How to Get a Refund for a Hotel After Your Flight Has Been Canceled or Delayed
In June, American Airlines was forced to cancel 7,500 flights due to severe weather conditions, mechanical problems and the landing of Boeing 737 Max aircraft. Collectively, these cancellations accounted for 4% of the airline’s total flight schedule this month and likely annoyed a heck of a lot of travelers in other ways, like hotel bookings.
What exactly do you do when your flight is canceled but you’re still on the hook for hotel reservations? If you plan to arrive a day late or are unable to travel at all, be sure to read your hotel’s change or cancellation policy in your booking email and notify us immediately.
Study the rules of your hotel and contact them by phone
If you are notified in advance of a cancellation or serious delay, you can generally change or cancel your booking without penalty. Major hotel chains such as Marriott and Hilton offer free changes and cancellations 48-72 hours prior to check-in, but this may vary depending on the room rate and policy of the hotel you are staying at. In this case, simply search for your booking online or contact the hotel to request a change and explain your circumstances.
However, if you are particularly addicted to telegram, there may be some fees that apply to you. In this case, you should contact the hotel immediately by calling the front desk or concierge, rather than the customer service hotline, and report your case; Show proof of flight cancellation or delay and ask for a refund (and adjust dates if necessary).
If the problem is related to the weather and the impact on the whole area, you may be lucky to cancel the number or change the dates without commission. “If the hotel is in one of the affected areas, they may be grateful for the cancellation to free up rooms for guests who are stuck in their hotel and cannot return home,” writes ABC News . Politeness and good manners are also important.
And if they don’t work, you usually have to pay for one night’s stay to cancel your reservation. If you decide to change your dates, the original rate you booked may change to reflect the shorter duration of your trip.
You may not be eligible for a refund for certain bookings made through third party sites.
What if you booked your hotel through a third-party booking site? Let’s be honest – it’s difficult, especially if it’s a last-minute change or cancellation. You will most likely have to jump over a few extra hoops to get any money back, depending on your booking.
Again, you should review your hotel’s cancellation policy, third party booking site’s cancellation policy, and confirm if you have booked a refundable or non-refundable stay. If you have booked a refundable stay, you can also look in your inbox for an email that says how long you must change or cancel your flight before taxes are paid. If it’s early enough, you will receive a refund, or you can change dates without any problems.
“I work in a hotel and we work with Expedia,” u / Fawxhox wrote on a recent Reddit thread . “Call their hotline and ask if you can cancel for free. If it is not irrevocable and before the deadline, they should definitely let you. Even if the deadline has passed, you can ask them to ask the hotel to allow you to cancel your reservation anyway. We receive these calls from time to time and usually approve cancellations. ”
For non-refundable bookings, this is much more difficult (if not impossible). Some booking sites, such as Travelocity and Orbitz, offer the option to purchase particularly good discounts on hotel rooms, which are also non- refundable. If you choose a deal, it is unlikely that you will get a refund for the days unused.
However, it does not hurt to contact this third party site through the customer service line to request a cancellation, providing evidence of a serious delay or cancellation of your flight. if that doesn’t work, please contact the hotel directly and explain the circumstances.
Whichever you choose, the key is communicating with your hotel during a delay or cancellation; in case your flight does take off the ground, you don’t want to be called “no show” and risk losing your number by the time you arrive. So communicate and be polite when dealing with the hotel staff as best you can and you don’t have to pay unnecessary fees.