How long does a refund take?

Refunds move through several hands — the agent, the airline, the payment processor and your bank. Each stage has its own timeline, which is why the total can stretch from days to weeks.

1. 1

   Stage 1: Request review (a few days)

   After you request a refund, the agent validates it against the fare rules. Straightforward cases clear in days; manual reviews take longer.

2. 2

   Stage 2: Airline approval (1–8 weeks)

   For most tickets the money sits with the airline, and the agent can only refund once the airline releases it. This is usually the longest stage and largely outside the agent's control.

3. 3

   Stage 3: Payment processing (2–5 business days)

   Once released, the refund is sent through the payment system back to your original payment method.

4. 4

   Stage 4: Bank posting (5–15 business days)

   Card issuers take their own time to post the credit to your statement. Some show it as pending quickly; others take two weeks.

5. 5

   What makes refunds slower

   Schedule changes, multi-airline itineraries, vouchers instead of cash, and peak disruption periods (strikes, weather events) all add weeks.

6. 6

   How to keep yours moving

   Reply quickly to any request for information, keep your booking reference handy, and track your case with the reference number you received. If the longest window passes, open a status check.