Cancellations & Refund Processing
Need to cancel? We’ll read out your fare rules plainly, tell you exactly what refund (if any) the airline owes you, process the cancellation, and track the refund through to completion.
Cancel your booking 0808 501 0080How airline cancellations work
Refund eligibility and the amount recoverable are determined entirely by the airline’s fare rules on the specific ticket you purchased. Worlds Travel does not set these rules. Our role is to explain the rules, process the cancellation in the airline’s system, and follow up with the airline until your refund is issued or denied per their policy.
The four common fare categories
- Fully refundable: The airline refunds the ticket in full (minus any airline service charge), usually only on flexible or Business/First fares.
- Partially refundable: The airline deducts a cancellation fee and refunds the remainder.
- Non-refundable: The airline retains the fare but may issue a travel credit (with expiry) usable towards a future flight. Taxes and government fees are typically refundable even on non-refundable tickets.
- Involuntary cancellation: If the airline cancels your flight or makes a major schedule change, different rules apply and you are usually entitled to a full refund or rebooking.
Service fees and airline fees are separate. Worlds Travel’s service fee for processing a cancellation (if any) is separate from and in addition to any airline-imposed cancellation fee. Both will be clearly stated before you authorise the cancellation.
How we process a cancellation
Retrieve your booking
Have your airline PNR or 13-digit ticket number ready. We pull the fare rules up immediately.
Refund calculation, read aloud
The agent reads you exactly what’s refundable, what’s not, and any applicable fees. You decide whether to proceed.
Cancellation processed
On your authorisation, we cancel the booking in the airline’s system and generate a cancellation reference.
Refund request filed
We file the refund with the airline’s back-office. Most refunds take 7–30 business days to appear on your card, depending on the airline.
Follow-up until credited
If the refund isn’t received in the expected window, we follow up with the airline on your behalf.
Common questions
I bought travel insurance. Should I claim through them?
Depends on the reason for cancellation. If the airline’s fare rules entitle you to a partial or full refund, you should take that first — your insurer will typically only cover what the airline doesn’t refund (and only for covered reasons). The agent can provide you with the paperwork you’ll need for an insurance claim.
How long until the refund hits my card?
Most UK and European airlines refund within 7–14 business days. Some long-haul and Middle-Eastern carriers can take 21–60 business days. We provide refund-tracking updates on request.
Can I get a voucher instead of a refund?
Some airlines offer travel vouchers (sometimes of higher value than the cash refund). If that’s available on your ticket, the agent will explain the trade-offs so you can choose.
Full details, including our own service-fee policy, are on our Refund Policy page.
Other ways we can help you
Every service below is handled by the same 24/7 team on the same phone number.