Expedia Flight Cancellations: Everything You Need to Know

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Online travel agencies like Expedia offer discounted flights, which can be cheaper than buying directly from airlines. But what should you do when you need to cancel an Expedia flight? Or even worse, what happens when the airline cancels the flight you’ve booked through Expedia? And what’s the best way to go about getting a refund?

This comprehensive guide explains Expedia’s flight cancellation policies, including fees and refunds. You’ll also find tips on what to do if the airline cancels your Expedia flight.

Expedia Flight Cancellation Policy

You can cancel any flight booked through Expedia either online or with a live agent. Whether your ticket is eligible for a refund depends on what type of airfare you bought and when you bought it. Expedia issues refunds for (1) flights cancelled within 24 hours of booking, (2) refundable flight tickets, and (3) flights cancelled by the airline.



Within 24 hours of booking

You’re entitled to receive a full refund for Expedia flights cancelled within 24 hours of purchase. To be eligible, the booking must have been made at least seven days before scheduled departure.

After 24 hours

Just like any flight booking, Expedia flights can be cancelled more than 24 hours after purchase. However, you may or may not get a refund, depending on the type of fare purchased. Even if your booking isn’t eligible for a refund under Expedia’s flight refund policy, you still may be able to get a credit from the airline. If you’re not sure what type of fare you bought, check your itinerary for airline policies and rules.

Fees

Expedia doesn’t charge a flight cancellation fee. However, the airline might charge a fee to cancel, depending on the fare type purchased. If this is the case, Expedia will pass this cost on to you. You can see the airlines fees, rules, and restrictions for your flights in your Expedia itinerary.

How long do Expedia flight refunds take?

Expedia issues most refunds for cancelled flights within 5-10 business days, although some airlines take longer to process the request. It may take a week or so for your bank or credit card company to complete the refund.

How to Cancel Expedia Flights and Get a Refund

You can cancel most Expedia flights online or with a live agent. If your booking is on a low-cost airline like Frontier, Spirit, or easyJet, you’ll need to contact the airline directly.



  • Here’s how to cancel a flight on Expedia:
    • 1. Go to My Trips.
    • 2. Log into your Expedia account, or use the option to find your booking by entering your itinerary number.
    • 3. Locate the booking you wish to cancel.
    • 4. Select “Cancel Flight” and follow the instructions to complete the cancellation and request a refund.
    • 5. If you don’t see the option to cancel, or you don’t see refund information for your booking, here’s how to reach a live Expedia agent.

    What Happens if Expedia Cancels Your Flight?

    An unpleasant truth about air travel is that airlines sometimes cancel flights due to weather or logistical reasons. If this happens with your flight booking, Expedia will notify you immediately. But what to do next? If your Expedia flight is cancelled by the airline, simply follow the steps below.

    1. Go to Trips to see the current status of your flights. Log in to your account or enter your booking confirmation number.
    2. Expedia will work with the airline to find you a similar flight, then notify you through its app, by email, or by text. For urgent (for example, same-day) changes, they may also call you. You can contact Expedia customer service with questions if you don’t hear from them in a timely manner after being notified of the cancellation.
    3. Low-cost or discount airlines don’t allow Expedia to access parts of their reservation systems. You’ll need to contact those airlines directly if they cancel your flight.
    4. Follow the instructions you’ll receive to confirm the new flights. Once the new flights are confirmed between you and the airline, Expedia will email you a revised itinerary.
    5. If you don’t confirm the new flights after an airline-initiated cancellation, you’re entitled to a full refund. To request a refund from Expedia for a cancelled flight in this case, you’ll need to call or chat with a live agent.

    How to Cancel One-way Expedia Flights

    Occasionally, Expedia offers roundtrip flights booked as two one-way fares on different airlines, in order to show lower fares for a given route or to offer more convenient options. Alternatively, you might have purposely booked one or more one-way flights for the same or other reasons.

    To cancel Expedia flights on full-service airlines, visit Trips and enter your booking confirmation number. To cancel one-way Expedia flights on a discount airline like Spirit, Frontier, RyanAir, easyJet, Jetstar, or Air Asia, contact the airline directly.

    If your reservation has one or more one-way flights, you’ll need to cancel each one individually. Changing just a single one-way flight on a multi-flight itinerary won’t impact or change any other flights on the itinerary.

    How to Cancel Flights Booked with Expedia points

    You may be able to cancel flights booked with Expedia Rewards points, depending on the airline’s policies and the fare type you purchased.

    • To cancel one-way flights purchased from Expedia:
      • 1. Go to Trips.
      • 2. Locate the booking you wish to cancel.
      • 3. Select “Cancel Flight” and follow the instructions.

    The Expedia Rewards points used for the booking will be refunded to your Rewards balance, minus any cancellation fees charged by the airline. Expedia Rewards points are worth $1 each – so if the cancellation fee is $200, it will cost you 200 points. If you paid for part of the booking using both points and a credit card, cancellation fees are charged first to your Rewards balance, with the remainder charged to your card (if you don’t have enough points to cover the fee).



    Refundable vs. Non-refundable Fares

    Expedia offers different fare types which may be fully refundable, partially refundable, or non-refundable. Expedia displays this information during the booking process so you can choose the best fare type for your trip.

    Refundable fares allow you to cancel a flight and receive a full or partial refund. They’re usually more expensive than other fare types, in return for the greater flexibility they offer.

    Partially refundable fares permit you to get a portion of your money back if you cancel the flight. The airline keeps the remainder as a service fee. In this case, Expedia will issue you a refund for the original purchase price minus the fee amount.

    Non-refundable fares are just that – no refunds if you cancel. This fare type usually doesn’t allow ticket changes, either. Basic economy and Light (or “Lite”) fares are almost always non-refundable.

    One final thing to keep in mind is that even if you’re not entitled to a refund, you should still cancel the reservation if you don’t plan to be on the plane. Some airlines charge a “no-show” fee when a passenger misses a flight.

    How to Talk to a Live Expedia Agent

    If you can’t complete an flight cancellation online, you can talk to a human at Expedia by phone or chat. Expedia’s customer service phone number is 1-866-310-5768.



    To start a chat with a customer service agent on Expedia’s website or app, click the Help icon at the bottom of the screen. This will activate the virtual agent (VA). If the VA is unable to help, it will direct you to a live agent.

    Need help with Expedia flight cancellations or refunds? Chat with Expedia customer service via the Help icon at the bottom of the screen.


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