How to get money back from an airline on flights you've already purchased using price alerts (2024)

How to get money back from an airline on flights you've already purchased using price alerts (1)

Melissa Curtin

July 3, 2024

Melissa Curtin loves sharing her globetrotting tales as a travel and food writer for numerous publications. For your next L.A. or California adventure, check out her website LaLaScoop and follow her on Instagram.

This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Disclosure, visit this page.

One of my specialties is finding inexpensive plane tickets. It’s how I got started really, because once I started to travel, I quickly got addicted. Travel really can be addictive and I have many friends who feel the same way.

How to get money back from an airline on flights you've already purchased using price alerts (2)On top of being addicted to travel, I also became obsessed with flying in business or first class. Once you get a taste of the good life, or a lie-flat seat, in this case, it’s hard to go back to the little legroom and slight recline of economy seating. It’s also why I created the word ‘econophobia’, which I definitely have.

I have a lot of tricks for finding cheap airfare, which you can read here: 17 ways for to find cheap flights. One of those tips is to set fare alerts so you know when a fare drops on the route or specific flight you want. I do this before and even after I book tickets because if a fare drops, you can get a credit as long as you don’t buy a Basic Economy fare.

My wife recently saw that one of our contributors, Melissa Curtin, had written about a unique way that she was able to get some money back in the form of a credit for a ticket she’d already purchased.

Here’s Melissa’s tip:

Whenever I book airfare, I set a Google Alert to let me know if the price drops in the future. I recently needed a last-minute flight and there were few options, so I booked a one-way from Los Angeles to Panama for almost $800, which I was not happy to pay. Then I searched for the itinerary on Google Flights and clicked the “Track Prices” option on the top right-hand corner to monitor the pricing and receive emails when the fare drops. RELATED: How to track airfares by signing up for fare alerts

Sure enough, less than a day later, the price I paid had decreased by almost $200, so I contacted Delta’s Virtual Assistant via text and in minutes, they refunded the difference in price onto my credit card since it was less than 24 hours since purchase. A few days later, I received a new alert that the ticket price had decreased again. Another text to Delta and an eCredit appeared in my account for the difference, since my ticket was nonrefundable but changeable. That’s a total of $250 total saved. Cha-ching!

I have personally only tried this approach with Delta Air Lines, but it’s likely to work with any airline that allows ticket changes for free, as long as you didn’t purchase a basic economy fare. Plus, all domestic flights (from all airlines) are fully refundable within 24 hours of purchase, as long as the ticket was purchased at least seven days or more in advance of departure. It’s my understanding that American Airlines, United, JetBlue and Southwest all offer methods to receive a travel credit for the price difference.

KEEP READING

How to make sure the TSA Precheck checkmark is on your boarding pass
Did you know your electronic devices should always be charged when going through security?
10 airport security hacks every traveler needs to know
Mom shares hilarious reason she’s not getting TSA Precheck anytime soon
How to get a full bottle of water through airport security

Want more travel news, tips and deals? Sign up toJohnny Jet’s free newsletterand check out these popular posts:The Travel Gadget Flight Attendants Never Leave Home Without and12 Ways to Save Money on Baggage Fees. Follow Johnny Jet on MSN,Facebook, Instagram,Pinterest, andYouTubefor all of my travel posts.

Leave a Reply

OUR FAVORITE PARTNER CARDS
Advertising Disclosure

How to get money back from an airline on flights you've already purchased using price alerts (3)

$250 to use on Capital One Travel + earn 75,000 bonus miles, at least 2x miles on everything. Terms apply.

How to get money back from an airline on flights you've already purchased using price alerts (4)

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

60,000 points bonus, 3x points on dining, $50 annual hotel credit, 25% award travel redemption bonus. Terms apply.

How to get money back from an airline on flights you've already purchased using price alerts (5)

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

120,000 bonus points, up to 3x points on travel and on select business categories. Terms apply.

How to get money back from an airline on flights you've already purchased using price alerts (6)

The Platinum Card® from American Express

80,000 points bonus, 5x points on select travel, Centurion Lounge access. Terms apply.

How to get money back from an airline on flights you've already purchased using price alerts (2024)

FAQs

What is price drop protection for flights? ›

Expedia describes Price Drop Protection as an optional add-on offered on select flights that automatically refunds the difference if the price of your flight drops on Expedia.

Can you get a refund on a flight already booked? ›

Regardless whether you cancel your flight months in advance, or you miss it due to some unforeseen issue on the way to the airport, you have a right to the same refund of taxes and fees from the airline. This is because in either case, you have not used the flight and are therefore not liable to pay these costs.

Do you get a refund if you change to a cheaper flight? ›

However, if your new itinerary is cheaper than your original flight, you won't receive a refund for the fare difference.

Can you get a refund if your flight becomes cheaper? ›

If your new flight is more expensive, you pay the difference. If it's cheaper than your original ticket, you get refunded that amount. It is important to note that any refund of flights or fare differences means that you are given a travel voucher or credit with that airline of that amount to use on a future flight.

Can I get a refund if the price drops? ›

In many cases, the retailer will refund the difference of what you paid vs. the sale price, as long as your purchase was within a specified time—often 14 days. If they can't or won't refund to the original form of payment, you may be issued a store credit.

What is the protection against price drop? ›

Price protection is a little-known but common feature offered by most credit card companies that allow cardholders to receive a refund if an item bought with that credit card drops in price within a specified period. This period is usually within 30 or 60 days though some cards allow claims to be filed within 90 days.

What are valid reasons to cancel a flight and get a refund? ›

Covered reasons vary by policy and provider so be sure to read the covered reasons before purchasing a policy.
  • Injury or Illness. ...
  • Death. ...
  • Natural Disaster. ...
  • Acts of Terrorism/Evacuation. ...
  • Financial Default of the Travel Company.
  • Death or Hospitalization of Host.
  • Residence Damage. ...
  • Jury Duty or Military Deployment.

How long before a flight can you cancel and get a refund? ›

You have 24 hours from the time you first buy your ticket for a refund if you booked at least 2 days before departure. The 24-hour refund policy applies to all ticket types, but you have to cancel the trip to get a refund.* Reservations booked as part of group block do not qualify for the 24-hour refund.

Can I get a refund directly from airline? ›

Yes,a refund on an itinerary cancellation can be obtained. You can cancel the ticket online and get refunded after the applicable cancellation charges... Read More... 4 hrs prior for international flights.

Is it better to cancel or change a flight? ›

Check to see if there's a change fee.

There's always an option to reschedule your flight instead of canceling it entirely, so check out your airline's policies ahead of time. For example, Southwest doesn't charge a change fee, so you could postpone the trip to a later date.

What time on Tuesday do flight prices drop? ›

Do Flight Prices Go Down on Tuesday? The myth has been going around for years, but the truth is that flight prices don't go down on Tuesdays. To be fair, they did at one point in time, and savvy travelers could score a great deal late on a Tuesday night.

Can I cancel my flight and rebook for cheaper? ›

Essentially, if the cost of a ticket drops compared to what you paid for it, you may be able to cancel and rebook at the lower price—locking in the difference as a credit toward future flights. It's important to note that not all airlines are quite this liberal, though U.S. travelers will find plenty of options.

How do I cancel a flight and get a full refund? ›

How to Cancel Flight Tickets
  1. Go to your airline's website and then head to the Manage Booking section.
  2. Enter the PNR/Booking Reference number and the last name of the passenger for whom the cancellation is to be done.
  3. To complete the flight ticket cancellation process, select the Modify/Cancel option.
Feb 27, 2023

Can an airline refuse to give me a refund? ›

Whether you are entitled to a refund depends on many factors – including the length of the delay, the length of the flight, and your particular circ*mstances. DOT determines whether you are entitled to a refund following a significant delay on a case-by-case basis.

Am I eligible for a flight refund? ›

You're legally entitled to get compensation if the cancellation is the airline's responsibility and both the following apply: the replacement flight delays your arrival by 2 or more hours. your flight was cancelled less than 14 days before departure.

What is fare drop protection? ›

If the price of your flight drops on Expedia, you'll get a Price Drop Protection Payment for the difference after you complete your trip. Price Drop Protection Payments will be based on the lowest confirmed Price Check.

How does price protection work in Capital One? ›

That means Capital One Travel keeps monitoring the price for 10 days after you book the flight. If the price drops during that monitoring period, Capital One Travel will issue you the difference in price, up to $50, in the form of a travel credit.

What does price drop mean? ›

the act of reducing the selling price of merchandise. synonyms: deduction, discount. type of: decrease, diminution, reduction, step-down.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Barbera Armstrong

Last Updated:

Views: 5943

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (79 voted)

Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Barbera Armstrong

Birthday: 1992-09-12

Address: Suite 993 99852 Daugherty Causeway, Ritchiehaven, VT 49630

Phone: +5026838435397

Job: National Engineer

Hobby: Listening to music, Board games, Photography, Ice skating, LARPing, Kite flying, Rugby

Introduction: My name is Barbera Armstrong, I am a lovely, delightful, cooperative, funny, enchanting, vivacious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.