Plans changed? Cancel or change a flight and lose the least

Short answer: If you cancel by choice, EU261 does not protect you. What you get back depends on your fare rules. Check them in manage booking first. Changing the date often costs less than cancelling. Ask about taxes on unused tickets, check your travel insurance, and wait if the airline might change the flight first.

Your plans changed. Work moved, someone got sick, or the trip just no longer fits. The ticket is not lost yet. The order of your next steps decides how much money you keep.

Do this now

1. Do not click "cancel" yet. First open manage booking and read your fare rules.
2. Check the booking date. A US airline booking made 7+ days before departure may still be in its free 24-hour window.
3. Compare change vs cancel. Note the change fee, the fare difference and any refund amount.
4. Check your travel insurance and the card you paid with. Your reason may be covered.
5. Watch the flight schedule. If the airline changes or cancels first, your options get better.
6. Get every answer in writing. Screenshot the fare rules and any offer before you accept.

What to write to the airline

Use chat, email or the contact form. Keep it short and specific.

"Hello, booking reference [ABC123], passenger [name], flight [number] on [date]. My plans have changed. Please tell me in writing: (1) the cost to change to [new date], (2) my refund if I cancel, (3) refundable taxes and fees. Please do not issue a voucher without my consent. Thank you."

The last line matters. Accepting a voucher can end your refund claim. Read every voucher's terms before you click.

Your options at a glance

These are starting points. Your fare rules decide the final numbers.

Can I get a refund if I cancel my flight?

Be honest with yourself here. EU261 covers disruptions the airline causes: cancellations, long delays, denied boarding. It does not cover a trip you cancel by choice.

So your refund depends on three things:

• Your fare rules. Flexible fares often allow a refund. Basic fares often do not. Check manage booking.
• Timing. On US airlines, bookings made 7 or more days before departure get a free 24-hour hold or cancellation. Details: where the 24-hour rule applies.
• Your insurance. Some travel insurance covers illness or family emergencies. Read your policy wording.

Too sick to fly, or facing a family crisis? Airlines sometimes have extra options for that. Read too sick to fly or a family emergency.

Change flight date: what is the cheapest way?

Changing often keeps more of your money than cancelling. You usually pay a change fee plus any fare difference. Your fare rules and manage booking show both.

Practical tips:

• Price the new date first. Compare the change cost with a brand-new ticket. Sometimes new is cheaper.
• Change early. Fare differences often grow closer to departure.
• Check the whole booking. Changing one leg can affect the return flight. Ask before you confirm.
• Wrong name, not wrong date? That is a different fix. See how to correct a name on a ticket.

More detail: changing your flight date the cheapest way.

Can I cancel a non-refundable flight?

You can cancel. You usually will not get the fare back. But you may not lose everything.

Ask the airline which taxes and fees on your unused ticket can be refunded. Use the message template above. Full guide: you can still get the airport taxes back.

If you only need to skip one leg, ask first what happens to the rest. Read not taking your return flight?.

The airline might change the flight first. Wait.

This is the most useful tip on this page. If the airline cancels or changes your flight, the rules switch in your favour.

• EU: if the airline cancels, you can choose a refund within 7 days. A flight moved earlier by more than 1 hour counts as cancelled.
• US: if the airline cancels or makes a significant change, you can decline the alternative. Then you get an automatic cash refund. Significant means 3 hours or more on domestic flights, 6 hours or more on international ones.

So if a schedule change looks likely, do not rush to cancel. Wait until close to the last date your fare still allows a change or refund. Then decide. Read airline changed your flight time? your options.

Airline cancels on the day? Switch to what to do when your flight is cancelled.

FAQ

Can I get my money back if I cancel a flight myself? Only if your fare rules allow it, or your insurance covers your reason. EU261 does not cover voluntary cancellations.

Is there a free 24-hour cancellation rule in Europe? The legal 24-hour rule is a US rule for US airlines. It covers bookings made 7 or more days before departure.

Is it cheaper to change or cancel a flight? Often changing, because you keep the ticket value. Compare the change fee and fare difference with a new ticket.

Can I get taxes back on a non-refundable ticket? Ask the airline which taxes and fees can be refunded if you do not fly. Get the answer in writing.

Should I accept a voucher instead of a refund? Read the terms first. Accepting a voucher can end your refund claim.

What if the airline changes my flight after I cancel? You may lose the better options. If a change looks likely, wait before cancelling.

Not sure which move saves the most? Get a human on your case now.

Advice only, not legal advice. Rights summarised from Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, CJEU case law and US DOT rules (14 CFR Parts 259 and 260). Updated 10 October 2026.

Related guides

• Flight cancelled? What to do in the next 30 minutes
• Airline changed your flight time? Your options, step by step