Refunds
Refund Questions, Explained
Refunds generate more questions than almost any other travel topic, mostly because the answer genuinely depends on the ticket, the provider and the reason. This article explains the general shape of the process rather than promising a specific outcome, because no honest guide can promise that.
Reviewed by the Flight Air Service editorial team. Last updated February 9, 2026.
Who actually processes it
The refund is handled by whoever took your payment. If you booked through an agent or a travel site, the airline generally cannot refund you directly, even when the airline agrees a refund is due.
This is the single most common reason refunds appear to stall. The request has to travel from airline to agent to you, and each step has its own processing time.
What affects eligibility
The fare conditions come first. Then the reason: a cancellation by the airline is treated differently from a cancellation by the passenger. Regional passenger rights rules can also apply depending on where you fly from and to.
Some elements are more often refundable than others. Certain taxes and airport charges may be returnable even on a non refundable fare, because they are only payable if you travel.
- Fare type and its stated refund conditions
- Who cancelled, and why
- Route and applicable passenger rights rules
- Whether any part of the ticket was already used
Credits are not the same as refunds
A travel credit or voucher keeps the value with the airline for future travel. It may have an expiry date, may be limited to the original passenger, and may exclude some fares.
If you are offered a credit, ask about those three details before accepting, because a credit that expires in six months is worth a lot less than one valid for two years.
Why timelines vary
Processing depends on the provider, the payment method and how many parties are involved. Card refunds also depend on the bank's own posting schedule after the merchant releases the funds.
We do not publish fixed timelines here because we cannot control them, and any specific figure would be a guess. Ask the company holding your payment for their stated timeframe and keep the reference number.
How to follow up well
Keep everything in one thread: booking reference, cancellation confirmation, refund request reference, and dates of each contact. Polite and specific follow ups tend to move faster than repeated general ones.
If a refund was agreed in writing and nothing has moved after the stated period, that written confirmation is what you refer to.
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