For the fall trip we want to book a flight to Paris BUT it could happen due to family matters that we have to cancel so my question is...

if I get a cheaper flight with restrictions...is it possible to cancel..would the ticket be good?..for how long?...and I guess there would be a fee.

if I get a flight without restrictions same questions as above?

Thanks

For most restricted fares, you can change the date or even cancel. You'll be charged a fee, and you get a voucher, which is usually good for one year from original time of purchase.

That's in the most general terms. You need to read all the fine print for each fare as the fees and other restrictions vary from fare to fare, even on the same airline.

Usually, full fare tickets with no restriction can be refunded in full. But those tickets are often double the price of a restricted one. So, they hardly make sense.

Only once in my life did I, as a leisure passenger, ever buy a fully refundable ticket. And that was when I knew there was a 90% probability that I would NOT use it, but I needed it just in case.

Have you looked at travel cancellation insurance? It would definitely be less than cancellable tickets and could be less than the cost to change flights, but that money is down the drain if you don't need to change. I may not be worthwhile, but why not look? Then you can compare costs and decide what level of risk is acceptable.

You say that for most restricted fares we could cancel??? that is good news and that there would probably be a fee..can you tell me about how much the fee for canceling?..hundreds..?...

Thanks for all the help you all give me. I think I will wait as long as possible to buy the air..

The cost to exchange a "no refund" fare will be specific to the terms of the ticket you buy. There is no single answer applicable to all airlines, but a typical one is $100/ticket and the balance in a voucher to be applied to a future ticket within a specified time frame. Read carefully as you shop for airfares -- the restrictions are in very fine print.

loisco -

Again, exact policy depends on the airline and the fare class one buys.

I'm most familiar with Continental, so this is just one of many examples. If one cancels on CO, one needs to pay $100 or $150, EXTRA, in order to get issued a voucher for the original fare, which can be used within a year from original purchase.

There are also lots of restrictions. It cannot be transferred or issued for another traveler. If the new fare you buy is lower, they may not give you a new voucher for the difference. And so on.

Agree, it depends on the airline and fare class.

As another example, I just cancelled a restricted international ticket recently on United. The original ticket price was about $525. The $200 fee was deducted, and I had a credit (note: not a refund) of $325 left to apply to another ticket within one year of the original ticketing date.

Technically, you cannot "cancel" a nonrefundable ticket, i.e., get a refund for all or even a portion of the ticket price. What you are doing is canceling the flight reservation. However, you can change the date of the flight to any time within one year for an additional fee. United is currently charging $200 for this "privilege" on international flights and you only get to apply the remaining balance to whatever is the actual cost of the new ticket.

Hmm..so if I cancel the ticket I would get a voucher...but let me ask you would the voucher be exactly for the same itinerary or could I change it.

We might cancel flight to Paris but I am not sure we could go within a year..

Thanks

In general, you can change the itinerary.