It’s not as straightforward as you might think.
And sometimes understanding what restrictions a fare has requires you to do a little digging.
Plane tickets fall into one of two categories: refundable and nonrefundable.
A person booking a flight on their phone.Credit:Margot Cavin/Travel + Leisure
A refundable plane ticket typically allows you to get reimbursed if you have to cancel your trip.
These tickets are harder to find and are notably more expensive.
However, if you have to cancel a nonrefundable fare, you wont get your money back.
Window seat on an airplane.Aureliy/Getty Images
In the best-case scenario, youll get anairline creditor voucher for use on a future flight.
As a representative from theU.S.
Nonrefundable vs. Refundable Tickets
The biggest advantage of a nonrefundable fare is the price.
A nonrefundable plane ticket is often significantly cheapersometimes half the priceof a fully refundable ticket.
The advantage of a refundable ticket is in the name.
The ticket change policy on a refundable ticket is similar.
Meanwhile, a refundable fare is just that: refundable.
Change Policies
In general, the cheaper the fare, the stricter the change policy.
In contrast, first-class or business-class tickets typically are the least restrictive and provide many amenities to consumers.
A perfect example of this is a basic economy ticket, which is wonderfully cheap, but considered nonchangeable.
International flights that dont originate in the U.S. can be changed but change fees still apply.
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Does travel insurance cover nonrefundable flight changes or cancellations?
If you do, your trip cancellation benefits kick in to cover the canceled flight plus other expenses.
Do credit cards cover nonrefundable flight changes or cancellations?
The perk covers both the cardholder and family members.
