How to Cancel Your Air Canada Flight Ticket and Get a Full Refund (2025 Guide)

Okay, let’s get real for a second. Canceling a flight isn’t anyone’s idea of fun — especially if you’ve got a non-refundable ticket staring you in the face. I’ve been there, pacing around, double-checking Air Canada’s policies like I was studying for an exam.

But good news — getting a refund is possible in many cases, and I’m going to walk you through everything you need to know, based on real experiences from our Jupiter crew and our readers (shoutout to Priya, who fought Air Canada’s chatbot for 45 minutes last month and lived to tell the tale 🙃).

🎯 First: Can You Actually Get a Full Refund?

Before we get into the how-to, let’s start with the honest truth: not every Air Canada ticket is refundable. Here’s the general rule of thumb:

Ticket Type	Refundable?
Basic Economy	❌ Nope, not refundable
Standard Economy	🚫 Usually no
Flex / Comfort	🟡 Sometimes, with a fee
Latitude / Premium	✅ Yes, full refund possible
Business / Signature	✅ Yes, full refund possible

If you bought the cheap seats (like Basic), a refund likely isn’t happening — unless you meet some special conditions (more on that below).

🧾 Your Options for Canceling and Getting a Refund

✅ 1. You Booked Less Than 24 Hours Ago (Easy Win)

Air Canada has a 24-hour cancellation policy. If it’s been less than 24 hours since you booked — no matter what fare — you can cancel and get a full refund. No fees, no drama.

How to do it:
Go to Manage My Bookings → Enter your name and booking number → Cancel flight.

Boom. Done.

⚠️ 2. Your Flight Was Canceled by Air Canada

If Air Canada cancels your flight (or delays it by a ridiculous amount of time), you’re entitled to a full refund, even for Basic fares.

Some of us have actually had better luck calling in for these situations than trying to do it online. Their system sometimes pushes you to accept a credit instead — but if you want a refund, push for it.

💡 Tip: Take screenshots of delay/cancellation notifications — it helps if you need to escalate.

📅 3. You Have a Refundable Ticket or Added Refund Protection

If you paid for a refundable fare or bought Flight Protection, good news — you’re covered. Just go to the booking portal and click cancel.

Don’t forget: some “refunds” may come as credits, not cash. Always read the fine print (yeah, I know… boring, but necessary).

🧍‍♀️ Real Talk: “I Got a Refund from a Non-Refundable Ticket — Here’s How”

Okay, story time from one of us here at Jupiter.

“I had to cancel a trip to Vancouver last minute because of a family emergency. The ticket wasn’t refundable, but I still called Air Canada customer service and explained the situation. After two phone reps and a little back-and-forth, they issued a credit — not cash, but hey, better than losing the whole fare.”
– Avi, Jupiter team member

So moral of the story? Always ask. You never know.

📞 How to Actually Cancel the Ticket

Online (Quickest Option)

Head to Air Canada – Manage Bookings
Enter your booking ref + last name.
Click Cancel and follow the prompts.

Call Air Canada (For Refund Requests or Special Cases)

Within Canada/US: 1-888-247-2262
Outside North America? Find local numbers

💡 Pro tip: Call early in the morning. Shorter wait times!

📋 Need to Request a Refund Manually?

If your situation qualifies and you didn’t get the refund automatically, you can submit a Refund Request Form:

🔗 Air Canada Refund Form

✈️ What If You Used Aeroplan Points?

Canceling a flight booked with Aeroplan points? You’ll usually get the points back minus a cancellation fee (unless you booked a fully refundable fare or used extra points to add protection).

Heads up: Aeroplan refunds take a few days to show up — don’t panic if it’s not instant.

💡 Pro Tips to Avoid Losing Your Money

Here’s our mini cheat sheet:

Cancel within 24 hours for no-hassle refunds.
Always add protection if you’re unsure about your plans.
Document everything — screenshots, email confirmations, even call logs.
Call customer service if in doubt — sometimes the agents can do more than the website.

🙋 Still Have Questions?

Drop us a comment or send us a message — we (the Jupiter crew) actually read everything and reply when we can. We’ve all been through airline headaches, and our goal is to make sure you don’t have to face them alone.