I Got a Cancellation Fee Waived on a Basic Economy Ticket — Here's How

09.02.2024 - 11:29 / travelandleisure.com

Life happens — things come up and trips get canceled. That’s the position I was in recently when a personal emergency forced me to cancel a trip to my alma mater in Madison, Wisconsin.

However, I had purchased a basic economy ticket which meant that in order to postpone my trip with Delta Air Lines, I’d have to pay a $99 cancellation fee and recoup the remainder of the ticket as an e-credit.

But instead of simply canceling online, I decided to pick up the phone and call. And after explaining my situation to a very understanding representative on the phone, Delta waived the cancellation fee and credited back the full amount to use to book a future flight. 

Like most things, policies vary by airline and many things are decided on a case-by-case basis. But it turns out, some major carriers do spell out situations where they’ll waive basic economy cancellation fees for extenuating circumstances.

For Delta, a spokesperson told Travel + Leisure individual employees can make these decisions on a case-by-case basis, but didn’t provide a list of exceptions that would qualify. 

In my instance, I needed to show proof of my emergency, which is often the case when requesting such an exception. 

Having been able to resolve my own situation, I looked into how other airlines would address it as reasons to cancel a flight could occur at anytime for anyone.

American Airlines, which recently revamped its AAdvantage loyalty program to allow customers to cancel basic economy tickets for a fee, told T+L it does waive that fee in specific circumstances: if there is a death of the passenger, immediate family member, or traveling companion; if there are schedule changes implemented by American Airlines; and if a passenger comes down with certain illnesses and is traveling internationally, to the U.S. Virgin Islands, or to Puerto Rico.

Similarly, JetBlue charges a $100 change or cancellation fee for routes in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, and a $200 change or cancellation fee for other international routes for its Blue Basic fares. However, a spokesperson told T+L the airline makes exceptions for illnesses or death of either the passenger or an immediate family member. To qualify, travelers must fill out a digital form and provide documentation like a death certificate. 

JetBlue said these circumstances are then reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

On the other hand, a United Airlines spokesperson told T+L the airline offers travelers two options when they cancel a basic economy ticket: either receive a partial credit minus a fee, or pay to upgrade to a standard economy ticket, which doesn’t have change fees (an option the airline introduced in 2022). 

However, there is one cancellation exception for all