Airline Ticket Change and Cancellation Fees: How to Avoid Them

When it comes to air travel, unexpected changes and cancellations can happen due to various reasons such as weather, crew scheduling, maintenance, or operational issues. Unfortunately, this often comes with steep fees for making changes or canceling your reservations. However, there are ways to avoid or minimize these fees, especially for award tickets through airline loyalty programs, although policies may vary across global programs.

Understanding Change and Cancellation Fees

While most legacy U. S. carriers do not impose change fees on most tickets, other airlines do charge a fixed fee and any fare difference when switching to a different flight. These fees can vary based on the airline, fare class, destination, and how far in advance the change is made.

Some airlines offer same-day changes for a fixed fee, but these are often waived for elite members. The advantage of same-day changes is that there is usually no fare difference if switching to a more expensive flight. This is especially useful for flights with multiple daily frequencies, such as New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Heathrow Airport (LHR).

Same-day changes may also be subject to additional fees for basic economy tickets or flights on certain routes. It’s important to check with the specific airline for their policies.

Overview of Change and Cancellation Policies by Airline

Each airline has its own policies when it comes to changing or canceling flights, and some are more restrictive than others.

Air Canada: For award flights, changes are free for certain fare classes, while a flat fee of 100 Canadian dollars applies for others. Cancellations come with a higher fee and must be made online or over the phone.

Alaska Airlines: No change or cancellation fees, but a partner award booking fee may be nonrefundable. Same-day changes may also incur a fee.

Allegiant Air: Changes and cancellations may only be made at least seven days before departure unless Trip Flex is purchased at booking.

American Airlines: No change or cancellation fees for award tickets, but certain restrictions apply for paid tickets.

Delta Air Lines: No change or cancellation fees for flights within the U. S. or international itineraries starting in the U. S. , but basic economy tickets may incur a cancellation fee.

Frontier Airlines: No change fees for flights more than 60 days from departure, but a fee applies for changes or cancellations within seven days of departure.

Hawaiian Airlines: Changes are free for certain fare classes, while a mileage difference may apply for others.

JetBlue: No change or cancellation fees, except for Blue Basic tickets.

Southwest Airlines: No change or cancellation fees, but tickets must be canceled at least 10 minutes before departure.

Spirit Airlines: Changes and cancellations may incur fees depending on the