Travel guide

The 24-hour flight cancellation rule, airline by airline (2026)

Checked against each airline's own policy pages on November 1, 2026 by the Traveling Deal travel desk. Sources are listed at the end.

Traveling Deal is an independent travel agency, not an airline. We can change only tickets we issued; for a ticket bought from an airline or another website, use that seller.

Quick answer

U.S. rules require airlines to offer either a free 24-hour cancellation or a free 24-hour hold on tickets bought at least 7 days before departure.
United and American refund in full within 24 hours if you booked at least a week ahead; United requires cancelling everyone on the booking.
Delta offers Risk-Free Cancellation for 24 hours after you book.
Southwest has no cancel fee on any fare, but only its 24-hour policy refunds a Basic fare.

What the federal rule actually says

The U.S. Department of Transportation requires that for tickets bought at least seven days before the flight's scheduled departure, an airline must either let you cancel within 24 hours for a full refund without penalty, or let you hold the reservation at the quoted price for 24 hours without paying. Airlines don't have to offer both.

The rule is about cancelling, not fixing. DOT notes airlines aren't required to make changes for free in that window, for example a new date or a misspelled name. Sometimes the cheapest fix is to cancel for the refund and book again, but fares can move quickly, so price the new ticket first.

Airline by airline

Airline	24-hour rule	Conditions that trip people up
United	Full refund if cancelled within 24 hours of buying	Book at least one week before departure; cancel every flight for every passenger. Basic Economy and Money + Miles can't be changed but can be cancelled for the refund.
Delta	Risk-Free Cancellation for 24 hours after booking	Applies to the reservation as booked; after 24 hours Basic carries cancellation fees.
American	Change or cancel for a refund within 24 hours of first buying	Book at least 7 days before departure. In select markets aa.com also offers a free 24-hour hold.
Southwest	Basic fares are non-refundable except under the 24-hour policy	Every fare cancels without a fee, but outside 24 hours Basic and Choice return flight credit, not cash.

United

United refunds the whole ticket if you cancel within 24 hours of buying and booked at least one week before departure. Partial cancellations don't count: every flight and every passenger on the reservation has to go. Basic Economy and Money + Miles bookings can't be changed in that window, but they can be cancelled for the full refund, which makes the first day the only flexible moment a Basic ticket has.

Delta

Delta's Customer Service Plan includes Risk-Free Cancellation: a reservation can be cancelled without penalty for 24 hours after it is made. After that, Main Classic and above cancel to an eCredit with no fee on U.S.- and Canada-originating trips, while Delta Basic loses a cancellation fee from the ticket value.

American

American gives you 24 hours from the moment you first buy to make changes or cancel for a refund, as long as you booked at least 7 days before departure, whether the fare is refundable or not. In select markets you can instead hold the trip on aa.com for up to 24 hours without paying, also only when booking 7 or more days out. American won't let you hold several trips around the same dates.

Southwest

Southwest doesn't charge a cancellation fee on any fare. What changes is what you get back: Choice Preferred and Choice Extra refund to your card, Choice gives a 12-month Transferable Flight Credit, and Basic gives a 6-month credit. Southwest's fare rules say Basic is non-refundable except as allowed by its 24-hour cancellation policy, so the first 24 hours are when a Basic fare can come back as money. Whatever the fare, cancel at least 10 minutes before departure or the funds can be forfeited.

Booked through a travel agency or website?

When a travel agency or booking site issued your ticket, its own terms sit on top of the airline's, and the cancellation usually has to go through that seller. Ask about its 24-hour policy before you pay. At Traveling Deal the agent tells you the cancellation terms for the exact fare before ticketing.

Plans changed and a new ticket makes more sense? A Traveling Deal agent can price a new flight on any major airline and tell you the total before you pay.

Call (855) 807-8304

Frequently asked questions

Do all airlines have a 24-hour cancellation policy?

U.S. rules require airlines to offer either a free 24-hour cancellation or a free 24-hour hold for tickets bought at least 7 days before departure. United, Delta, American and Southwest all publish a 24-hour policy.

Does the 24-hour rule apply if my flight is in 3 days?

The federal rule only covers tickets bought at least seven days before departure, and United and American apply the same 7-day minimum to their own policies.

Can I cancel a Basic Economy ticket within 24 hours?

Yes. United, American and Delta allow it, and Southwest's Basic fare is refundable only under its 24-hour policy.

Can I fix a misspelled name in the 24 hours?

The 24-hour rule covers cancelling, not free changes. DOT says airlines aren't required to correct a ticket free of charge in that window; cancelling and rebooking may be the fix.

Can Traveling Deal cancel my ticket?

Only tickets Traveling Deal issued. For tickets bought from an airline or another website, cancel with that seller.

Sources

More travel guides

Last checked November 1, 2026. Airlines change these rules without notice; the airline's own website is the final word for a ticket it issued.