How Air Canada refunds generally work
The plain version. What you get back, and how soon, both depend on your fare and your route.
If you cancel within 24 hours of purchase, Air Canada refunds you to your original payment method. On its change-and-cancel page this is not conditioned on booking a set number of days before departure, so even a non-refundable Basic ticket qualifies if you act inside that first day. This is the current wording and airlines revise these rules, so confirm on the call, but a same-day change of heart usually has a clean exit.
Comfort and Latitude are the refundable Economy fares. Basic, Standard and Flex are not refundable, cancelling one of those by choice does not return cash to your card. Flex is the trap people miss: it is flexible for changes but still non-refundable, so a change is fine, a refund is not. Know which fare you hold before you expect money back.
On a non-refundable fare, the value sometimes survives as a credit toward future Air Canada travel rather than money back, depending on the fare and how you cancel. A credit has its own conditions and expiry. If a straight refund isn't available, an agent can tell you whether a usable credit is, and what it's worth.
Air Canada's standard refund timeline is up to 30 calendar days. For flights covered by US Department of Transportation rules, the timing is faster: 7 business days for a credit card, or 20 calendar days for other payment methods. Which one applies depends on your itinerary, so we set the right expectation instead of guessing.
A refund because the airline cancelled, or made a significant schedule change you decline, follows different rules than cancelling by choice, and can apply even on a non-refundable fare. Canada's passenger-protection rules can also owe more than the fare. Our delays-and-rebooking guide covers that path in full.
Air Canada offers a bereavement fare (something several US carriers no longer do), but it is booked by phone and carries its own documentation rules, it is not a refund you claim online. If you're travelling for a death in the family, don't fight the website, call and we'll walk you through it.
Whether a refund is owed, and how long it takes, depend on your fare, your route and how the ticket was cancelled. We never publish amounts because yours is specific to your ticket, an agent confirms exactly what comes back, and our service fee, before anything is charged. You can request an eligible refund yourself free at aircanada.com.
Which Air Canada fares are refundable
After the 24-hour window closes, refundability is set entirely by your fare brand.
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Up to 30 calendar days to your original payment method
7 business days once the refund is approved
20 calendar days
May survive as a travel credit with its own expiry, not cash
Different rules, can refund even a non-refundable fare, see delays guide
Flex fools people, so read this twice. On Air Canada, Flex being flexible does not make it refundable, only Comfort and Latitude are. If there's any chance you'll need the money back rather than a change, that distinction decides which fare to buy. Tell us how firm your plans are before you book and we'll steer you to the right fare, not just the cheapest one.
Frequently asked
Can I get a full refund from Air Canada?+
Is my Flex fare refundable? It says it's flexible.+
How long does an Air Canada refund take?+
Does Air Canada have a bereavement fare, and is that a refund?+
Do you charge a fee to process my refund?+
Contact options
Reach Air Canada directly, or let us handle it.
Contact Air Canada directly
The airline's own official channels, free.
More Air Canada help
Related guides.