Major Airlines’ Non-Refundable Ticket Policies

Major airlines’ non-refundable ticket policies, including exceptions to the rule.

Delta

Non-refundable tickets: You can reschedule the ticket and you have one year from the ticket’s original issue date to reschedule. The traveler will not lose the value of the ticket.
In order to get full refund, must have an exception: The death of the passenger, immediate family member, or traveling companion. However, you will be required to forward a copy of the death certificate to the Passenger Refunds Department.
Bulk fare or tour fare tickets issued through certain third-party websites and travel agents are not eligible for any changes.
24-hour risk-free cancellation

American Airlines

No refunds for non-refundable tickets, except if canceled within 24 hours from purchase.

Exceptions:

You can apply the unused value of your American Airlines ticket toward a future trip as long as:

New trip begins is one year or less from original purchase date.
You canceled the original ticket before the departure of the first flight (or the ticket loses any remaining value and cannot be used for future travel.)
24-hour, risk-free cancellation

Southwest

Customers can also change or cancel the reservation any time before the flight for credit.
Customers just pay the difference if fare is more expensive.
24-hour, risk-free cancellation.

JetBlue

For JetBlue, non-refundable fares, changes or cancellations before the departure can be made with an applicable change fee per person, plus any difference in airfare.
Change fees range from $75 to $150.
Any remaining balance will be placed as credit and can be used for future travel, one year from purchase date.
If a non-refundable reservation is not changed or cancelled before the scheduled departure, all money is lost.

Exceptions:

In the event there is a death of an immediate family member of a ticketed customer, and the death occurs within one week of the ticketed flights, JetBlue will authorize waiving the cancel/change fee, and the ticket can be left in "open" status for use within one year from the date of issuance.
Illnesses do NOT qualify as a full refund
24-hour risk-free cancellation

Virgin Airlines

Non–refundable fares must be cancelled prior to scheduled departure time.
If trying to refund the non-refundable ticket prior to flight departure, the guest will receive a credit in the value of the refund minus any change fee.
Credit can be used to book travel with Virgin America within one year from the cancellation date of the original itinerary.
24-hour risk-free cancellation

Spirit

$100 change/cancellation fee
Refunds are not permitted for requests made within seven days prior to departure. A credit for future travel on Spirit will be issued. The credit for future travel on Spirit must be booked within 60 days of purchase for travel. No cash value.
24-hour risk-free cancellation

Frontier