Online travel agencies like Expedia offer discounted flights, which can be cheaper than buying directly from airlines. But what happens when you need to cancel an Expedia flight? And what should you do if the airline unexpectedly cancels flights that were purchased from the online travel agency?
This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about cancelling Expedia flights, from their 24-hour cancellation policies to fees to how to go about getting a refund.
Expedia Flight Cancellation Policies
You can cancel any flight booked through Expedia either online or by phone or chat. 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) reservations cancelled within 24 hours of booking, (2) refundable tickets, and (3) flights cancelled by the airline.
Within 24 hours of booking
Expedia offers free cancellations and a full refund if you cancel your flight 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 fee to cancel flights. However, the airline might charge a cancellation fee, depending on the fare type purchased. If this is the case, Expedia will pass this cost on to you. You can see the airline fees, rules, and restrictions 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 reservations online or by phone or chat. 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 the My Trips section.
- 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 to do if the Airline Cancels Your Expedia 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 booking is cancelled by the airline, simply follow the steps below.
- Go to the Trips section to see the current status of your flights. Log in to your account or enter your booking confirmation number.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 the Trips section 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. This information is clearly displayed 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 Contact Expedia Customer Service
If you can’t complete an flight cancellation online, you can talk to a human at Expedia by phone or chat. The 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.
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