Flight Refund: When and How You Get Your Fare Back
"Non-refundable ticket" means nothing once the airline fails to fly you. If your flight is cancelled, delayed by more than 5 hours or you are denied boarding, you are entitled to the full fare, in money, within 7 days — regardless of fare class, promotion rules or the airline's refund policy. Even when you cancel the trip yourself, part of the taxes and charges must be returned. This page sets out what is refundable in which situation, how to resist the voucher push, and how refund and compensation are claimed together.
Refunds when the airline is at fault
| Situation | Refund right | In addition |
|---|---|---|
| Cancellation | All unused segments; the used segment too if the trip no longer serves its purpose | Free flight back to origin; compensation if notified under 14 days |
| Delay over 5 hours | Full refund if you abandon the trip | Compensation for 3+ hour arrival delays |
| Denied boarding | Full refund or re-routing — your choice | Compensation payable immediately |
| Downgrading | 30 / 50 / 75 % of the fare by distance | — |
| Schedule change | Full refund if you do not accept the new time | Compensation if the change amounts to a cancellation |
The refund must reach you within 7 days by the original payment method. The airline may offer a voucher, miles or "travel credit"; you are not obliged to accept, and if you do it must be with your written consent. Forcing vouchers breaches both SHY-Passenger and EC 261.
Refunds when you cancel
If the flight operates normally but you cannot travel, the fare rules decide and a non-refundable fare is not returned. These items, however, can always be claimed:
- Airport taxes and charges: passenger service and security charges are only collected if you fly; if you did not, the airline never pays them on and must return them. Airlines rarely do so unless asked.
- Flexible / refundable fares: the fare minus any stated deduction.
- 24-hour rule: some airlines and markets allow free cancellation within 24 hours of purchase — check your fare conditions.
- Bereavement, serious illness: most airlines have a refund or change policy against documentation; request it in writing.
Tickets bought through an agency or package
If you booked through an online agency the refund request usually goes to the agency, but for cancellations and denied boarding the refund debt is the airline's, and "the airline hasn't paid us" is no defence. On package holidays the flight refund is claimed from the operator under the package contract; compensation is claimed from the airline in every case.
How airlines stall refunds — and what we do
| Airline tactic | Response |
|---|---|
| Form offers only a voucher | Written demand for a cash refund; the 7-day statutory clock starts |
| "It will reach your card in 8–12 weeks" | The statutory period is 7 days; statutory interest is claimed for the delay |
| "Your fare was non-refundable" | Fare rules do not apply to cancellation or denied boarding |
| Refund of the unused leg only | If the trip lost its purpose, the outbound leg is refundable too |
| No reply | Regulator complaint, consumer arbitration; card chargeback if paid by card |
Process
- Attach the booking reference, proof of payment and the cancellation/delay notice to the claim form; tick "refund" and, if applicable, "compensation".
- Within 48 hours we tell you which items are refundable and whether compensation is also due.
- We send the written demand; if no payment follows within 7 days, interest and the regulatory complaint follow.
- For compensation files the fee is charged only on success; for refund-only requests the fee is stated clearly before you proceed.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get both the refund and compensation?
Yes. The refund returns what you paid; compensation is a separate payment for the disruption. A passenger whose flight was cancelled with under 14 days' notice receives both the fare and €250–600.
The airline refunded to my miles account.
Without your written consent you can object: demand a cash refund in writing; if refused, the regulator or arbitration route follows.
Is there a deadline?
Turkey's general limitation period is 10 years, but card chargebacks have much shorter bank deadlines (typically 120 days). Act soon after the cancellation.
The airline went bankrupt.
A card chargeback or travel insurance are the first routes; the claim is filed with the insolvency estate but rarely recovers much.
Related: flight compensation service, compensation calculator.
Can't get your fare back? Submit your request and we will pursue refund and compensation together.
Informational only; based on EC 261/2004, the SHY-Passenger Regulation and Turkish consumer law as in force at publication. Not legal advice.