Airlines with the best flight cancellation policies

Getting holiday tickets at the right price is a big challenge. Finding the right airlines that give you the best cancellation on your flight tickets is trickier. According to The US Department of Transportation, airlines don’t guarantee their schedules. So you should be prepared for any change when you plan your trip.

This could be due to bad weather, air traffic delays, or mechanical issues. Thus, the airlines are not obliged to refund or reroute if your flight gets canceled. The airlines don’t pay for flight cancellation compensation as well. Meanwhile, here are some hacks to travel on a budget.

However, most airlines don’t really follow that in reality. Nearly all airlines normally rebook an alternate flight with no additional cost if seats are available. Here are some US airlines that have the best policies for flight changes or in case of cancellations:

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines has the best policy for flight changes. A non-refundable ticket offered by Southwest is a great option to consider because it works like a one-year travel credit — even if you decide not to fly 10 minutes before departure, you can adjust or cancel your booking with no additional cost.

The ticket price is will also be converted into travel credit for one year after the reservation is made. Thus, you could use that credit for the same itinerary at a different time or also for an entirely different one. If the ticket price drops when you book on a different date, you’ll have extra credit.

Alaska Airlines

You can change your flight for free as flights within Alaska are not subject to change fees.

Frontier Airlines

Frontier Airlines has a “no change fee” policy. This policy applies to any change made at least 90 days before departure.

JetBlue

If you manage to book the same flight itinerary at a lower fare within five days after your first booking, you can get a refund as a flight credit — this is applicable only for a change with the same itinerary.

When will you not get a refund?

While there are many factors you need to consider to prepare for the unexpected, you will not get a refund in the following cases:

Non-refundable tickets

Generally, you will not get a refund if you had got a non-refundable ticket unless the airline guarantees to refund during a flight cancelation or a significant schedule change.

Personal reasons

If you have a non-refundable ticket and couldn’t fly for any personal reason or being late to the airport, you are not entitled to a refund.

Not satisfied with the service

You are not entitled to a refund if you have a bad experience with the airline or flight. 

Miscellaneous expenses

If you had to stay at a hotel or rent a car or eat a meal because your flight was delayed or canceled, you are not entitled to a refund of these miscellaneous expenses. 

Though airlines are not required to refund non-refundable tickets, they might do it sometimes.  Some airlines may offer a credit or travel voucher that you can use in the future. Some airlines may offer accommodations or other benefits during delays. 

You must be prepared to pay for changes to the ticket since airlines are not required to make changes free of charge — changes like correcting a misspelled name or changing the travel date.

If you had got the ticket from an online travel agency, you must contact the travel agent directly to get a refund before reaching out to the airline. These agents can, however, follow similar procedures mentioned above to get the service done for you.