The 24-hour free cancellation window
Every ticket booked through travelbyluma can be cancelled for a 100% refund within 24 hours of booking, provided departure is at least seven days away. This follows the US Department of Transportation 24-hour reservation rule, and we apply it to all itineraries we sell, not only those touching the United States.
Refunds inside this window are returned in full to the original payment method, including taxes and carrier surcharges. No cancellation fee applies from us or from the airline.
The window runs from the moment the ticket is issued — the timestamp on your e-ticket confirmation — not from the moment you started the search.
Refundable vs non-refundable fares
After the 24-hour window closes, what you can recover depends on the fare you bought:
| Fare type | Cancellation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Basic / Light | No refund of the base fare. Government taxes refundable. | Not permitted |
| Standard Economy | Refund to airline credit, less the carrier's penalty | Permitted, fare difference applies |
| Flexible / Semi-Flex | Cash refund, less the carrier's penalty | Permitted, fare difference applies |
| Fully Refundable | Full cash refund, no penalty | Free |
Your fare type is printed on the confirmation email and shown before payment at checkout. If you are unsure which you hold, the air desk can read it off your PNR in under a minute.
How to request a refund
- Call +1 (877) 413-3006 or email support@travelbyluma.com with your booking reference.
- We confirm the applicable fare rule and quote the exact refundable amount before anything is cancelled.
- On your approval, we file the refund with the carrier and send you the refund reference.
We do not cancel a ticket without your explicit confirmation of the quoted amount. A cancellation cannot be reversed once the carrier has processed it.
Processing times
- 24-hour window cancellations: filed same day, funds typically visible in 5–7 business days.
- Standard refunds: 7–20 business days, depending on the carrier's refund queue.
- Bank card posting: add 3–5 business days after the carrier releases the funds.
The delay is on the airline's side, not ours — we file immediately and can give you the carrier's refund reference so you can track it independently.
Airline cancellations & schedule changes
If the operating carrier cancels your flight, or files a schedule change that moves your departure materially, you are entitled to a full refund regardless of fare type, or to free re-accommodation on an alternative flight. This is an involuntary refund and no penalty applies.
Our desk monitors schedule feeds and will contact you when a change is filed. You do not need to watch for it yourself. Statutory compensation schemes such as EU Regulation 261/2004 are claimed against the operating airline; we will supply the documentation you need to file.
Taxes and unused-ticket credit
Government taxes and airport charges are collected on the airline's behalf and are refundable even on non-refundable fares, because they are only levied on passengers who actually fly. Carrier-imposed surcharges generally are not.
Where a fare is non-refundable but changeable, the residual value is normally held as airline credit in your name, valid for twelve months from the original issue date. We will tell you the expiry date at the time of cancellation.
Seats, bags and insurance
Paid seat assignments and pre-purchased baggage are refunded when the underlying ticket is refunded. Travel insurance, where purchased, is governed by the insurer's own cooling-off period stated in your policy document.
Chargebacks
Please contact us before raising a chargeback. A chargeback on a ticketed reservation freezes the booking with the carrier and usually delays a legitimate refund by several weeks. In nearly every case a direct request is faster.
This policy sets out how travelbyluma handles refunds as your booking agent. It does not override the fare rules of the operating carrier, which are binding on both of us. See the terms and conditions.