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Expedia offers FREE cancellation on flight tickets within 24 hours of booking. If your plans change or if you find a better deal, you can simply cancel your flight tickets within 24 hours of booking and get a full refund. You can book flight tickets with 24 hour FREE cancellation on Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, and Priceline.
Why book flight tickets with 24 hour FREE cancellation?
FREE cancellation within 24 hours of booking is very convenient if you are on a lookout for a perfect flight deal. Or, you just want to book something in case the prices go up. It is also the easiest and foolproof way for your onward or return flight proof.
Without further due, here is the step-by-step guide on how to book flight tickets with 24 hour FREE cancellation on Expedia.
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Step 01. Browse to Expedia.com (not co.uk, not co.ph, etc)
- Browse to the Expedia’s US website expedia.com (see picture above)
- If you are redirected to an Expedia’s regional site (such as expedia.co.ph, etc), click on the US flag at the bottom of the homepage. It will take you to Expedia’s US site expedia.com (see picture above)
Note: 24-hour FREE cancellation option is only available on Expedia’s US website (expedia.com) and not on any of the Expedia’s regional websites such as expedia.co.uk, expedia.co.ph, etc.
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Step 02. Search for flights
- Enter Flying From, Flying To, Departing, Travelers, etc.
- Click on “Search” button
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Step 03. Select a refundable flight
- On the next page, you will see a list of flights
- Look for a convenient or cheapest flight that has “Free cancel w/in 24 hrs“
- Make sure “Free cancel w/in 24 hrs” is indicated for the flight you want to select (see picture above)
- Click on the “Select” button for the flight you want to book
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Step 04. Review your flight
- On the next page (named “Review your trip”), you will see the details of the flight you have selected
- Make sure there is “Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking!” next to “Continue Booking” button
- Also, make sure there is “Tickets are non-refundable 24 hours after booking …” under “Important Flight Information” section
- Click on “Continue Booking” button
***
Step 05. Complete your flight booking
- On the next page (named “Secure booking – only takes a few minutes”), you will see the form to fill in the passenger and payment details
- Make sure there is “Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking!” on the top of the page
- Scroll down and make sure there is “Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking!” under “Review and book your trip” section
- Fill in the passenger and payment details
- Click on “Complete Booking” button
- You will see the flight booking confirmation page
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Step 06. Check and retain your fight confirmation email
- Check your email for Expedia flight booking confirmation
- Make sure the email has “Change or cancel this reservation” link in it (see picture above)
- Retain this email till you cancel your flight booking
Note: If you don’t see “Change or cancel this reservation” link in your email, call Expedia right away. This happened to me once. The booking can still be canceled for FREE within 24 hours, but you would need to call Expedia customer service for that.
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Step 07. Cancel your flight booking within 24 hours
When you decide to cancel your flight tickets within 24 hours, you can do so from your email or from “My Trips” on expedia.com
- Go to your Expedia booking confirmation email
- Click on the link “Cancel” in “Change or cancel this reservation“
- You will be taken to “Cancel your flight” page on expedia.com
- Follow the prompts and cancel the ticket
My Trips on expedia.com
- Go to Expedia’s US site expedia.com
- Click on “My Trips” link on the top of the page
- Click on “All purchases“
- You should see your flight booking under “Coming up” section
- Click/select the flight booking that you want to cancel
- You will be taken to the flight reservation page of that booking
- Click on “Manage reservation“
- The page will automatically scroll down to “Manage reservation” section
- Click on “Cancel flight” link
- You will be taken to “Cancel your flight” page
- Click on “Cancel my flight” button
- You will be asked to confirm: “Are you sure you want to cancel your flight?“
- Click on “Yes, cancel flight” button
- You will be taken to cancellation confirmation page
- Verify that the page says “Your booking has been cancelled!“
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Step 08. Verify if the flight booking has been cancelled
- Click on “My Trips” link on the top of the page
- Click on “All purchases“
- Verify that the cancelled flight booking is now showing in “Completed” section
- Click/select the flight booking that you have just canceled
- Verify that the flight reservation page says “Reservation Canceled“
- Also, verify that the “New Total” is now “$0.00“
- Check your email for the flight booking cancellation confirmation
- Verify that the email says “Your flight has been cancelled“
- Retain this email till you recieve your refund
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Step 09. Receive full refund in a few days
- Most of the times, you will see the airline name in your credit card transactions instead of expedia or expedia.com
- After the flight booking has been canceled, keep an eye on your credit card transactions
- You should receive a full refund of the flight booking in a few days
Note: Most times a hold on the funds will be placed on your credit card at the time of booking. It takes about 24-48 hours for the hold to become a confirmed transaction. If you cancel the booking within 24 hours, the hold is usually dropped and you will not see any transactions from Expedia on your credit card at all as if you have never made a payment on expedia.com.
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That’s it! The procedure to book flight tickets with 24 hour FREE cancellation on Expedia. The procedure is exactly same on Orbitz, Travelocity and Priceline as well.
Have you ever used Expedia’s 24 hour FREE cancellation feature? Let me know your experience in the comments below.
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Very informative as usual, one thing I would like to ask.
3 days ago I was looking for flights within US cities.
Today when I was trying to make bookings the fares are almost double!!
Please advise what happened or any particular reason for this?
Thanks.
If you are booking tickets last minute, the prices fluctuate drastically.
That being said, if you are booking tickets far ahead and you still see the prices change every day, it could be that the airlines are raising their prices on purpose. They use cookies and when they see that you are searching a lot, they raise their prices. In that case, you should try clearing your cookies or use Incognito mode in your browser.
Hi,
Do you know if any ‘admin fee’ or ‘booking fee’ is charged and not refunded or is the total amount fully refunded?
Thanks
Chas
Hi Chas! There is no “admin fee” or “booking fee”. Your full amount will be refunded provided you cancel within 24 hrs or the date/time mentioned in your booking confirmation. Refer to Step 07 above. You should see a date/time under “cancel” link. You must cancel before this date/time.
Thanks for the info… what about a person who cancels often fights with expedia (because ia a nomad or whatever) is there a chance it could be banned or something?
I haven’t heard any issues like those. In my opinion, booking and canceling tickets every few months is perfectly fine. If you mix that with actual flight and hotel bookings, you will not have any issues at all.
Hello! How many days till they fully refunded the amount if I am to use a debit card to pay? Thanks! Great info!
Hi Janica! I have always received my refunds within 1-2 business days. There might sometimes be a delay from the bank’s side but from Expedia side, the refund is processed in just 1-2 business days.
I am British, by paying in dollars do you know if I would be charged a conversion fee? I contacted expedia, but they said I should use .co.uk and not .com – not helpful.
Hi Lisa! Yes, your bank will charge a “foreign transaction fee” since you will be paying in dollars. There is no work around that. But, more and more banks are offering credit cards with “no foreign transaction fee” these days. It would probably be helpful to get one for your travels.
I cancelled my tickets within 24hrs. When I checked ‘my trips’ it says that it’s cancelled, the amount is NOT zero – it still shows the amount for the tickets?
Hi Kalina! In that case, give Expedia a call to check on your cancellation. In my opinion, you should still receive the refund since your cancellation was within your 24 hours window.
Hi Thirumal,
thank you for this helpful information! I want to try this out but I´m afraid to lose a lot of money if in the end the free cancellation doesn´t apply. For example in Step 4:
Also, make sure there is “Tickets are non-refundable 24 hours after booking …” under “Important Flight Information” section…
In my case it shows:
Tickets are refundable. Cancellations are permitted, fee may apply…
Do you think this makes a difference or will it still be a free cancellation?
Thank you
If you want to make sure a particular ticket can be cancelled within 24 hrs, give a call to Expedia to confirm. The wordings can be slightly different in different situations. But in doubt, calling and verifying with Expedia is the best bet.
Hi. I”m about to do this for a friend who is traveling and needs a ticket to proof he is exiting the country. Do you have a number that you use to contact Expedia? I want to call them before I book just to make sure that I am booking a refundable ticket, but I’m never sure the best way to get ahold of companies like that. If you’ve got a number you can share, that would be great. I’ll be calling from Costa Rica!
Here are the steps to contact Expedia
– Go to https://www.expedia.com/service/#/articles/397/34/12324
– Scroll down to “Still need help?”
– Click on “If you need assistance with canceling your flight, please contact us”
– A popup will appear and you will see the phone numbers at the bottom
Hi. I saw that on step 5 there was this “taxes and fee” amounting for $51.92. Is this also refunded after cancellation? Thanks!
Yes, taxes and fee are also refunded after cancellation.
What about travel insurance? I booked and found a better deal. I already see the return of the flight on my credit card but not the insurance?
I’m not quite familiar with the cancellation policy of insurance. Insurance is mostly useful to get a full refund if you have to cancel the flight after the initial 24 hours due to reasons such as natural disasters, family emergency, etc. I believe it is separate from the flight ticket and therefore it’s non-refundable. Your best bet is to call Expedia and check what their policy on the insurance is.
Hello thank you for the information.
I’ve got 2 questions:
1) My friend booked a refundable flight and when he wanted to cancel it they told him his reason is not good enough and they didn’t payed him back (it was in the 24h window). Have you heard of this and is there anything that he can do about it?
2) the airline can take additional fee for cancellations regardless to Expedia?
Thank you
1) I have never heard anything like that. It’s a policy and they have to refund if the cancellation is within that 24-hour window. You change your mind or find a cheaper fare somewhere, you can always cancel and get the refund within 24hrs of booking. Do you know his reason for cancellation?
2) No. Not during the 24 hours window.
Hi Thirumal – this is a great article, thanks so much for these helpful tips!
Can I check that it’s actually 24 hours that these types of Expedia flights are refundable for? So – if I booked one the evening before I need to be at the airport, and then cancelled it the next day (within the 24 hour window), would that be ok?
Or does it need to be within the same day?
Thanks in advance for your advice!
Yes, that would be ok. It is still within the 24-hour window, therefore the tickets are fully refundable.
It seems to be different getting cancellable flights between foreign cities. For example I try to get a refundable flight between Bangkok and Hong Kong. Many of the airlines, such as Thai, Cathay, etc, have refundable tickets which are more expensive but always involve a cancellation fee which can be a few hundred dollars. If you check carefully the wording on Expedia, it says there are no fees from Expedia itself, but fees from the airline will be passed on. How do I make sure if I need to refund that I won’t get such a cancellation fee, even when Expedia says free cancellation within 24 hrs? Thanks.
Especially between foreign cities, there are premium airlines and budget airlines. For example, between cities in South East Asia, there are premium airlines such as Thai, Malaysian, Cathay, etc and budget airlines such as AirAsia, Scoot, Cebu, etc. The fare on premium airlines is higher than the budget airlines. Only premium airlines follow the 24 hr cancellation regulation. Therefore, the tickets on Expedia with 24 hours free cancellation will be expensive (premium airlines).
I explained the airline cancellation fee in the above comment. If you want to make sure you will not be charged a cancellation fee within 24 hrs of booking, call and confirm with the Expedia customer service. That’s the only way to ensure that you will be not charged a fee in case you cancel within 24 hours of booking.
I’m trying to find a refundable flight between Bangkok and any nearby city. All of the airlines (Thai, Cathay,etc) have refundable tickets but have a cancellation fee. If you check carefully the wording on Expedia it says there are no fees from Expedia itself, but fees from the airline will be passed on. How do I ensure if I need to refund that I won’t get a cancellation fee, even when Expedia says free cancellation within 24 hrs? Virtually all flights from Bangkok with “free cancellation” have a footnote saying “cancellations are permitted, fee may apply”. Thanks.
Hi Dave! The 24-hour free cancellation is actually a US Department of Transportation’s regulation. All airlines are required to follow this regulation if the booking originates from the US. If you are using Expedia’s US website, then you are allowed to cancel the tickets within 24 hours of purchase and receive a full refund.
The fine print on the airline cancellation fee is different from the 24-hour cancellation policy. The airline cancellation fee is applicable after the 24 hours has passed. Since these are non-refundable tickets, there may be a fee (after 24hrs passed) associated with changes/cancellation. This is normal with any booking site. They themselves will not charge any change/cancellation fee (again after 24hrs passed) but the airline will charge a fee.
If you want to ensure the tickets you are about to purchase are completely refundable within 24 hours of your purchase, give a quick call to Expedia customer service. That’s the only way to ensure that you will not be charged a fee in case you cancel your tickets within 24 hours of your purchase.
Thanks! Since the travel doesn’t originate in the US and is a non_US airline, it’s possible there will be a cancellation fee even if within Expedia’s 24 hour limit. I’ll call and find out.
Hi Dave! Yeah, the best bet is call up Expedia and find out. I have booked quite a few non-US airlines myself. I have canceled some within 24hrs due to personal reasons. I wasn’t charged any cancellation fee. This included airlines such as Thai, Philippines and Malaysian airlines.
Hi, if the booking is made outside the US, would the cancellation within 24 hours, provided I follow your helpful instructions, still apply?
Hi Olga! Yes, the booking can be made from outside the US. But, the website must be Expedia’s US website.
Thanks a lot for what you do, Thirumal!
I booked from outside the US, and the booking was cancelled, no problem at, all with the confirmations sent as it should be. Thank you!
Awesome! You’re welcome!
I LOVE YOU
Haha, thanks!
Me too! Lol
🙂
Hi, do you think “Step 02. Search for refundable flights” is necessary?
If you ‘Select “Refundable flight” option’ then you get a lot more expensive hits then without selecting the “Refundable flight” option. And they are also indicated with “Free Cancel w/in 24 hrs”.
I guess actually there are two types of refundable flights. One is refundable only for 24 hours, the other is refundable practically unrestricted in time. The selectable option influences only the latter, so it is unnecessary to select, in my opinion.
In my concrete case with the option you get flights from $650, while without it (but still getting the 24 hrs cancellation period) you get flights from $81, which makes a difference.
Thanks for your informative post.
Hi Tugo! You are absolutely correct. Without selecting the “Refundable flight” option, I see many cheaper options still with free cancellation within 24 hours. Thanks for letting me know! I will update the article.
Thanks again! Very helpful.
Hi, Thanks for your info!
But I try to find refundable tickets from San Jose (Costa Rica), but none of them have the “Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking”. At the important flight information stays: Cancellations are permitted, fee may apply. This is not the same right?
Do you know if some airports / airline companies at airports don’t offer this option?
I see quite a few tickets from San Jose (Costa Rica). What destinations are your searching for?
Very informative and accurate until this stage.
Expedia says in the confirmation mail “ticket in progress” and it may take up to 24 hours.
How can I cancel the booking without being charged?
Hi Rakefet! If your email says “ticket in progress”, go to Expedia and check the status there. It usually takes only a few minutes to get the ticket issued and confirmed. Sometimes the email notification goes out before the ticket is issued. But you will see confirmation and the date/time by which you would need to cancel within “my trips” on Expedia.
I have the same problem. Waiting for a few hours already on my e-ticket. The e-mail and “my trips” say “ticket
in progress”. When i go to manage my reservation on the website i can only change the flight, but not cancel it…
In my experience, it only takes a few minutes to issue the ticket. If it is taking too long, I would suggest calling Expedia. Either way, let us know your experience here so it can help others.
Please consider adding a comment plugin that allows us to subscribe to replies/comments so we see when someone replies to us. Otherwise nobody will ever remember to check the site after they leave a comment.
Great suggestion, Ken! Thanks a lot! I’ll look into adding the option to be notified. Thanks again!
Hello, I just looked on the Expedia US site for a ticket from Detroit to Medellin and I got hit with this info:
Important Flight Information
See more
Tickets are non-refundable and non transferable. A fee of $225.00 per ticket is charged for itinerary changes. Name changes are not allowed.
Fare Rules and Restrictions:
Pay to choose your seat
Pay to bring a carry-on bag
Pay to check your bags
Cancellations are not permitted
Bring a personal item
So this doesn’t look like a free cancellation policy to me. Please clarify if there’s something I’m missing coz I’m definitely not paying that huge fee if I have to cancel or change my dates.
Hi Richard! There is a cancellation policy from the airline side which may incur a fee. This cancellation is applicable until the date of the departure. Whereas the cancellation policy from Expedia is only for the first 24 hours.
If you see the text “Free cancel w/in 24 hrs” in Step 3 and “Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking!” in Step 4/5, then it’s definitely refundable within 24 hours of booking. I have seen a few cases like that and they were still completely refundable within 24 hours of booking.
I’m trying to book a refundable flight as proof of onward travel. Do you think it would work to book the ticket and get the flight confirmation but cancel the ticket before using it as proof of onward travel?
I’m a bit worried I wont be able to cancel it within 24 hours otherwise.
Hi Jonny! There may be serious consequences if the boarding airline or immigration staff check for the authenticity of your ticket. I advise against it. But if you have to do that, you are better off renting an onward ticket from an online travel agent such as the ones listed in this article. They cost about $10 USD.
Thanks for this!!! If I only knew I can cancel flight tickets through Expedia, I should have done it before.
Hi Joane! Not just Expedia, but many booking sites and airlines offer this service. It’s mostly meant for US travelers but you can take advantage of it if using the US-based websites.
Hi Thirumal. Thanks for this informative website. I have fews doubts and I hope you can help me.
1. Suppose if we calling the Expedia customer care for this 24hr refund query then do we need to tell them that I am based in USA because this 24hr refund is only for US website?
2. On the US website, can i make payment with my Indian Debit Card and still get the 24hr refund on cancellation.
3. From my time of booking is 24hr added to that time for example if i book at 9pm Indian time on 1st of may then i can cancel it before 8.59pm Indian time on 2nd may? Or do I need to cancel it same day on 12 midnight 1st May.
4. If i book the Ticket while I am in India then can I cancel it next day after i reach Singapore or for that matter any other country.
Thanks for all your help
Hi Rohit!
1. No. You don’t need to be a US resident.
This 24-hour cancellation is a US Department of Transportation (DOT) regulation. It applies to all major US airlines and their partners. As long as the airline is US-based or a partner of a US-based airline, you should be able to use this feature. You will see such airlines clearly marked with “free cancel w/in 24 hrs”.
2. Yes, you can make the payment with an Indian credit/debit card and still get the full refund if canceled within 24 hours of booking.
3. It’s not exactly 24 hours. You must cancel by 11.59 CST of the next business day. Usually, if booking from Asia, you will get almost 2 days to cancel because of the time difference.
For example: If you book at 9.00pm IST on Monday (8.30am CST on Monday), then you have till 12.29pm IST on Wednesday (11.59pm CST on Tuesday).
This is just an example, but you will see the exact date and time by which you must cancel in your email confirmation. Cancel before that date and time to get the full refund. Pay attention to the time zone (CST) in your email.
4. Yes, you can cancel before the given cancellation date and time in your email to get the full refund. If you are using it as an onward ticket proof, yes cancel it as soon as you reach your destination.
Hi,
I’ve followed the first two steps, but the “Free cancellation w/in 24 hours” label (highlighted in step 3) does not appear for any of the listed flights.
I’ve cancelled flights within 24-hours with Expedia before, but I’m wondering if their policies have recently chanced or something?
Hi Ckell06! Probably there aren’t any flights that can be canceled within 24hours in that route. I still see them when I search for a random route. Try for a different route.
Hello! If I booked a flight at 5pm, so I can cancel up to 5 pm the next day or do I have only up to 12mn the same day. Just confused because some travel websites their 24hr policy is like that. Thanks!
Hi G! In my experience, if you booked at 5pm CST, then you will have time till 11.59pm CST on the next day to cancel your ticket to get a full refund.
When you book a ticket that has free cancellation, you will receive a booking confirmation with date/time by which you can cancel to get a full refund. Just make sure you cancel within that date/time. In my experience, it was always 11.59pm CST the next day.