Ticket exchange and refund: how it works

Want to change your vacation flight date or cancel your trip altogether? Today we'll tell you about the exchange and refund rules of some airlines, which will allow you to plan your ticket purchase with the right fare. Let's go!

In what cases can you refund a ticket

Let's start with cases where you can process a ticket refund. Here are three conditions under which you can do this.

If it is provided for by the fare

Some airlines include the possibility of a refund in the ticket price. Of course, such a purchase will be more expensive, but in case of force majeure, you will be able to get your money or bonus points back. Usually, the cheapest fares do not have such an option, or the cost of this service will be higher than the ticket price. 

Let's consider an example of fares with Aeroflot airline. "Optimum" allows you to refund a ticket with a fee deduction, and when purchasing the "Maximum" fare, the refund is already included in the price. 

When purchasing the "Ticket Refund" service

Sometimes this option can be purchased additionally. Literally. When making a purchase with us, you can buy the "Refund even a non-refundable ticket" service. It will be useful if you bought a non-refundable ticket according to airline rules and expect that you can cancel the trip 48 hours before departure or later. 

When purchasing a non-refundable ticket

Yes, that's also possible. But it's not entirely simple. This only happens when airlines cancel the flight themselves or there is a flight delay. A refund is also possible if your connecting flight was canceled. However, if you missed your connecting flight, unfortunately, no refund is provided. The only exception is tickets for a charter flight: they cannot be exchanged. 

Where to apply for exchange or refund issues

You should contact the company from which you purchased the ticket. This could be either the airline or an agency. Their contact details are usually indicated on the itinerary receipt.  

If you made a purchase with us, write to the online chat at kupi.com or in the app https://kpb.lt/one. Or send a request using the form: https://help.kupi.com/hc/ru/requests/new.

How to refund an airline ticket and get your money back

We advise not to delay if you decide to process a refund. The closer the departure date, the higher the probability that the fee amount will increase. Usually, after check-in closes, nothing can be refunded. 

Some airlines, such as Emirates, allow you to return a ticket within 24 hours of purchase and get the full amount back, excluding the service fee. This means you need to contact the agent from whom you bought the ticket or the airline as quickly as possible to get your money back. 

Types of refunds

The amount of money you will receive back will depend on the type of refund:

• Forced. This mainly refers to airline force majeure circumstances. For example, a flight was canceled or delayed due to bad weather, and no alternative was offered. This also includes unforeseen passenger situations: illness, death of a close family member. In such cases, you should get your money back even for a non-refundable ticket. 

• Voluntary. This is the situation when you changed your mind about flying. In such cases, the amount due according to the fare rules is returned. If you made a purchase through an agent, be prepared for them to deduct a service fee. Usually, the exact amount is told to you by the company that sold you the tickets. 

How to exchange an airplane ticket

The situation with exchanges is the same as with refunds: everything depends on the fare you chose. If you know that plans might change, we recommend choosing a fare with exchange options right away. We also share other exchange tips.

The sooner you know about the need for an exchange, the better. It happens that seats for a new date are quickly taken, or the exchange fee increases. Some airlines have the right to close the possibility of exchanging a ticket a couple of days before departure. 

Before exchanging, make sure it's even worthwhile. Sometimes the surcharge for changing the departure date costs an exorbitant amount. This often happens with cheap tickets. So think twice: perhaps buying a new ticket will be more budget-friendly than exchanging. 

Ticket refund and exchange rules for major airlines

We wish you great travels, for which you won't need to exchange tickets!