In response to the pandemic, many airlines have started offering fares that allowed changes or cancellations if COVID-19 disrupted your travel plans. Currently, you can still find flexible flights with carriers, although the rules may vary significantly between airlines. Here’s some information to help you understand flexible flights and how to book them.
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Airlines offering flexible flight tickets
Currently, most airlines have returned to their pre-pandemic fare structures and have moved away from their relaxed policies resulting from the COVID-19 situation. However, many carriers still offer flexible tickets, albeit at slightly higher prices compared to the basic fare. These flexible tickets allow you to make changes to your booking free of charge, whereas with basic fares, you may incur a change fee and/or fare difference if you decide to modify or cancel your trip.
You can book flexible flights with British Airways, Emirates, KLM, and many other major airlines. Low-cost airlines are also keeping up. easyJet‘s FLEXI fares, for instance, provide the benefit of free flight/route changes within a range of +/- 1 day. With Ryanair‘s Flexi Plus Fare, you can change your flight on the day of travel at no extra cost, as long as there are available seats on the same route as your original flight. If you choose to change your flight to a different route on the day of travel, you won’t have to pay a flight-change fee, but you will need to cover any fare difference. Changing to a flight departing one day or more before or after your original flight also doesn’t incur a flight-change fee, but any fare difference must be paid.
Flexible flights FAQs
Broadly speaking, a flexible flight ticket is one you can change or even cancel without paying a fee. These ticket policies differ between airlines. If your flight gets canceled due to COVID-19, most airlines will give you a refund or allow you to change your travel dates for free. Some airlines also offer the flexibility to change your dates for other reasons, either at no cost or by paying the fare difference. Check each airline’s policy to make the best decision for your travel needs.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, most popular airlines (including Emirates and British Airlines) expanded their flight change policies to increase flexibility. If you’d like to take advantage of travelling with fee-free changes and cancellations, we’d recommend you book soon.
You need to set a date when you book most flights. However, if you buy a flexible ticket, you can move the flight date and time until the ticket’s validity period ends.
While tickets with flexible policies still have a set departure date that could be subject to change depending on circumstances, open tickets have historically been flight tickets with a set departure date but a flexible return date.
Yes. In the midst of the pandemic when restrictions were constantly in flux, some airlines allowed changes days before the flight departed. These kinds of tickets could still be valid – just check each airline’s policy and terms carefully before you book.
Yes, you can. Some airlines may also offer changes or cancellations on both legs of a flight with a stopover. Just check each airline’s policy carefully before you book.
How to book flexible travel
- Once you’ve found your flight, check the policy on the airline’s website before you book. You may well find they are still offering flexible, changeable or refundable fares free of charge
- If not, consider a higher cabin class, or look to see if you can add extra flexibility. Despite blanket flexible policies being reversed, many airlines still offer changeable tickets for an extra fee
- Flexible travel doesn’t stop at flights. You can book hotels and car hire with us, then amend later, too. Just hit the ‘Free cancellation’ filter option when you search on our website or app
