Cost to Change or Cancel a Flight in 2023 – Full Guide

Introduction

Although no one would ever wish to cancel a flight, especially when it’s either for a domestic or international trip, still changes in a plan could happen at any moment. For instance, if you seized the best travel deals online but suddenly you require to change or cancel flights. So air travelers must be always prepared with information like ‘How Much Does It Cost To Cancel or Make Change To A Flight’.

If you also have the same question, then read on. We are going to share in-depth details that how much airlines charge to make changes to an air ticket or flight cancelation. So without any further delay anymore, let’s get ahead and learn about the cost of flight cancellation and changes!

The cost for either changes or cancelation in flight will vary from one airline to another. We are going to break down each piece of information to simplify everything for you. Additionally, we will be disclosing some amazing tips to eliminate the chances of flight cancelation or changes. In general, the cost of making changes to air tickets or flight cancelation depends upon certain things like airline policy. However, airline policies may vary from one to another like some airlines may allow you to make changes with zero fees and some airlines may charge a nominal fee. For say, if you travel from Canada to India flight by Southwest airlines, then you can get flight changes or cancelation at zero cost.

For example – Most US-based airlines charge a penalty fee for making any change or canceling an economy-fare flight. The penalty fees for flight cancelation or changes can vary from $75 on a domestic flight to more than $400 on an international flight. However, Southwest Airlines does not charge any fees for either change in the flight or cancelation. Many airlines temporarily waived change fees due to the pandemic during Covid. In case you have elite status with a particular air carrier, then fees may be waived by the airline and you might be able to make changes to flights either at zero cost or at a low price. Also, if you have to cancel or change the best travel deals online flight due to Covid, then a waiver will be provided by most airlines.

List of Top Airlines & Their Flight Change Fees For Economy Fares

Carrier	Domestic changes	International change	Same-day change
Alaska Airlines	$0 (except Saver fares)	N/A	$25-$50
American Airlines	$0	$0	$75-$150
British Airways	$0 (through August 2022)	$0 (through August 2022)	N/A
Delta Air Lines	$0	$0	$75
Emirates	$0	$0	$0
Etihad Airways	$0 (through May 2022)	$0 (through May 2022)	$0 (through May 2022)
Frontier Airlines	$0-79	$0-$79	$79
JetBlue	$0–$100	$0–$200	$75 (waived for Mosaic customers)
Southwest Airlines	$0	$0	$0
United Airlines	$0 (excluding Basic Economy fares)	$0 (excluding Basic Economy fares)	$0 (excluding Basic Economy fares)
WestJet	~$39 – ~$366 (no changes allowed for basic economy fares)	~$39 – ~$366 (no changes allowed for basic economy fares)	~$39 – ~$366 no changes allowed for basic economy fares)

*Important Note* – The best yet simple method to avoid a penalty fee for flight change or cancelation is to make the required changes within 24 hours of booking.

Flight Changes/Cancelation After 24 Hours

Once you cross the 24-hour window, the next thing to be done is to wait and request the airline to make the changes prior to the departure time. This will help you to get a refund if you change or cancel. On the other hand, airlines like Southwest allow you to cancel the flight at no cost but you would require to submit valid proof. Also, if you have elite status with an airline, then the penalty fee might be exempted.

In case you require to cancel last minute flights due to Covid-19, then there are many airlines that offer special exceptions and waive cancelation fees. The first airline to permanently stop change and cancellation fees was United Airlines. Later, many other airlines followed the chain very quickly. Still, there are many exceptions but it’s nowadays comparatively easy to modify itineraries at little to no cost.

Flight Change or Cancelation With Credit Card Travel Insurance

In case, you did not get a refund after canceling your flight, then we would suggest you book domestic and international holiday packages with a credit card. Credit cards with travel insurance work as a savior when it comes to reimbursement of nonrefundable expenses, particularly on canceled flight trips. For say, if you book a tour flight with a credit card, then the best perk could be that you might be eligible for a refund. However, your flight purchase must be under the cover loss. The refund amount also depends on the credit card type. For example, you might be eligible for up to $20,000 but it completely depends on the credit card. In general, credit card covers injury, illness, or death of a traveling partner or business partner, weather, terrorism, and jury duty.

Normally, maximum credit cards cover trip cancellations and changes with travel insurance. Credit cards provide travel insurance to both credit cardholders and family members and it doesn’t matter if the primary credit card holder is traveling on the trip or not. However, credit card service providers do not cover lengthy trips that last over a long period like 60 days. Also, credit cards do not provide coverage for canceled trips because of a change in an individual’s plans or personal finances. For example, if you book domestic and international holiday packages but require changes due to some monetary reasons, then this might not be covered under credit card travel insurance.

*Important Note* – No doubt that credit cards are very helpful, especially when a change is required in the flight or even cancelation. But you must check and understand your credit card benefits properly to know if the dedicated credit provides coverage like flight cancelation or changes or not.

Reasons Airlines Waive Change Fees

In some cases, airlines permit travelers to either change or cancel even the non-refundable air tickets free of cost. We have listed some common reasons why airlines cater to waiver: –

Cases Of Personal Injury Or Illness

• Unplanned Jury Duty
• Natural Disasters (Earthquake, Hurricane, Flood, Landslide, etc.)
• Family Member’s Death
• Military Deployment

In any of the above-mentioned scenarios, you simply need to call the airline helpline and explain the executive about the situation. You would also require to submit valid proof to prove the stated situation to be true. As airlines would ask you to show and submit the supporting documents to make the requested changes in the flight.

You can either receive a travel credit or a monetary refund once the request for flight changes or cancelation is approved by the airline. However, the type of refund you will get completely depends on the airline and its policy. In most cases, many airlines tend to  waive the change fees and provide travel credit. This credit can be used later within a year from the original flight booking date. For instance, if you booked direct flights from Canada to India but get the flight canceled due to the above reasons, then you will receive a credit note in your account which can be later used for another flight booking.

Due to Covid-19, many airlines worldwide are providing a waiver for flight change fees. This means travelers can expect a full refund or credit for flight bookings later. However, every airline has a different policy so you must inquire with the airline to know the right information.

Award Flight Ticket Change & Cancellation Policy

No matter if you book last minute flights with all your credit card points, you might still have to bear flight change or cancellation fee. As there are many airlines that charge a fee for  changing your award travel. So you might need to cancel or redeposit your miles once again.

The rules and regulations for award programs by credit card service providers vary from one company to another. So you must wisely check each detail to ensure you secure the best deal. For example, depending on whether you transferred points from your credit card’s general rewards program, the criteria may change. This is why it is important to directly contact the airline or credit card company to understand everything in detail.

Tips to Dodge Cancellation or Change Fees

Check the below-mentioned tips: –

Get The Required Changes Within 24 Hours

The best and foremost method you should follow to avoid paying a fee for flight change or cancellation is to make the required changes within 24 hours of the air ticket booking. As the Department of Transportation offers a long-standing policy. This means airlines have to make changes based on consumers’ needs within 24 hours of air ticket purchase free of cost if the tickets are 7 days old before the flight. In case, you cross the 24-hour window, then the options left for any itinerary changes completely depend upon the type of ticket

Wait For A While Maybe The Airline Changes Or Cancels Flight

Basic economy fares are often nonrefundable once the 24-hour post-booking deadline has passed. The best option for complimentary ticket modifications is to wait and see if the airline makes any changes something about the flight. If the airline modifies the travel duration by a substantial amount or the kind of aircraft, you may be eligible for a refund.

Try To Make Small Changes

Round-trip tickets are likely to have higher change/cancellation costs than one-way tickets. If you bought a round-trip ticket and need to alter the first leg to a different day, your best choice is to pay the change charge and book a new flight.you simply need to reschedule the return leg of a circular trip, it may be less expensive to book a new one-way flight rather than pay the cancellation charge.

If your flight ticket is one-way rather than round-trip, skipping the current ticket and purchasing a new fare may be the most cost-effective approach to modify your journey, depending on the cancellation fee levied by your airline. In certain circumstances, the cancellation charge alone might be more expensive than booking a new flight. Moreover, airlines charge the difference in pricing when you purchase a new ticket, so if you purchased your ticket for $150 and the current price for the same fare is $275, you’d have to pay $125 in addition to any cancellation fee.

Always Consider Flight Standy

For air travelers who want to reschedule their flight time, airlines give two options: standby and same-day confirmed change, both of which normally cost $100 or less. You renounce your existing ticket and pay a charge to receive a guaranteed seat on another aircraft with a same-day verified change. Standby allows you to pay a charge to be placed on a waiting list for the next available flight.

*Important Note* – You might be surprised to know that skipping a flight and buying a new air ticket is cheaper than flight changes or cancelation penalty fees. Kindly note that the airline cancels the entire trip even if you miss the first leg of a round trip. So this is a great strategy for only one-way flight reservations and returns legs of round trips.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Here are the most frequently asked questions about flight change or cancelation fees: –

Q –  Can I Reschedule My Flight After A Confirmed Booking?

A – Yes, you can reschedule, as well as cancel a flight. However, you would need to pay a penalty for a change or cancellation. The penalty charges completely depend on the airline and their policy along with the fare class of your ticket.

Q –  Which Airlines Do Not Charge Penalty Fees?

A – There are many airlines that have stopped charging a penalty fee for flight changes or cancelations like Delta, Southwest, United, American, etc.

Q – How Much Does It Cost To Change Or Cancel A Flight?

A –  The cost of changing a flight or canceling a flight depends on the airline you booked your air tickets.The penalty fees can range from $25 to $100+, depending upon the airline policy.