as on any terms and conditions pages or booking pop-up windows).
The DOT views any airline (including international airlines) operating flights to or from the United States that does not adhere to these rules as engaging in "unfair and deceptive" conduct. Customers can lodge a complaint with the Department online if they believe the airline is not abiding by the law.