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Air Canada Refund Policy

Last verified: 2026-03-20

Official Air Canada PolicyVerified

www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/fly/customer-support/cancellation-refund.html

Summary

Air Canada offers refunds within Customers can cancel a ticket for a full refund without penalty up to 24 hours after purchase. After 24 hours, refund eligibility depends on the fare type purchased.. Processing time: For flights to and from the U.S., Air Canada aims to process refunds within 7 business days for credit card purchases and within 20 calendar days for other payment methods. It may take up to a full billing cycle for the credit to appear on your credit card statement.. Refund methods include original form of payment. All tickets, including non-refundable fares, are eligible for a full refund if canceled within 24 hours of purchase..

Refund Window

Customers can cancel a ticket for a full refund without penalty up to 24 hours after purchase. After 24 hours, refund eligibility depends on the fare type purchased.

Processing Time

For flights to and from the U.S., Air Canada aims to process refunds within 7 business days for credit card purchases and within 20 calendar days for other payment methods. It may take up to a full billing cycle for the credit to appear on your credit card statement.

Refund Method

Original form of payment

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How to Get a Refund — Step by Step

  1. 1If you booked directly with Air Canada (website, app, contact center), go to the “My bookings” or “Trips” section on the website.
  2. 2Retrieve your booking using your booking reference number and last name.
  3. 3Select the option to cancel your flight.
  4. 4If you booked through a travel agent or another website (like Kayak or Skyscanner), you must contact them to initiate the refund process.
  5. 5For issues or to request a refund for an unused portion of a ticket due to a cancellation or long delay, you can also call Air Canada Reservations.

When You Can Get a Refund

  • All tickets, including non-refundable fares, are eligible for a full refund if canceled within 24 hours of purchase.
  • After 24 hours, refund eligibility is determined by the fare rules of the ticket purchased.
  • You are eligible for a refund if your flight is canceled by Air Canada or delayed by 3 hours or more.
  • If you booked through a travel agent or an online travel agency, you must contact them directly to request a refund.
  • Certain taxes and fees may be non-refundable depending on the ticket type and whether it was partially used.

Additional Notes

  • For tickets purchased for same-day travel, the cancellation must be made at least 2 hours before the scheduled departure time to qualify for the 24-hour refund policy.
  • Air Canada does not charge a refund processing fee.
  • Beyond the 24-hour window, non-refundable tickets generally do not have refund options for medical emergencies or other unforeseen circumstances.

What Redditors Are Saying

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1156
r/onguardforthee·7mo ago

Liberal Minister Patty Hajdu has directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order Air Canada flight attendants back to work and impose binding arbitration to settle the dispute with CUPE. The CIRB is chaired by Maryse Tremblay, who previously spent seven years as senior counsel at Air Canada

176 comments
14
r/PersonalFinanceCanada·6y ago

What happens if I chargeback Air Canada?

My flight is cancelled. Air Canada is offering credit that's good for up to 2 years. I don't think that's good enough. I want a full refund. 1) Can I chargeback with Visa? 2) If I do, will they ban me for life or something?

19 comments
6
r/PersonalFinanceCanada·6y ago

Refund for AirCanada Vacation

Hello, We purchased Air Canada vacations for the Dominican. Our departure date was May18. We booked via a travel agent. As the situation developed with the Virus, we saw that a lot of people who had flights booked before us were offered travel credit instead of money back when the flights weren’t ha

13 comments