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Exactly how much +1-888-(369)-(4819) value you’ll retain +1-888-(369)-(4819) depends on the fees, and those vary by airline. As soon as you know you +1-888-(369)-(4819) won’t make your flight, call the +1-888-(369)-(4819) airline immediately and talk to their +1-888-(369)-(4819) customer service. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch a +1-888-(369)-(4819) representative having a great day who is super willing to help you out. +1-888-(369)-(4819) Be polite, courteous, and gracious—a pleasant attitude can go a +1-888-(369)-(4819) long way.
First, ask for a refund. Explain your +1-888-(369)-(4819) circumstances, or look for a loophole. A friend once managed to get her entire +1-888-(369)-(4819) flight from New York City to Brazil refunded because a hurricane in +1-888-(369)-(4819) the previous week had disrupted so much air travel (it was completely +1-888-(369)-(4819) unrelated to her actual circumstances).
If that doesn’t work, your best bet is +1-888-(369)-(4819) to ask for a voucher or a flight change. Sometimes an airline will give you a +1-888-(369)-(4819) voucher that you can use within a year.
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Unfortunately, basic economy fares typically +1-888-(369)-(4819) cannot be changed or canceled at all after the 24-hour grace period (if it applies). If you can't go, you'll lose the full value of the ticket. You can try the same +1-888-(369)-(4819) method above for a nonrefundable ticket—work the charm and hope +1-888-(369)-(4819) for the best—but most likely, you’ll lose the full value of the ticket.
If you think there's a +1-888-(369)-(4819) good chance you may +1-888-(369)-(4819) have to cancel your flight, you may want to book cancel-for-any-reason +1-888-(369)-(4819) travel insurance. Different policies will have different criteria, so read the fine print. Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) is an optional benefit that usually comes +1-888-(369)-(4819) with an additional charge. +1-888-(369)-(4819) Typically, this coverage is only available +1-888-(369)-(4819) within the first 21 days +1-888-(369)-(4819) of initial trip payment (sometimes less), and 100% of your trip must be +1-888-(369)-(4819) insured, although you may actually not be covered for 100% of the trip. +1-888-(369)-(4819) It depends on the specifics of your policy.
Most standard travel insurance +1-888-(369)-(4819) will cover trip +1-888-(369)-(4819) cancellation if there’s a good reason. +1-888-(369)-(4819) For example, World Nomads will +1-888-(369)-(4819) refund your flight if a doctor deems +1-888-(369)-(4819) you medically +1-888-(369)-(4819) unfit to travel, or if your travel partner +1-888-(369)-(4819) or a close relative falls +1-888-(369)-(4819) ill or dies. Allianz works in the +1-888-(369)-(4819) same way, but +1-888-(369)-(4819) again, policies vary widely.
Check your credit card’s +1-888-(369)-(4819) travel protection. If you booked your flight via credit card, you may already be covered for trip +1-888-(369)-(4819) cancellation (depending on your credit +1-888-(369)-(4819) card’s policy). As with standard travel insurance, however, you may often need a good reason to cancel.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred, for example, +1-888-(369)-(4819) comes with a $10,000 trip cancellation or interruption benefit, which covers +1-888-(369)-(4819) all your pre-paid activities from flights to tours. This insurance +1-888-(369)-(4819) covers death, illness, bad weather, “life actions” (like jury duty), and +1-888-(369)-(4819) more. If there’s some other circumstance where you think you may have to +1-888-(369)-(4819) cancel your flight, however, Cancel For Any Reason insurance +1-888-(369)-(4819) is your best bet.
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Similarly, calling up +1-888-(369)-(4819)the customer +1-888-(369)-(4819)service and informing them of the situation can go a long way. While +1-888-(369)-(4819)airlines may have certain policies in place for bereavement, if you talk with +1-888-(369)-(4819)a representative you may be able to come to some +1-888-(369)-(4819)compromise.
Check to see if there’s a change +1-888-(369)-(4819) fee. +1-888-(369)-(4819)always an option to reschedule your flight instead of canceling it entirely, so +1-888-(369)-(4819)check out your airline’s policies ahead of time. For example, Southwest +1-888-(369)-(4819) doesn't charge a change fee, so you could postpone the trip to a +1-888-(369)-(4819)date.
Other airlines’ fees will vary. +1-888-(369)-(4819) Alaska Airlines’ change fee is $125, but if there’s a last-minute +1-888-(369)-(4819) emergency, same-day changes are $50. Other airlines are not +1-888-(369)-(4819) so generous. American Airlines will charge +1-888-(369)-(4819) $200 on domestic flights, and up to $750 for +1-888-(369)-(4819) international flights! This applies even +1-888-(369)-(4819) if you’re flying first class, and you’ll still have +1-888-(369)-(4819) to pay the difference in fare if the new flight is more expensive. Delta Airlines +1-888-(369)-(4819) charges $200 in fees for domestic flights and up to $500 for international +1-888-(369)-(4819) flights, plus the difference in +1-888-(369)-(4819) fares.
If there’s been a nontrivial +1-888-(369)-(4819) schedule change to your original itinerary, you can typically change or cancel your flight for free. For example, if you +1-888-(369)-(4819) booked a flight to London with a +1-888-(369)-(4819) two-hour layover in Paris and the airline changes your +1-888-(369)-(4819) flight so that you have a six-hour +1-888-(369)-(4819) layover and now arrive four hours later than originally scheduled, you +1-888-(369)-(4819) can typically call the airline and ask to switch to a different flight. If +1-888-(369)-(4819) they cannot accommodate you on a flight that works with your schedule, you +1-888-(369)-(4819) can cancel with no fee—and you're entitled to a full cash refund, not a +1-888-(369)-(4819) voucher. The rules vary by airline, but typically the time difference must +1-888-(369)-(4819) be at least one hour; on some airlines the minimum is two hours.
Looking for the cheapest fares? These +1-888-(369)-(4819) are the best apps for booking flights right now.
If you're hopeful the airline may end up +1-888-(369)-(4819) canceling or changing the flight, wait until the last minute to cancel. If you cancel the +1-888-(369)-(4819) ticket, you may be charged a fee. If the airline cancels the flight, +1-888-(369)-(4819) you're entitled to a full cash refund. You can cancel a ticket essentially up +1-888-(369)-(4819) until the day of travel, so there’s no sense in canceling early and paying +1-888-(369)-(4819) a fee. If, for example, there's some unrest in the area or bad +1-888-(369)-(4819) weather, the airline may end up canceling your flight altogether and then +1-888-(369)-(4819) you can get your money back.
The bottom line: Airlines don’t make +1-888-(369)-(4819) easy to cancel flights, but the 24-hour rule can help if you’ve just booked +1-888-(369)-(4819) the ticket. There may also be some loopholes depending on your +1-888-(369)-(4819) circumstances, and if all else fails, your credit card may offer some protection.