No one is immune from unforeseen events. It often happens that a passenger is forced to cancel his flight due to circumstances beyond his control.
Can you expect a full or partial refund if you cannot get on the flight? What reasons are considered valid? What documents must be submitted for this? How long does it take for a refund? We will tell you everything in detail in our article.
Is it possible to get a refund for an air ticket?
It is possible to return an air ticket, but how much money you will be reimbursed depends on the conditions of the fare of the purchased ticket. If the reason is valid, then you can get your money back even for a non-refundable ticket.
Each airline has different conditions. There are often fees charged when returning a ticket, which also differ from carrier to carrier.
You can also find the fare conditions on the ticket itself. If the fare is refundable, then you can find the following information on the ticket:
- REFUNDABLE CHARGE N EURO – penalty for returning N euros;
- CHANGES AT ANY TIME CHARGE N EURO – any changes are made for a fee of N euros;
- REFUNDS ARE ALLOWED WITH DETENTION OF FEE.
It is better, of course, to find out this information in advance on the company’s website in the “Return and Exchange Rules” section.
Valid reasons for returning a ticket
A forced ticket refund can be issued if there is one of the following valid reasons:
• If you or a close relative is sick
To cancel a flight due to illness, you need to provide one of the following documents confirming that the reason for canceling the flight is forced:
- Medical certificate about the health status of the passenger or close relative on the date of departure;
- A certified certificate or copy of the disability of a passenger or close relative;
- Certificate from the airport medical center about the passenger’s health condition.
However, not all airlines accept a passenger’s illness as a valid reason for refusing transportation and forcibly returning a ticket. Please check this information in advance.
• If the flight is canceled due to the fault of the airline
The reason may be a flight delay, a flight rerouting, a security check that caused the passenger to be late for the flight, or if the company did not provide the passenger with a seat on the plane.
• If your visa is denied
To process a ticket refund if a visa is refused, you must provide the following documents:
- copy of passport, including the first page and the page with a visa refusal note;
- original document with refusal from the embassy and translation certified by a notary;
- copy of the check for payment of the consular fee.
• If a close relative has died.
Conclusion
If you know for sure that you will not fly, you must cancel your reservation before check-in closes. If your ticket has been checked in for your flight, then to process a refund you need to cancel your check-in and cancel your reservation on the carrier’s website.
Timely cancellation of a reservation is a mandatory requirement of airlines for involuntary return, regardless of the results of this procedure.
If the outcome is positive, the refund may take from one day to several months.
