Flight price dropped after you booked
On most US airlines, if your exact flights get cheaper after you book, you can ask the airline to reprice your ticket and give you the difference as a credit. Your flights, dates and times don’t change.
Ask for a repricing of the same flights. Don’t cancel the ticket and rebook it yourself: it’s easy to get wrong, and a cancelled non-refundable ticket can’t be undone.
The steps
Ask the airline to reprice your same flights. The difference usually comes back as airline credit.
- 1Reach the airlineChat in the airline’s app or website if there is one, or call reservations. Have your confirmation number ready.
- 2Ask for a repricing“The price of my flights went down. Please reprice my ticket to today’s lower fare on the exact same flights, same dates and same times. I don’t want to change anything. Please give me the difference as a credit.” Keep the flights; don’t cancel anything. Ask about any fee first.
- 3Check the creditIt is usually issued the same day, in each traveler’s name. Note the expiry date on it.
A credit for the difference, per passenger, less any change fee.
If they push back, ask for a supervisor or try again later. Most airlines give the difference back as credit on main fares; Basic fares are excluded.
Good to know
- The difference usually comes back as airline credit, not cash. Check the expiry date on it; most last about a year.
- Repricing can lower the status credit you earn on this trip, because some airlines count what you paid.
- Basic fares can’t be changed for a lower price, so Tuur doesn’t alert on them.
Which tickets qualify
- Main cabin fares and above on most US airlines. American, Delta and United dropped change fees on these in 2020.
- Not Basic Economy. Most airlines won’t change it, and where they will, the fee is usually more than the drop.
- Not Frontier. Frontier’s terms say no refund or credit is issued when a fare costs less.
- Not Alaska or Hawaiian. Since October 2026 Alaska doesn’t lower a fare after purchase, and cancelling gives back travel credit, not money.
- Watch for change fees. Sun Country charges up to $99 per passenger per flight close to departure, which can be more than the drop.
- A refundable fare can get the difference back as money instead of credit.
Booked on a travel site?
If Expedia, Priceline, Capital One Travel or American Express Travel issued your ticket, they usually make the change, not the airline. Ask them the same way.
Questions
Do airlines refund the difference in cash?
Usually not. On most tickets the difference comes back as airline credit in each passenger’s name. Refundable fares are the exception.
How long does the credit last?
Usually about a year. Some airlines count from when you bought the ticket, others from when the credit was issued, and American gives people who aren’t AAdvantage members 6 months. Check the date printed on it.
Can repricing affect my status?
It can. Some airlines count what you paid toward status, so a lower fare can earn less.
Sources
Let Tuur watch for the drop
Tuur finds your trips in your inbox and tells you when a price drops, with the steps for your booking.
More guides
Tuur is not affiliated with the companies named here. Their policies change; if a step doesn’t match what you see, follow the company’s own instructions and tell us.