How to Get a Refund from an Airline in 2025

6 days ago 3

Let’s beryllium honest: sometimes dealing with an airline’s refund process tin consciousness similar arguing with your WiFi router. If you’re stuck wondering however to get your wealth back, we’ve breached it down existent easy. Whether it was a cancelled flight, missed flights oregon you’re conscionable not feeling the travel anymore, here’s however to get a refund from an hose similar a pro (or astatine slightest similar idiosyncratic who knows what they are talking about).

Man holding his luggage successful an airdrome looking retired astatine the runway

How to Get a Refund if an Airline Cancels Your Flight

If the hose cancels your flight, you’re usually entitled to a refund. Not a voucher. Not a question credit. An actual, existent money-back-to-your-account refund.

Here’s what to do:

Don’t panic. Get your booking notation fig ready.
Head to the airline’s website (or ours if you booked done Travelstart).
Look for the Manage Booking oregon Cancellation & Refunds section.
Follow the steps oregon call lawsuit service.

Did you cognize you get R1,000 disconnected planetary flights with Travelstart+?

Steps to Request an Airline Refund (via Travelstart)

If you booked done us, here’s however to marque magic happen:

Go to Travelstart Contact Page

What tin we assistance you with? → Select: Cancellation & Refund
Sub-category → Select: Cancellation petition – delight counsel which passenger
Enter successful your details, Travelstart booking fig and implicit accusation successful the remark box)

To travel up connected an existing refund:

Same interaction page
What tin we assistance you with? → Cancellation & Refund
Sub-category → Follow up connected pending refund
Include your booking reference.
In the remark container supply your refund query

That’s it. The refunds squad volition instrumentality it from there.

Man holding his telephone portion sitting successful an airdrome looking astatine a level taking off, astir apt googling "how to get a refund from an hose aft a missed flight?"

Can I Get a Refund for a Missed Flight?

Sometimes yes, a partial refund. Most times nope. Most airlines don’t refund missed flights unless it was their responsibility (e.g. hold oregon cancellation connected a erstwhile leg). But it’s worthy checking the fare rules, you mightiness beryllium eligible for a partial refund oregon partial airdrome taxes back.

That’s wherefore you should ever get to the airdrome successful time, bestie. At slightest an hr oregon 2 hours up of time.

Here’s each you request to cognize astir how to decently publication flights online

What to Do If an Airline Refuses a Refund

If you’re definite that you are not astatine responsibility and the airline’s Ts&Cs are successful your favour:

Screenshot everything
Escalate to their refunds department
If you booked done a third-party (like us), fto america assistance combat the bully fight.

But if you cognize that you’re astatine fault, past determination is nary request to bash each that.

How Long Do Airline Refunds Take?

Honestly? It depends connected the airline. In astir cases, refunds instrumentality astir 6–8 weeks erstwhile they’re processed.

Why the wait? Since refunds are mostly bank-to-bank and person to spell done 3rd enactment coordination, verification steps and different nitty gritty processing, it whitethorn instrumentality a portion to wide the funds. Patience is not a proposition but a must.

We privation it moved faster, we truly bash but hey, we don’t marque the rules.

two men successful an airdrome looking astatine the hose committee to spot which flights are astir to instrumentality off

Do South African Airlines Offer Refunds?

Here’s a speedy cheat sheet:

Airline	Refunds?	Notes
FlySafair	Not usually	Cancellation interest applies. Balance goes to your FlySafair wallet for aboriginal trips.
LIFT	Not standard	Cancellation interest applies. Balance goes to your LIFT wallet for aboriginal bookings.
Airlink	Yes, depending connected fare type	Must cancel wrong clip limit. Admin fees apply.
CemAir	Yes, depending connected fare type	Cancel wrong clip limits. Admin fees apply.
South African Airways (SAA)	Yes, depending connected fare type	Time-sensitive cancellations only. Admin fees apply.

Do International Airlines connection refunds?

Partial refunds whitethorn beryllium available, either connected the summons oregon airdrome taxes, depending connected the fare rules. Lower fares mostly travel with much restrictions.

If you booked done an agent, delight interaction them directly. If booked with the airline, scope retired to the airline. All cancellation requests indispensable beryllium made astatine slightest 24 hours earlier departure. No-shows are typically not eligible for refunds.

Let’s interruption it down:

Airline	Refunds?	Notes
Emirates	Yes, if fare allows	Contact the cause you booked through.
Qatar Airways	Yes, with terms	Processing takes 2–3 weeks.
Turkish Airlines	Refundable fares only	Expect admin fees and delays.
British Airways	Yes, via Manage My Booking	No refund if you miss the flight.
Lufthansa	Yes	Cancellation fees apply.
Air France / KLM	Yes	One of the smoother refund processes retired there.