Refunds, cancellations and changes

1. The rule that governs everything

Every ticket issued through IATA.co carries the fare rules of the airline and fare class it was bought in. Those rules decide whether the ticket can be cancelled, refunded or changed, what the airline charges for it and how long you have. We show the rules we receive from the supplier before you confirm, and we apply them exactly as written. We cannot grant a refund or a change that the fare rules do not allow, and we cannot waive an airline's fee.

What follows describes the common cases. Where this page and a specific fare rule differ, the fare rule wins.

2. Cancelling a ticket you no longer need

• Refundable fares can be cancelled and refunded under the airline's conditions, less the airline's cancellation fee and less any non-refundable taxes and surcharges the airline retains.
• Non-refundable fares return only the taxes the airline agrees to refund, if any. Some airlines refund no part of a non-refundable fare.
• Partly used tickets are refunded, where allowed, on the basis of the unused portion as calculated by the airline, which is usually far less than the difference between the two fares.
• No-shows (a passenger who does not travel and does not cancel before departure) generally lose the full value of the ticket. Cancel before the departure time shown on the ticket to keep whatever refund the fare allows.
• A IATA.co service fee, where one was charged on the booking, is not refundable. A cancellation handling fee may apply and is shown before you confirm the cancellation.

3. Changing dates, flights or routes

• Changes are made under the fare rules of the original ticket. A change usually costs the airline's change fee plus any difference between the fare originally paid and the fare available for the new flight. Fare differences are never refunded on a change to a cheaper flight unless the rules say so.
• A change must be requested before the departure of the flight being changed, unless the fare rules allow later changes.
• Route changes and changes of airline are treated as a cancellation and a new booking unless the airline permits them as a change.
• Requests are handled in the order received. Send the booking reference, the passenger name and the new dates or flight number you want.

4. Name corrections

A passenger name must match the travel document. A minor correction (a typo of a few letters) is possible on many airlines for a fee; a change to a different person is a new booking. Some low-cost and some full-service carriers permit no correction at all after issue. Check every name before you confirm, because the cost of a correction is set by the airline.

5. Schedule changes and cancellations by the airline

• When an airline changes a schedule or cancels a flight, the airline's policy for that event applies, and it is usually more generous than the fare rules: a free rebooking within the airline's window or a full refund of the affected portion.
• We pass airline notices to the email on your account as soon as we receive them. You are responsible for informing your passengers. Reply with the option you choose; if a deadline set by the airline passes without an answer, the airline may apply its default (often a refund) or cancel the booking.
• Where the airline offers compensation or assistance under passenger rights laws, the claim is between the passenger and the airline. We help with the documents you need.

6. How refunds are paid and how long they take

• Refunds are credited to the IATA.co balance of the account that made the booking, in the Platform's main currency, once the airline or supplier has released the money to us. We cannot credit a refund before the airline has processed it.
• Airline processing normally takes between 2 and 8 weeks; some carriers take longer, and voluntary refunds of low-cost fares can take the longest. We show the status of a refund in your balance history and chase the airline where a refund is overdue.
• Refunds are calculated by the airline. We pass on the amount we receive less the fees described on this page. We do not add fees the airline has not charged.
• If you want a refunded amount paid out of your balance rather than kept for future bookings, see section 7.

7. Returning unused prepaid balance

• You may ask for unused balance to be returned at any time by writing to info@iata.co from the email address on your account.
• Funds are returned by the method and to the account they were paid with. Bank transfer top-ups are returned to the originating bank account; card top-ups are returned to the card. We do not pay out to third parties or to a different method.
• We verify the identity of the account holder before releasing funds and we deduct any amount you owe us, including airline debit memos raised on your bookings and pending fees.
• Bank charges for the transfer are deducted from the amount returned. Promotional credit, if any was granted, is not paid out.
• Requests are processed within 10 working days after verification; your bank may take a further few days to show the funds.

8. Disputes and chargebacks

If you believe an entry in your balance history is wrong, tell us within 30 days of the entry so we can investigate. Opening a card chargeback for a top-up that has been used for issued tickets, instead of contacting us, is treated as a breach of our terms; we will suspend the account, provide the issuer with the ticketing evidence, and recover any resulting loss from your balance.

9. How to request a refund or change

1. Log in and find the booking, or email info@iata.co with the booking reference, the passenger name and what you need.
2. We confirm what the fare rules allow, the airline fee, our handling fee if any, and the expected amount or cost.
3. You confirm in writing. Nothing is cancelled or changed without your confirmation.
4. We process the request with the airline and update your balance history as soon as the airline responds.

For a passenger travelling within 24 hours, put URGENT in the subject line.