How to get a refund for non-refundable flights

Most travel insurance providers will cover you for non-refundable flights, but you’ll need to prove that you can’t be reimbursed elsewhere.

Updated Aug 10, 2021. What changed?

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If you're one of the millions of people who've had travel plans thrown into disarray due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), it can be a double blow if you learn your flights and accommodation are non-refundable.

But don't lose hope just yet - you might be able to get some money back after all. Here's our guide on when you can get refunds, and how you can do it.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): What if I booked non-refundable flights and other services?

Most airlines are offering full refunds or credit values for those whose travel plans have been affected by COVID-19. Just remember to keep in mind that credit values need to be redeemed by a certain time.
Depending on your departure date, tour companies and cruises are offering refunds, credit values or the option to rebook to a later date.
If you have a valid travel insurance policy, you should be able to claim out-of-pocket expenses regardless whether they were non-refundable or not.
If you don't have travel insurance, contact your travel service providers directly to see if they are making exceptions, or can at least offer you credit.

The ACCC has put together a guide to help navigate consumer rights and expenses related to COVID-19.

Other COVID-19 guides;

If you have travel insurance, it's possible to get your money back if;

You bought the policy before the known event occurred
You have cover for cancellations costs
The cancellation is outside of your control

If you find yourself in this position, make sure to keep all your receipts, have proof that your expenses were non-refundable, and make a claim directly with your travel insurer.

Can I get a direct refund from the airline?

This depends on your airfare but, generally, if your flight is non-refundable then no. An airline may consider waiving cancellation fees for extenuating circumstances like a death in the family, but not if you've just changed your mind.

If your non-refundable flight is cancelled by the airline, they may offer you an alternative option, a credit value or a refund - if you're lucky.

How do I know if my flight is non-refundable?

There are a few ways to figure out the rules of your airfare;

During the booking process, your change and cancellation fees will be outlined. If you're booking online, pay extra attention to pop-ups and extra links that could lead you to this information.
Check "Manage My Booking" - Most airlines have an online portal where you can access the details of your booking.
Check your original e-tickets, booking confirmation or any other emails/paperwork regarding your booking.
Check with your airline, online aggregator (like SkyScanner and Webjet) or travel agent. It's important to refer back to the company that you booked with as airfare rules can vary.

Beware of low-cost airlines and cheap fares

Cheap flights can be tempting but it's important you understand exactly what you're getting for your money. Low-cost carriers and budget airlines provide the bare minimum for air travel, and charge extra for other services. Here are some examples;

⚠️ Airfares may be non-refundable - you'll have to pay more for a flexible ticket
⚠️ Airfares may be non-changeable or very expensive to change
⚠️ You may have to pay for checked baggage
⚠️ You may have to pay for food and drinks
⚠️ You may have to pay for a preferred seat on the aircraft
⚠️ Name changes may not be allowed

Cancellation and refund policies of major Australian airlines

Searching through terms and conditions can be tricky, not to mention boring. So we did it for you. Here's a brief summary of refund policies in place with major airlines.

Cancellation fees vary based on your destination and fare type, so we've highlighted the maximum fee the airline could charge to cancel an international return airfare.

Airline	Maximum cancellation fee	Policy
Qantas	$500 to Non-refundable	"Cancellation fees may apply and these vary depending on your point of origin and destination."
Virgin Australia	$400 to Non-refundable	"All bookings can be cancelled; however some bookings are non-refundable and may attract cancellations fees and surcharges."
Jetstar Airways	$50 to Non-refundable	"Some fare types are non-refundable or only partially refundable, subject to our Conditions of Carriage or applicable law. However, if you choose not to travel,contact us to request a refund of certain third-party charges and Government taxes that may be included in your fare: excluding fuel and insurance surcharges."
Tiger Airways	Non-refundable	"Sometimes we will provide you with the ability to obtain a refund even when we have not failed to comply with the Consumer Guarantees. We do this because we value you as a customer and we want to ensure you get to your destination as quickly as possible."
Air New Zealand	$500 to Non-refundable	"Bookings for domestic and international travel may be cancelled online, subject to the following considerations: Flexi fares and Business fares may be cancelled up until departure and are fully refundable with the exception of Flexitime and Business Saver fares A booking must be cancelled in full, i.e. both the outbound and return flights if a round trip"
Qatar Airways	$993 to Non-refundable	"To cancel your booking and get a refund of your ticket price (depending on the fare conditions of your ticket), please contact the agent/office where you booked your ticket, or if you changed your booking, contact the office where you last modified it."
Eithad Airways	$565 to Non refundable	"Refunds are subject to fees and the rules of the fare that you have booked for each segment"

*This information is accurate as of 6 August 2021. These fees are per person and may not be applicable to codeshare flights.

Cancellation and refund policies of major travel agents

When you book a flight through a travel agent, a separate cancellation fee may be applied to your booking. YThat means, if you need to cancel your flight, or change the date, you'll incur both the airline cancellation fee and the travel agent cancellation fee. If you have the right travel insurance policy, it may cover you for both expenses.

This table outlines the agency cancellations fees that are applied on top of the airline cancellation fees. It mainly refers to international flight bookings since these have the highest penalties.

Travel agent or aggregator	Additional Maximum cancellation fees	Policy
Flight Centre	$300 to Non-refundable	"Cancellations to International bookings (excluding Trans-Tasman bookings) will incur a fee of $300 per passenger per booking in addition to supplier fees."
Helloworld	$300 to Non-refundable	"Each fare within the itinerary you have booked carries unique rules and restrictions: If each fare has an airline change fee, then the highest fee applies to each traveller. If any fare does not allow changes, then no changes are allowed to any flight. If any fare is non-refundable, then all flights are non-refundable Cancellations to International bookings (excluding Trans-Tasman bookings) will incur a fee of $300 per passenger per booking in addition to supplier and credit card fees."

Flight Centre

$300 to Non-refundable

"Cancellations to International bookings (excluding Trans-Tasman bookings) will incur a fee of $300 per passenger per booking in addition to supplier fees."

Helloworld

$300 to Non-refundable

"Each fare within the itinerary you have booked carries unique rules and restrictions:

If each fare has an airline change fee, then the highest fee applies to each traveller.
If any fare does not allow changes, then no changes are allowed to any flight.
If any fare is non-refundable, then all flights are non-refundable

Cancellations to International bookings (excluding Trans-Tasman bookings) will incur a fee of $300 per passenger per booking in addition to supplier and credit card fees."

Cancellation and refund policies of major online aggregators

If you’ve booked your flight through an online website like Skyscanner or Webjet, you’ll normally be directed to the airline itself to deal with the cancellation admin, but sometimes you’ll need to pay a third-party cancellation fee aswell.
Here’s what to expect:

Aggregator	Maximum cancellation fees	Policy
Webjet	$32.95	"Your right to a refund of an airfare booked on the Website is governed by the terms and conditions of the airfare you purchased and is as determined by the applicable airlines. Many fares are non-refundable. Airline charges or cancellation fees may apply to your particular airfare."
Skyscanner	n/a	"For changes, cancellations or refunds, we recommend that you contact the travel provider (airline or travel agent) agent that you completed your booking with. As a travel search engine, Skyscanner doesn't take your booking or payment ourselves. Instead, we pass you through to your chosen airline or travel agent where you make your booking directly. We therefore don't have access or visibility to any of your booking information. Depending on the type of ticket you've booked, there may be different options for changes, cancellations and refunds, and the travel provider will be best placed to advise on these."

Which airlines are most likely to have cancelled flights?

Finder analysed the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) data for airlines cancellations dating back to 2010, to find out which was the worst-performing airline in Australia.

Carrier	Flights 2019	Cancellation 2019	Cancellation %
Jetstar	86,489	2,162	2.5%
Qantas	108,313	3,033	2.8%
QantasLink	122,441	2,204	1.8%
Regional Express	72,575	726	1.0%
Virgin Australia	139,407	5,509	1.8%
Virgin Australia Regional Airlines	9,492	123	1.3%

^{_{Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE)}}

Does travel insurance cover you for non-refundable accommodation?

Yes. If you have a valid travel insurance policy, then it should cover most non-refundable expenses. You'll have to provide copies of your receipt and prove that you can't be reimbursed elsewhere.

If you don't hold valid travel insurance, it's still worth getting in touch with the accommodation provider to see if they will let you change the dates of your booking, or give you a credit voucher. Try to give them as much notice as possible.

How do I know if my accommodation is non-refundable?

Here are a few hints to help you figure out if your hotel is non-refundable.

The terms and conditions of your hotel booking will be outlined during the booking process. Pay attention as this is the easiest way to understand the cancellation policy of your booking.
If booking online, you may be able to access the "Manage My Booking" section where your cancellation fees could be provided.
Check emails and invoices. These details are often found here.
Check directly with the hotel. Give them a call or contact them via email.

When won't my travel insurance reimburse me?

Here are some examples of why your travel insurance policy may not cover you:

❌ You cancel due to change of mind
❌ Your travel service provider goes bankrupt or insolvent
❌ You make an error on your own booking
❌ You trip is affected by a government regulation or prohibition

Compare travel insurance policies that can cover you for unexpected cancellations

Once you enter in your details and click "Get my quote" you can filter the results by clicking "Cancellation fees" on the left side of the page to only see policies that include this.

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Nicola Middlemiss

Nicola Middlemiss is a senior writer at Finder, focusing on all things insurance. She's been a journalist for over five years and has contributed to a wide range of industry publications including Insurance Business, MoneyMag, the Educator, Your Investment Property, Mortgage Professional Australia, and Wealth Professional. She has written over a thousand articles covering the insurance industry and now uses that insight to help Australian consumers understand their own insurance policies, and make smarter decisions. Nicola has a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Leeds.

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2 Responses

VitaNovember 27, 2018

I purchased tickets directly via Tigers website. Would Tiger insure provide refund if flight has been canceled?

Reply
- finder Customer Care
  
  JeniNovember 27, 2018Staff
  
  Hi Vita,
  
  Thank you for getting in touch with finder.
  
  Tigerair has this compensation policy wherein in they will move you to the next available Tigerair Australia service to the same destination at no further costs in the event that they need to delay or cancel your scheduled service for a reason other than an event within Tigerair control and your new flight time is not suitable to you. Tigerair will provide a refund if you are entitled to receive under the Compensation Policy of any amount you have paid them.
  
  I suggest that you check their T&Cs as well as contacting their customer contact centre for further clarification on this matter.
  
  I hope this helps.
  
  Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any other enquiries.
  
  Thank you and have a wonderful day!
  
  Cheers,
  Jeni
  
  Reply

How to get a refund for non-refundable flights

Most travel insurance providers will cover you for non-refundable flights, but you’ll need to prove that you can’t be reimbursed elsewhere.